hCG
aka Human Chorionic Gonadotropin · Chorionic Gonadotropin · Pregnyl · Novarel · Ovidrel
Mechanism
Human chorionic gonadotropin is a placental glycoprotein hormone composed of a 92-amino-acid alpha subunit (shared with LH, FSH, and TSH) and a distinct 145-amino-acid beta subunit, joined non-covalently and heavily glycosylated. It acts as an agonist at the luteinizing hormone/choriogonadotropin receptor (LHCGR), mimicking the LH surge. In females it sustains the corpus luteum and progesterone production in early pregnancy and triggers final oocyte maturation and ovulation; in males it stimulates testicular Leydig cells to produce intratesticular testosterone, supporting spermatogenesis. hCG is FDA-approved (e.g., Pregnyl, Novarel, recombinant Ovidrel) for ovulation induction, assisted reproduction, and male hypogonadism/cryptorchidism.
Studied uses
- ovulation induction in assisted reproduction (IVF/IUI)
- male hypogonadism and restoring/maintaining fertility during testosterone replacement therapy
- prevention of testicular atrophy on TRT
- treatment of cryptorchidism in boys
Identification
| CAS number | 9002-61-3 |
|---|---|
| Typical dose | Fertility (final oocyte maturation): single 5,000-10,000 IU intramuscular or subcutaneous. Male TRT adjunct: commonly 250-500 IU subcutaneous 2-3x weekly (protocols vary, up to ~1,500 IU) |
| Half-life | ~24-36 hours terminal half-life after IM/SC injection (biphasic; longer than LH due to glycosylation) |
Safety
FDA-approved prescription drug; prescription-only in the US. Risks include ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in women, thromboembolism, gynecomastia and fluid retention in men, and injection-site reactions. hCG is prohibited in men at all times under the WADA Code (S2 peptide hormones); homeopathic/weight-loss hCG products are not FDA-approved and are considered illegal/fraudulent.
Vendors selling hCG
| Vendor | Size | Price | Listed purity | Trust |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forge Performance Co. | — | $40.00 | — | 94 |
| Riptide Wellness | — | $64.99 | — | 92 |
| Peptide Plugs | — | $35.00 | — | 89 |
| Simple Peptide | — | $55.00 | — | 85 |
| Ascension Peptides | — | $99.99 | — | 84 |
| Reta Peptide | — | — | — | 83 |
| Qing Li Peptide | — | — | — | 63 |
| Certified Peptides | — | $96.00 | — | 62 |
| DongCheng Peptide | — | — | — | 46 |
| zztai Peptide Ltd | — | — | — | 43 |
Research
Objective To evaluate if blastomere/trophectoderm biopsy for preimplantation genetic testing affects early HCG levels.
source →Purpose The early post-embryo transfer period lacks well-defined beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) thresholds to distinguish viable from non-viable pregnancies after frozen embryo transfer (FET).
source →Objective To explore the role of circulating human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the pathophysiology of enhanced myometrial vascularity (EMV) postpregnancy and the usefulness of determining hCG level in the clinical evaluation and management of this condition.
source →Chronic ectopic pregnancy should be considered in women with adnexal masses and persistent abdominal pain, even when serum β-hCG is negative, to prevent delayed diagnosis. This article reports a case of ectopic pregnancy with negative serum β-hCG levels nearly 3 months after curettage.
source →Efficient estrus synchronization is important for improving reproductive performance in dairy herds; however, variations in ovarian activity among cows of different parities may influence responses to synchronization protocols.
source →Objective To explore the factors associated with elevated serum progesterone (P) levels on the day of hCG administration in patients undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation using a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (GnRH-A) protocol.
source →Primary hepatic carcinosarcoma is an exceptionally rare and highly aggressive malignancy, and ectopic β-hCG production and paraneoplastic leukemoid reaction are both uncommon findings in solid tumors.
source →HCG groups (hyperchromatic crowded groups) are hyperchromatic cellular aggregates observed during routine screening for cancer and premalignant intraepithelial lesions in both negative and abnormal cervical cytology samples.
source →Objective This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of methotrexate (MTX) therapy and identify clinical and laboratory predictors of treatment failure, particularly in relatively contraindicated cases.
source →Objective To investigate the association between the dynamic trajectories of urinary human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and the risk of early miscarriage after embryo transfer. Methods In this prospective cohort study conducted in Hebei Maternity Hospital, 207 women undergoing embryo transfer were enrolled.
source →Background Invasive mole is one of the most common forms of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN), characterized by hydropic chorionic villi with trophoblastic proliferation invading the myometrium.
source →Two of the most used hormones in sport, included in the WADA list of banned molecules, are human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I).
source →Dravet Syndrome (DS) is a severe neurodevelopmental disease, which is predominantly caused by mutations of SCN1A, the gene coding for Nav1.1 voltage-gated sodium channels.
source →Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) cycles, despite the ease of synchronizing embryo thawing and embryo transfer timing, increase the risk of pregnancies and obstetric complications compared to natural cycles (NC).
source →This is a single-center, randomized, open-label, single-dose, parallel-designed PK similarity study.
source →Rationale: A rising number of adenomyosis cases are being diagnosed in women in the age group of 30 to 40 years. This is due to a combination of better diagnostic imaging techniques and a higher number of women delaying the fulfilment of their fertility aspirations.
source →A Phase 1, double blind, sponsor open, single and multiple ascending dose study to evaluate safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of PF-07321332 in healthy participants.
source →The study is conducted to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of non-invasive preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (NiPGT-A) using cell free DNA into spent culture medium (SCM).
source →This study will be conducted to assess the effect of booster dose of hCG on the unruptured follicles in non IVF/ICSI cycles.
source →OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of letrozole and clomiphene citrate (CC) in patients with anovulatory infertility. DESIGN: Open, prospective, randomized, parallel group, multicentric, comparative trial. SETTING: Out patient clinics of infertility centers in India.
source →