Evidence review: Open Peptide Project (verified against primary PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov & FDA records) · Last checked 2026-10-26. ← Back to Evidence Library

Human growth hormone (somatropin, HGH): what the evidence says

Name: Human growth hormone (somatropin, HGH)
Published: 2026-10-26

At a glance

What it is: human growth hormone (GH) is a 191-amino-acid protein made by the pituitary. Lab-made GH is called somatropin (brands include Genotropin, Humatrope, Norditropin, Omnitrope, Zomacton). Since Mar 23, 2020 FDA regulates it as a licensed biologic (BLA). ^{R1, R2, R3}

What the evidence says: it is a proven, FDA-approved treatment for growth failure in children (GH deficiency, Prader-Willi, Turner, small for gestational age, idiopathic short stature) and for adults with GH deficiency. ^{R1, R4} In healthy older adults it added about 2 kg of lean mass and cut about 2 kg of fat, with no proven functional benefit and more side effects. ^R5 In young athletes it added lean mass but did not improve strength or exercise capacity. ^R6

Biggest risks: swelling, joint pain, carpal tunnel, higher blood sugar and diabetes, raised pressure in the skull; growth of existing tumors and second tumors in childhood cancer survivors. ^{R1, R5, R7}

Looking for "HGH fragment"? The gray-market fat-loss fragment is a different molecule. See AOD-9604 / HGH Fragment 176-191.

Rating


Human Human evidence	Strong for labeled uses (FDA approval, guidelines, large registries) ^{R1, R4, R8} · Moderate that it changes body composition in healthy older adults and athletes without proven function or performance gains ^{R5, R6}
Animal Animal / lab evidence	Not needed to judge the human uses
Regulatory	FDA-approved (prescription biologic) · distributing it for non-approved uses is a federal crime · not on the 503A/503B lists · WADA 2026: prohibited at all times (S2.2.3) ^{R9, R10, R11, R12, R13}
Established human dose	Set by the prescribing information for each labeled condition. Study details lists what studies used

Evidence verdict: Approved uses (child and adult GH deficiency and other labeled conditions): Strong · Anti-aging in healthy older adults: not supported, more side effects · Athletic performance: not supported (more lean mass, no proven strength gain)

This page reports what studies used. It is not dosing advice.

Legend: HUMAN data · ANIMAL / LAB data · UNKNOWN · UNVERIFIED: not yet confirmed against a primary source

About the evidence: approval rests on decades of controlled trials and company-sponsored registries. The anti-aging and sports reviews pooled small, short trials (220 older adults; 303 young adults), often at higher-than-replacement amounts. Long-term safety data come mostly from people treated as children. ^{R5, R6, R8, R14}

What is it?

GH drives growth in childhood and helps control body composition, fat breakdown and blood sugar in adults. Most of its growth effects work through IGF-1 made in the liver. ^R15 Early GH was taken from cadaver pituitaries; that supply spread Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease to 0.3 to 4.4% of recipients in some countries and stopped in the mid-1980s. Today's somatropin is recombinant. ^R16 Related pages: AOD-9604 / HGH Fragment 176-191, Tesamorelin, Sermorelin, CJC-1295, Ipamorelin, MK-677, IGF-1 (mecasermin).

Does it work?

Human Approved uses: growth failure in children with GH deficiency, Prader-Willi syndrome, small for gestational age, Turner syndrome and idiopathic short stature; adults with adult-onset or childhood-onset GH deficiency (Genotropin label; other brands carry overlapping lists). ^R1
Human Adults with GH deficiency: Endocrine Society guideline: benefits for body composition, exercise capacity, bone and quality of life, mostly in severe deficiency. ^R4 A meta-analysis of 37 blinded trials found lower LDL cholesterol, fat mass and diastolic blood pressure. ^R17
Human Healthy older adults (anti-aging): 18 trials, 220 people on GH: fat −2.1 kg, lean mass +2.1 kg, no change in weight or bone density. ^R5
Human Athletes: 27 study samples, 303 people: lean mass +2.1 kg; strength and exercise capacity did not improve; lactate during exercise was higher. "Claims that growth hormone enhances physical performance are not supported." ^R6 A later review notes it may improve sprint capacity in recreational athletes. ^R15
Human Obesity: less visceral fat and more lean mass but no weight loss, with higher fasting glucose and insulin. ^R7

Is it safe?

Human Label warnings: higher death rates in acute critical illness; deaths in children with Prader-Willi syndrome (airway obstruction); tumor growth and second tumors (especially meningiomas after head radiation); impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes; intracranial hypertension; fluid retention, joint pain and carpal tunnel; low cortisol and thyroid; slipped hip growth plate and scoliosis in children. ^R1
Human Healthy older adults: more swelling, joint pain, carpal tunnel and breast growth in men, and a trend to more diabetes and impaired fasting glucose. ^R5
Human Long-term (childhood treatment): in the 24,232-patient SAGhE cohort, death rates were not raised in low-risk patients (SMR 1.1) and tracked the underlying diagnosis, not the GH amount. ^R8 An earlier French analysis had linked the highest amounts (see Study details) with higher mortality, including stroke-type bleeding and bone tumors. ^R18 Two registries covering 37,702 children found no dose-related rise in deaths or adverse events. ^R14
Unknown No long-term safety data for healthy adults using it for anti-aging or sport.

