The FDA-approved fertility gonadotropin (Menopur, Ferring) used in IVF stimulation, male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, and off-label after TRT cessation. Combination of FSH and LH-like activity — with a real pharmacology nuance: per the FDA label, that LH-like activity is largely hCG, not LH itself.
Human Menopausal Gonadotropin (HMG), generic name menotropins, is a urine-derived gonadotropin extracted from postmenopausal women’s urine and processed to deliver roughly equal FSH and LH activity. The current US standard is Menopur (Ferring Pharmaceuticals, NDA 21-663, FDA-approved October 29, 2004), supplied as 75 IU FSH + 75 IU LH activity per vial. Older formulations included Pergonal and Repronex.
Important pharmacology nuance. Per Menopur FDA label Section 11: “Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) is detected in Menopur.” Approximately 95% of the LH-receptor signaling in HMG comes from co-isolated hCG (which the donor pool naturally contains because of pregnant donors), not LH itself. This isn’t a quality issue — the receptor activity is real and the same — but it explains why HMG and pure-hCG share so much pharmacology in male-fertility contexts.
FDA-approved (Menopur, NDA 21-663). Prescription-only; in practice usually requires fertility-specialist or endocrinologist oversight. Not WADA-listed by name, but gonadotropins fall under WADA S2.3 (Growth Factors and Growth Factor Modulators) and HMG-class agents are not permitted for athletes in or out of competition.
Not medical advice. These figures describe what is reported in the literature and what practitioners and communities do — not a recommendation, and for most compounds here no human dose-finding study exists. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider.
The current Menopur label (since 2014) approves HMG for controlled ovarian stimulation in IVF/ART in ovulatory women, after pituitary suppression with a GnRH agonist. Anovulatory ovulation induction was dropped from the modern US Menopur label (still indicated on some EU labels and historically on US menotropins). The label’s “Initial U.S. Approval: 1975” refers to the menotropins drug class (Pergonal era), not Menopur specifically.
Approved IVF dosing per Menopur Section 2:
Male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) is not on the Menopur US label but is a recognized off-label use supported by reproductive endocrinology guidelines. HMG (with hCG) is used to induce spermatogenesis in HH patients who want fertility — the classic protocol is hCG to drive intratesticular testosterone, then add HMG once hCG alone fails to induce sperm production.
Drives granulosa-cell proliferation and follicle maturation in ovaries; supports Sertoli cells and spermatogenesis in testes. Half-life ~11–13 hours per Menopur Section 12.3, so once-daily dosing builds steady levels over 3–5 days.
Drives theca-cell androgen synthesis and luteinization in ovaries; drives Leydig-cell intratesticular testosterone in men. The hCG-rich nature of HMG’s LH activity is why the LH-receptor signaling is more sustained than recombinant LH (the long hCG half-life carries over).
Pure recombinant FSH (Gonal-F, Follistim) lacks LH activity. For patients with low endogenous LH (older women in IVF, men with HH), the combined FSH+LH signaling matters. Cochrane meta-analyses (van Wely 2011, PMID 21328276; Coomarasamy 2008, PMID 18056719) show HMG produces a modest live-birth advantage over rFSH in IVF (RR ~1.18), though the effect size is debated.
Build your protocol, log every dose, monitor your body's response, and get reminders so you never miss a dose.
Start Tracking FreeNot medical advice. These figures describe what is reported in the literature and what practitioners and communities do — not a recommendation, and for most compounds here no human dose-finding study exists. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider.
HMG isn’t labeled for male use in the US, but the reproductive-endocrinology literature on it is real and the protocols have been used clinically for decades. Two distinct contexts:
Men with HH (Kallmann, post-pituitary surgery, etc.) start with hCG monotherapy 1500–3000 IU 2–3×/wk SC for ~3–6 months. If sperm fail to appear, HMG 75–150 IU 3×/wk SC is added. Most men eventually develop sperm in the ejaculate; pregnancies are achievable. Liu 2009 (PMID 19066302) is the prospective predictor study.
The best quantitative answer comes from a 2024 meta-analysis of 41 studies and 1,673 men with pathologic gonadotropin deficiency, mean age 25 (Muir 2024, PMID 39445789). After a median 18 months of gonadotropin treatment, mean sperm concentration reached 11.6 M/mL (95% CI 8.4–14.9). The success rate depends entirely on where you set the bar:
| Sperm concentration reached | Proportion of men |
|---|---|
| Any sperm at all (>0) | 78% |
| >1 M/mL | 55% |
| >5 M/mL | 36% |
| >10 M/mL | 24% |
| >20 M/mL | 15% |
The 78% figure is the one that gets quoted. The authors’ own conclusion is the more useful sentence: gonadotropin treatment induced spermatogenesis in most men, but sperm outputs more consistent with those typically needed to induce a natural pregnancy were less commonly achieved. Set expectations against the row that matters for your actual goal, not the top one.
Two findings from the same analysis worth carrying into a protocol. Combined hCG/FSH beat hCG alone on mean sperm output and at every threshold — this is the evidence behind adding HMG rather than staying on hCG. And testosterone and testicular-volume gains were no different between the two, so if you judge whether the HMG is working by T levels or testicular size, you will not see its effect. It shows up in the semen analysis or not at all. Men with congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism did worse than those with acquired hypopituitarism.
Exogenous testosterone suppresses HPT-axis signaling. After cessation, recovery can take months to years; some men don’t recover spontaneously. Off-label protocols use hCG (with or without HMG, with or without a SERM like clomiphene or tamoxifen) to drive intratesticular testosterone and sperm production. Wenker 2015 retrospective and the Endocrine Society 2018 testosterone guideline (PMID 29562364) discuss this. Effect sizes are population-dependent.
Prescribe a TRT-restart or PCT protocol. Off-label use with HMG involves cycle planning, lab monitoring (FSH/LH/T/E2/sperm count), GnRH agonist coordination, and individualized dosing — in real clinical practice this is done with a reproductive endocrinologist or men’s-health urologist. We describe what the literature class shows; we don’t replace that visit.
What HMG does NOT do: raise testosterone meaningfully in eugonadal men with intact HPT axes. The vendor-side “natural T-boost” framing for HMG is overreach. HMG works when pituitary signaling is the bottleneck; if your pituitary is intact and pumping, exogenous gonadotropins don’t add much.
Pre-filled with a typical HMG (Human Menopausal Gonadotropin) setup. Edit any field — the draw updates live.
Insulin syringe — 100 units = 1 mL
Free account. Saves your reconstitution + schedules doses + tracks every vial.
Dosing cheat sheet, reconstitution reference, and cycle planning — delivered to your inbox.
| Agent | FSH | LH-like | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMG (Menopur) | Yes (75 IU/vial) | Yes — mostly hCG (75 IU/vial) | IVF in ovulatory women; male HH (with hCG); post-TRT fertility |
| hCG (Pregnyl, Novarel) | No | Yes (long half-life) | Trigger shot; male HH first-line; TRT-on hCG to preserve testicular volume |
| Recombinant FSH (Gonal-F, Follistim) | Yes (pure) | No | IVF in women with intact LH; cleaner FSH-only signal |
| Recombinant LH (Luveris) | No | Yes (pure LH) | Combined with rFSH when LH supplementation is needed without hCG |
Not medical advice. These figures describe what is reported in the literature and what practitioners and communities do — not a recommendation, and for most compounds here no human dose-finding study exists. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider.
Menopur is supplied as a lyophilized powder + provided sterile-saline diluent. Reconstitute per the included instructions; do not substitute bacteriostatic water for the supplied diluent unless explicitly directed.
Compounded HMG from compounding pharmacies has different reconstitution / BUD specs — follow the compounder’s label, not Menopur’s.
HMG (Human Menopausal Gonadotropin) is a prescription medication. StackTrax does not sell, prescribe, or facilitate purchase of prescription drugs.
Find a clinician who can order baseline lab work, screen for contraindications, monitor your response, and adjust dosing over time. Options to consider:
Before starting, you’ll typically want:
Avoid sources that offer prescription medications without labs, medical history, or licensed-provider oversight. If a telehealth service promises a prescription after a 5-minute questionnaire, that’s a red flag.
