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Growth hormone axis

Somatropin (human growth hormone)

Also called hGH, HGH, growth hormone, GH, rhGH, Genotropin, Humatrope, Norditropin, Omnitrope, Saizen, Zomacton, Serostim, Zorbtive

Somatropin is a lab-made copy of human growth hormone, the pituitary hormone that drives growth in children and helps control body fat and muscle in adults. It is an FDA-approved prescription drug for children who do not grow normally and for adults with true growth hormone deficiency. It is also widely misused for anti-aging and sports, uses that are not approved and that studies do not support.

FDA-approvedApproved by the FDA for at least one use after large human trials.

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Illustrative chain. The exact sequence has not been published in a source we could verify.

Overview

Somatropin is a lab-made copy of human growth hormone, the pituitary hormone that drives growth in children and helps control body fat and muscle in adults. It is an FDA-approved prescription drug for children who do not grow normally and for adults with true growth hormone deficiency. It is also widely misused for anti-aging and sports, uses that are not approved and that studies do not support.

How it works

Established: growth hormone binds the growth hormone receptor, mainly in the liver, bone and fat. This raises IGF-1, which drives bone growth in children with open growth plates. In adults with growth hormone deficiency, treatment lowers body fat, increases lean mass and brings IGF-1 back to normal. Growth hormone also works against insulin, which is why it can raise blood sugar.

What research shows

  • FDA labels: approved for children with growth hormone deficiency, Prader-Willi syndrome, Turner syndrome, small for gestational age without catch-up growth, and idiopathic short stature, and for adults with growth hormone deficiency (Genotropin label). Separate brands are approved for HIV-associated wasting (Serostim) and short bowel syndrome (Zorbtive).
  • Systematic review of RCTs in healthy older adults (31 articles, 220 treated, mean age 69): about 2 kg more lean mass and less fat, but no change in body weight and more edema, joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and breast enlargement in men; authors advised against anti-aging use.
  • Systematic review of RCTs in healthy young adults (44 articles, 303 treated): lean mass rose about 2 kg, but strength and exercise capacity did not improve, and edema and fatigue were more common.
  • Serostim label: in HIV wasting, most gains in lean mass and work output appeared by 12 weeks; no controlled data beyond 48 weeks.

Doses studied in people

Study or labelDose usedSource
FDA label (Genotropin) — pediatric growth hormone deficiency0.16–0.24 mg/kg/week, divided into 6–7 daily subcutaneous injections1
FDA label (Genotropin) — other pediatric indicationsPrader-Willi 0.24 mg/kg/week; Turner syndrome 0.33 mg/kg/week; SGA up to 0.48 mg/kg/week; idiopathic short stature up to 0.47 mg/kg/week (divided daily)1
FDA label (Genotropin) — adult growth hormone deficiencyNon-weight-based: start about 0.2 mg/day (range 0.15–0.30), adjusted by about 0.1–0.2 mg/day every 1–2 months using IGF-1; or weight-based: start no more than 0.04 mg/kg/week, up to no more than 0.08 mg/kg/week1
FDA label (Serostim) — HIV-associated wasting or cachexiaOnce daily at bedtime by subcutaneous injection: 6 mg if over 55 kg, 5 mg if 45–55 kg, 4 mg if 35–45 kg, 0.1 mg/kg if under 35 kg2

Doses are from FDA labels and are set and adjusted by a prescriber (usually guided by IGF-1 levels); there is no approved dose for anti-aging, fat loss or athletic use.

Read this first: these are the amounts given to participants in published studies or written on official prescribing labels, reported for reference. They are not recommendations. Trial doses were chosen for specific patients under medical supervision, and a dose that is safe in one person can be harmful in another.

Weekly protocol

How the schedule looks week by week. Each chart says where it comes from: a prescribing label, a clinical trial, or a protocol commonly reported online.

Genotropin label: adult GH deficiency (non-weight-based)

Prescribing label

One week

D1D2D3D4D5D6D7

Once daily (weekly dose split into 6–7 injections) · Subcutaneous injection

Dose by week

About 0.2 mg/day (range 0.15–0.30 mg)Starting · wk 1–8
Adjusted by 0.1–0.2 mg/day every 1–2 monthsTitration · wk 9+
Course
Ongoing
Note
Adjustments follow clinical response and serum IGF-I. A weight-based option starts at no more than 0.04 mg/kg/week, rising to no more than 0.08 mg/kg/week at 4–8 week intervals.
Source
GENOTROPIN (somatropin) prescribing information (FDA, revised 07/2025)

Reference only, not a recommendation. Label and trial schedules were set for specific patients under medical supervision. Use the calculator only to understand the arithmetic.

Safety

  • Label contraindications include active cancer, acute critical illness after heart or abdominal surgery, major trauma or respiratory failure (higher death rate seen in a trial), severe diabetic eye disease, and certain obese children with Prader-Willi syndrome who have breathing problems.
  • Label warnings: higher blood sugar and new diabetes, raised pressure in the skull, fluid retention, slipped hip growth plate (SCFE) and worsening scoliosis in children, pancreatitis, low thyroid or adrenal function, and second tumors in childhood cancer survivors.
  • Common side effects in adults (label): swelling, joint and muscle pain, stiffness, tingling, and carpal tunnel syndrome; these often improve with a lower dose.
  • Off-label use in healthy people adds edema, joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and blood-sugar problems without proven functional benefit (systematic reviews).
  • Products sold outside pharmacies may be counterfeit or contaminated; pituitary-derived hormone used before 1985 transmitted Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Report side effects of any drug or product to the FDA through MedWatch. For a possible poisoning in the US, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

Storage and stability

Per labels: refrigerate at 2–8°C, protect from light, do not freeze; time limits after mixing vary by product.

General lab handling, not instructions for personal use. See Storage and stability.

History

From 1963 to 1985 the US National Hormone and Pituitary Program supplied growth hormone extracted from human cadaver pituitary glands to treat about 7,700 children. Distribution stopped in 1985 after recipients died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (36 US cases have since been identified). Recombinant growth hormone became available the same year, and Lilly's Humatrope (somatropin) was approved in 1987, followed by many other brands. Somatropin products moved to biologic licenses (BLAs) in March 2020. Once-weekly long-acting versions followed: lonapegsomatropin (Skytrofa, 2021), somapacitan (Sogroya) and somatrogon (Ngenla, 2023).

Common questions

Is HGH FDA-approved?

Yes. Somatropin is approved for several childhood growth disorders, adult growth hormone deficiency, HIV wasting and short bowel syndrome 125. It is not approved for anti-aging, weight loss or sports.

Does HGH work for anti-aging or muscle building?

In healthy adults, trials show about 2 kg more lean mass but no clear gains in strength or exercise capacity, plus more side effects 78. Reviewers advised against anti-aging use 7.

Is it legal to get HGH without a medical reason?

In the US, distributing growth hormone for anything other than treating a recognized medical condition is a federal crime 9.

Is HGH banned in sport?

Yes. Growth hormone, its analogues and fragments are prohibited at all times under WADA class S2 10.

Related compounds

Growth hormone axisLate-stage trialsFlashcard

MK-677 (Ibutamoren)

Ibutamoren mesylate · MK-0677

MK-677 (ibutamoren) is a pill, not a peptide, that copies ghrelin to raise growth hormone and IGF-1.

Growth hormone axisFDA-approvedFlashcard

Tesamorelin

Egrifta · Egrifta SV

Tesamorelin is a lab-made version of the body's growth-hormone-releasing hormone.

Growth hormone axisFDA-approvedFlashcard

Sermorelin

Sermorelin acetate · GRF 1-29 NH2

Sermorelin is a short, lab-made piece of the body's growth-hormone-releasing hormone.

Growth hormone axisEarly human dataFlashcard

CJC-1295

CJC-1295 with DAC · CJC-1295 without DAC

CJC-1295 is a lab-made, modified version of the active part of growth-hormone-releasing hormone.

Growth hormone axisEarly human dataFlashcard

Ipamorelin

Ipamorelin acetate · NNC 26-0161

Ipamorelin is a small lab-made peptide (five building blocks) that copies the hunger hormone ghrelin to make the pituitary release growth hormone.

Growth hormone axisPreclinical onlyFlashcard

IGF-1 LR3

Long R3 IGF-1 · LR3-IGF-1

IGF-1 LR3 is a lab-modified form of insulin-like growth factor 1, the hormone that carries out many of growth hormone's effects.

Sources

  1. GENOTROPIN (somatropin) prescribing information, rev. 07/2025 FDA label
  2. SEROSTIM (somatropin) prescribing information (Drugs.com copy) FDA label
  3. NIDDK: National Hormone & Pituitary Program — information for people treated with pituitary hGH Regulatory
  4. Long acting growth hormone (LAGH), an update (PMC review) PubMed review
  5. FDA: List of approved NDAs for biological products deemed to be BLAs on March 23, 2020 Regulatory
  6. FDA: Notice to compounders — changes that affect compounding as of March 23, 2020 Regulatory
  7. Liu H et al. Systematic review: the safety and efficacy of growth hormone in the healthy elderly. Ann Intern Med 2007 PubMed review
  8. Liu H et al. Systematic review: the effects of growth hormone on athletic performance. Ann Intern Med 2008 PubMed review
  9. 21 U.S.C. § 333(e) — human growth hormone distribution penalties Regulatory
  10. WADA Prohibited List Regulatory

Last reviewed 2026-10-26 · How we research · Found an error? See our corrections policy.