Gray-market "HGH": extra risks

A gray-market vial has no quality control and no guarantee of identity, strength or sterility. We test retail vials blind under the Open Peptide Standard; see /tests/. A passing test covers one batch on one date and does not mean the compound is safe. Non-prescription GH sold online is outside FDA oversight; the 2020 BPCI transition means legitimate products are licensed biologics. ^R3 "HGH" sprays, pills and "releasers" are not somatropin.

What we don't know

Unknown Whether GH improves function, independence or lifespan in healthy older adults
Unknown Long-term cancer and diabetes risk at non-medical amounts
Unknown How often gray-market vials contain real somatropin

Is it legal?

US (FDA): approved prescription biologic; Genotropin and other somatropin products are listed in Drugs@FDA. ^{R9, R2} It is not on the 503A or 503B bulk-substance lists, and because somatropin is regulated as a biologic under section 351 of the PHS Act, sections 503A and 503B do not provide a legal pathway to compound it from bulk substance. ^{R3, R11, R12}
Federal crime: knowingly distributing GH for any human use other than an FDA-authorized use ordered by a physician carries up to 5 years in prison (10 years if a minor is involved). ^R10 Anti-aging and bodybuilding are not approved uses. ^R5
Athletes: WADA 2026 S2.2.3 bans GH, its analogues (e.g., somapacitan, somatrogon, lonapegsomatropin) and fragments at all times. Tests detect it by isoform and marker methods. ^{R13, R15}

Study details

These are amounts researchers used, not recommendations.

Study	People / model	Route	Amount used	Follow-up	Reported	Citation
Liu 2007 review	220 healthy older adults (mean age 69)	Subcutaneous	Mean starting amount 14 µg/kg per day	Mean 27 weeks	Fat −2.1 kg, lean +2.1 kg; more side effects	PMID 17227934
Liu 2008 review	303 healthy young adults (mean age 27)	Subcutaneous	Mean 36 µg/kg per day	Mean 20 days	Lean mass up; strength not improved	PMID 18347346
French SAGhE 2012	6,928 treated as children	Subcutaneous	>50 µg/kg per day linked with higher mortality	Years	SMR 1.33 overall	PMID 22238382

Full reference list (PubMed, CT.gov, FDA and WADA checked Oct 26, 2026)

^R1 Genotropin (somatropin) prescribing information, BLA 020280, label effective Aug 4, 2026 (DailyMed). https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=ffebf88b-d257-4542-9808-74d9b7167765
^R2 openFDA drugsfda API, search openfda.generic_name:"somatropin" (returns BLA 019640 Humatrope, 020280 Genotropin, 021426 Omnitrope, 021148 Norditropin, 019774 Zomacton; checked Oct 26, 2026). https://api.fda.gov/drug/drugsfda.json?search=openfda.generic_name:%22somatropin%22&limit=20
^R3 FDA, The "Deemed to be a License" Provision of the BPCI Act (human growth hormone named among protein products moved from NDAs to BLAs on Mar 23, 2020). https://www.fda.gov/drugs/guidance-compliance-regulatory-information/deemed-be-license-provision-bpci-act
^R4 Molitch ME, et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011. PMID 21602453
^R5 Liu H, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2007. PMID 17227934
^R6 Liu H, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2008. PMID 18347346
^R7 Mekala KC, et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009. PMID 18940879
^R8 Sävendahl L, et al. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2020. PMID 32707116
^R9 Drugs@FDA, Genotropin (somatropin), application 020280 (checked Oct 26, 2026). https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf/index.cfm?event=overview.process&ApplNo=020280
^R10 21 U.S.C. § 333(e), Prohibited distribution of human growth hormone (Cornell LII). https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/21/333
^R11 FDA, 503A bulk drug substances categories list (updated May 14, 2026). https://www.fda.gov/media/94155/download
^R12 FDA, 503B bulk drug substances categories list (updated Mar 21, 2025). https://www.fda.gov/media/94164/download
^R13 WADA. The 2026 Prohibited List, S2.2.3. https://www.wada-ama.org/sites/default/files/2025-09/2026list_en_final_clean_september_2025.pdf
^R14 Sävendahl L, et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2021. PMID 33571362
^R15 Holt RIG, et al. Endocr Rev. 2019. PMID 31180479
^R16 Brown P, et al. Neurology. 2000. PMID 11071481
^R17 Maison P, et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004. PMID 15126541
^R18 Carel JC, et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012. PMID 22238382

Disclaimer

This page is for education and harm reduction, not medical advice or a recommendation to use Human growth hormone (somatropin, HGH). Talk to an endocrinologist, especially if you have diabetes, a current or past cancer, a pituitary condition, are pregnant, or are a tested athlete. Report problems to FDA MedWatch (https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch).