Average Cost Of HGH Therapy in the US

In reputable clinics, the correct cost of your HGH therapy does not include only the price of the treatment (injections). It also includes the cost of a consultation with a medical doctor and the required tests for confirming your diagnosis.

With a valid prescription, you can purchase HGH injections from licensed clinics which ensures that they are legal and risk-free.

Note, there’re a lot of counterfeit products with significantly lower prices sold by websites that don’t require a prescription. They are illegal and likely dangerous.

How much does legal HGH cost?

The price of HGH therapy includes the cost of the diagnostic process as well as the injections. The diagnosis should be performed by a licensed physician who can give you a legal HGH prescription.

The process starts with your visit to the doctor’s office. A consultation with a specialist in endocrinology costs about $100 on average. If you have symptoms indicating growth hormone deficiency (GHD) then your doctor will also assign your tests.

Unfortunately, a simple blood test can’t provide accurate information about your growth hormone levels. That’s because HGH is secreted in short pulses which rapidly decline to undetectable levels even in healthy individuals. Thus, your doctor will use medications that stimulate GH production and measure its peak levels.

The most commonly used medication is insulin and the procedure is called an insulin tolerance test (ITT). The procedure must be performed in an equipped medical facility and under strict medical supervision. Its cost is also about $100 on average.

If you are diagnosed with GHD, then your doctor will give you a prescription for HGH therapy in order to manage your symptoms.

A prescription is not something you should pay separately. It is a part of your doctor’s recommendations so it is included in the cost of the consultation.

The average cost of HGH injections per month

World-renowned HGH brands include Humatrope, Genotropin, Saizen, Norditropin, and Omnitrope. They are all approved by the FDA and are subjected to strict quality standards and regulations.

Each of them should be injected daily except for Omnitrope and Genotropin which have the option to be taken 6 days per week.

The cost of growth hormone will depend on the brand as well as on your dosage. All brands can be dosed using the weight-based method with a starting dose of 0.003-0.006 mg per kilogram of your body weight (mg/kgBW).

The weight-based method is contraindicated in patients who are overweight or obese, as it can lead to inappropriately high dosing and side effects

Thus, if you have an average body weight (70-80 kg), your initial daily dose should be 0.2-0.5 mg.

Considering that the average price of an injector device containing 5 mg HGH is about $1000, then your therapy will cost $40-$90 daily or $1200-$2700 per month.

Most brands also offer vials. They have to be reconstituted with a diluent and then injected with a syringe. The cost of GH vials is slightly lower, starting at about $20 per day or $600 per month.

However, vials that require reconstitution tend to be less cost-effective since a higher percentage of the product goes to waste with a regular syringe – up to 23% according to studies.

The maximum dosage varies between 0.01-0.016 mg/kgBW depending on the brand. In this case, the cost would increase to $140-$240 daily or at least $4200 per month.

How much does treatment with different GH brands cost?

Medical specialists often prescribe the non-weight-based method for dosing HGH as it reduces the risk for side effects. The method is applicable for all brands and the default starting dose is equal to 0.2 mg (0.6 IU) injected daily.

The dose can later be adjusted by your doctor every 4-6 weeks.

When using the non-weight-based method, there might also be variations in the cost of your HGH therapy depending on the brand

Humatrope comes either as a 5 mg vial or 6, 12, and 24mg cartridges which are injected using the HumatroPen. Using the 6 mg HumatroPen would cost $46 per day or $1400 per month.

If you purchase the vial which requires reconstitution, then the daily and monthly price would be significantly lower.

Genotropin is injected using an autoinjector device called Genotropin Mixer. It contains either 5 or 10 mg of HGH. Its price starts at $1050 so the therapy would cost $42 per day or $1300 per month.

Alternatively, there are single-use pens called Genotropin MiniQuicks which can deliver a single dose of 0.2mg for the cost of $350.

Saizen comes in 5 mg or 8.8 mg vials which require reconstitution. The price of the vials starts at $1000 which means the therapy would cost $40 per day or $1200 per month.

Norditropin can be injected via a prefilled and preloaded device called FlexPro Pen which can contain either 5, 10, 15, or 30 mg of HGH. The 5 mg FlexPro Pen comes at $1075, and its cost would be $44 per day or $1350 per month.

Omnitrope comes in a 5.8 mg vial or as a prefilled liquid-formulation pen. If you use the vial which requires reconstitution, you would pay about $19 per day or $600 per month.

How much does HGH cost with insurance?

If you have been diagnosed with GHD and an HGH therapy is considered medically necessary by your doctor, then your insurance company might accept it as eligible for coverage.

If you are newly diagnosed with adult-onset GHD, some providers might require at least 2 stimulation tests (such as ITT) that prove the condition before granting coverage.

Furthermore, companies will cover your HGH therapy continuation if your medical records prove that it provides an ongoing benefit for your GHD Adults with childhood-onset GHD who would like to continue their therapy are also eligible.

Insurance providers have adopted several cost-containing measures such as adopting a preferred brand for coverage. Thus, if you change your provider or the company changes their preferred brand, you may have to switch brands to keep your coverage.

Studies suggest that such brand switches might lead to problems with HGH therapy such as dosing errors and treatment lapses from having to learn a new device.

Is growth hormone worth the price?

If you have a medical condition such as GHD, HGH therapy might be the best choice to manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life.

HGH injections are the only FDA-approved therapy for the management of GHD. They are also approved for patients with muscle wasting due to AIDS or short-bowel syndrome (SBS).

Numerous scientific studies and the Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline support the use of HGH injections as the most effective treatment for GHD. Thus, if you have the condition, HGH therapy would be highly beneficial for improving your symptoms.

There are no other alternative treatments that have proven to be safe and effective in the management of GHD

HGH injections are not approved for use in people without any medical indications and those who may seek physique or performance enhancement. Its off-label use is illegal and potentially dangerous without proper medical supervision.

Are alternative forms of GH cheaper?

Currently, there are no cheaper or generic HGH injections that are approved by the FDA as safe and effective.

Many generic products are marketed with promises to be as effective as the original world-renowned brands. However, they lack FDA approval or any regulation to guarantee their quality and safety.

Furthermore, these substances are often purchased from countries that do not require a legal prescription. Using them may result in ineffectiveness or even health problems since there is no guarantee that you are purchasing genuine HGH products.

Other commonly marketed products are growth hormone secretagogues. Most of them are not officially manufactured by any pharmaceutical company. Instead, they are produced and sold illegally, so their quality and safety are unknown.

Such secretagogues would not be effective in increasing GH levels in GHD patients when the natural growth hormone production is completely shut down.