Posting this here because I know some sources, brands and labs check out these forums. If you've been following my other posts, you'll know I've been thinking a lot about generic rHGH and how to be smart about buying it. Unlike other products which are relatively easy and straightforward to produce, rHGH is insanely complicated. It requires genetically engineering bacteria to produce several peptide strands and then somehow fusing those strands correctly to produce a chain of 191 amino acids. Given the price, there is incentive to produce fake products that can mimic the properties of real rHGH. Consumers therefore rely on resellers, labs and brands to guard against being scammed, or worse, poisoned. Right now, I feel like these sources can do more to put consumers' minds at ease.

Usually, sources only share some type of molecular substance test (i.e., a spectrometry test, a chromatography test or some combination of the two), but alone, molecular substance tests are not trustworthy for protein hormones like rHGH. While some recent advances might soon allow for reliable detection of rHGH, for now, molecular substance tests essentially check for which basic molecules are present, not how complex molecules are arranged. For basic organic molecules like anabolic steroids, this is sufficient. However, rHGH is a string of 191 aminos acids that must be bonded in the correct order. To conduct a molecular substance test on rHGH, the technician must break down the rHGH into smaller fragments. So if the vial contains the right combination of unbonded fragments, the substance test will show a false positive. At best, these fragments will be inert; at worst, they will be dangerous. Molecular substance tests, therefore, are useful only to verify the dose once it is established that the product being tested is real rHGH. For weeding out fakes, it seems like a better idea to just directly test for the presence of real rHGH.

Assays that test for rHGH are widely available, but, like substance tests, they are not useful as standalone tests. Yes, the assays will tell you if the product has rHGH, but the assays can be fooled by adding a small amount of rHGH to a counterfeit product. This trick may fool the assay, but it won't fool consumers for too long. Those switching from pharma-grade products to underdosed fakes will eventually be able to spot the difference: fewer sides and fewer desired effects. These consumers can then post their results on Eroids and warn other consumers away from the fake product, but there is a trick to fool consumers.

Rather than using peptide fragments as filler, the labs can add Growth Hormone Releasing Peptides (GHRP). GHRPs are peptide hormones that stimulate the body's own release of Growth Hormone, thereby delivering similar effects (both side effects and desired effects). At least people are getting the desired effects, right? Kinda. GHRPs are not really good for long-term use and are difficult to dose consistently and properly (especially if the user doesn't even realize the substance is GHRP). Thankfully, assay tests exist for GHRPs, which should be the third and final tests lab perform on rHGH. If all three tests are conducted, trying to pass counterfeited becomes increasingly difficult -- and frankly, not worth the effort. I should note that this GHRP trick might not work against more advanced molecular substance tests, but most steroid testers have simple equipment designed to detect steroid hormones, not complex protein hormones like rHGH.

So, putting it all together, there are 3 important tests that must be conducted: a molecular substance test, an rHGH assay and GHRPs assays. If conducted, these tests will ensure that consumers are getting the right product rather than a mimic, leaving only the possibility that the product has been diluted with inert fillers. In this scenario, at least us guinea pigs can test the generic product against real pharma-grade products for dosage accuracy.

I could be missing something here. Maybe I'm being too paranoid. But I think a lab willing to offer more transparency will reap some real benefits. Of course, if you're income hasn't been hampered like mine due to covid, you can just spring for some pharma-grade stuff.