HMG, generic name menotropins, is a urine-derived gonadotropin extracted from postmenopausal womens urine and processed to deliver roughly equal FSH and LH activity. The current US standard is Menopur (Ferring, NDA 21-663, FDA-approved October 29, 2004), supplied as 75 IU FSH plus 75 IU LH activity per vial. Older formulations included Pergonal and Repronex.
Yes. Menopur is FDA-approved (NDA 21-663) for controlled ovarian stimulation in IVF/ART in ovulatory women, after pituitary suppression with a GnRH agonist. Anovulatory ovulation induction was dropped from the modern US Menopur label (still indicated on some EU labels). Male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is not on the US Menopur label but is a recognized off-label use supported by reproductive endocrinology guidelines. HMG is prescription-only and in practice usually requires fertility-specialist or endocrinologist oversight.
HMG (Menopur) supplies both FSH (75 IU/vial) and LH-like activity (75 IU/vial, largely hCG per the FDA label). hCG (Pregnyl, Novarel) is pure LH-like activity with a long half-life — used as a trigger shot, as first-line for male HH, and to preserve testicular volume on TRT. Recombinant FSH (Gonal-F, Follistim) is pure FSH only. Recombinant LH (Luveris) is pure LH only. HMG fills the niche of needing both FSH and sustained LH-receptor signaling — IVF in ovulatory women, male HH, and post-TRT fertility recovery.
Mostly not. Per Menopur FDA label Section 11: "Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) is detected in Menopur." Approximately 95% of the LH-receptor signaling in HMG comes from co-isolated hCG (the donor pool naturally contains it because of pregnant donors), not LH itself. The receptor activity is real and pharmacologically the same, but the long hCG half-life means HMGs LH signal is more sustained than recombinant LH. This is also why HMG and pure hCG share so much of their male-fertility pharmacology.
Per Menopur Section 2 (FDA label): start at 225 IU subcutaneously daily after GnRH-agonist down-regulation, with a maximum dose of 450 IU/day and a maximum cycle duration of 20 days. An hCG trigger shot is given once follicles reach target diameter. For male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (off-label), HMG is typically dosed 75–150 IU subcutaneously 3 times per week, added to hCG monotherapy if sperm fail to appear after 3–6 months of hCG alone.
Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome is the largest IVF safety concern with HMG. Per Menopur label trial data, OHSS incidence is 7.2%. Severe cases involve fluid shifts, ascites, and rare thromboembolism. Multi-fetal pregnancy is also common (35.3% in trials), carrying maternal and neonatal risk. Other label-listed concerns include ectopic pregnancy, ovarian torsion, hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylaxis, and elevated spontaneous-abortion rates baseline to IVF.
Off-label, yes — but this is real clinical territory that requires a reproductive endocrinologist or mens-health urologist. Exogenous testosterone suppresses HPT-axis signaling, and recovery after cessation can take months to years (some men do not recover spontaneously). Protocols typically use hCG (with or without HMG, with or without a SERM like clomiphene or tamoxifen) to drive intratesticular testosterone and sperm production. Wenker 2015 retrospective and the Endocrine Society 2018 testosterone guideline (PMID 29562364) describe this. HMG does not meaningfully raise testosterone in eugonadal men with intact HPT axes — the vendor framing of "natural T-boost" for HMG is overreach.
Disclaimer: This guide is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The compounds discussed are not FDA approved for human use. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting any new supplement or peptide protocol. StackTrax does not sell peptides or supplements directly — purchase links go to third-party vendors. StackTrax is not responsible for the products, quality, or business practices of any third-party vendor.
© 2026 StackTrax, LLC. All rights reserved.
Privacy · Terms · Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
StackTrax guides cover peptides and compounds that are not FDA-approved for the uses discussed. The dosing, reconstitution, and safety information is compiled from published research and community protocols for educational purposes only.
Before using any compound mentioned here, consult a qualified healthcare provider. StackTrax does not sell, prescribe, or recommend these substances for personal use.