Molecular profile
- Entry type
- Peptide research profile
HCG
HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a glycoprotein hormone made by the placenta that acts on the same receptor as luteinizing hormone.
Dosing & scaling, explained
Amounts reported for HCG are listed under Reported protocols, each with its source and study kind. No amount ladder is inferred from them. This is educational source context, not a protocol or recommendation.
No source-supported amount ladder is shown
Enter a target amount only from your own reviewed source. The calculator can convert it into concentration, volume and device markings, but it will not infer an amount from product availability or another compound.
Only mcg or mg amounts are retained. The calculator derives mL, syringe units or pen clicks from the current vial strength, water volume and device.
No independently verified schedule
Clinical context
Human study rows are described per source under Reported protocols; they belong to their trial populations and are not a general amount.
Storage, handling and interpretation
Product identity
Verify the exact compound, formulation and amount against the product label or certificate before calculation.
Storage & handling
Follow the product label, certificate and validated laboratory SOP; no universal storage assumption is applied here.
Prepared solutions
Label concentration and preparation date, use sterile technique where applicable, and follow a validated stability protocol.
Reported protocols for HCG
What published studies and recent community write-ups report about amounts, timing and course length. 5 clinical and 2 community-reported rows, each linked to its source. These are descriptions of what others report, not instructions, and nothing here is medical advice.
| Context | Dose | Frequency | Route | Course | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical5 rows | |||||
| FDA label (Novarel): hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in malesSelected adult men with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism | 500-1,000 USP units per injection in the short regimen; 4,000 USP units per injection, later 2,000 USP units, in the long regimen | 3 times a week for 3 weeks, then twice a week for 3 weeks; or 3 times weekly for 6-9 months, then 3 times weekly at the lower dose for 3 more months | Intramuscular only | 6 weeks (short regimen) or 9-12 months (long regimen)None described | DailyMed, National Library of Medicine (Ferring Pharmaceuticals label)2025 |
| The label presents these as regimens advocated by various authorities rather than a single validated schedule, and leaves the choice to the physician based on indication, age and weight. Novarel comes as 5,000 or 10,000 USP unit multiple-dose vials; the label's reconstitution table shows that 10 mL of bacteriostatic water gives 500 or 1,000 units per mL, refrigerated and used within 30 days. | |||||
| FDA label (Pregnyl): ovulation induction and prepubertal cryptorchidismAnovulatory women pretreated with gonadotropins; boys aged 4-9 with cryptorchidism not due to obstruction | 5,000-10,000 USP units (ovulation induction); 4,000 USP units, 5,000 USP units or 500-1,000 USP units per injection in the cryptorchidism regimens | One injection the day after the last gonadotropin dose (ovulation); 3 times weekly for 3 weeks, every second day for 4 injections, or 15 injections over 6 weeks (cryptorchidism) | Intramuscular only | Single trigger injection, or 3-6 week coursesIn cryptorchidism, an unsuccessful course may be repeated 1 month later at 1,000 USP units per injection | DailyMed, National Library of Medicine (Organon label)2025 |
| Pregnyl is supplied as a 10,000 USP unit vial with 10 mL of solvent and the label states the reconstituted solution is stable for 60 days refrigerated. The label lists the same hypogonadotropic hypogonadism regimens as Novarel, and all of its dosing is in USP units because HCG is standardized by biological activity, not mass. | |||||
| Randomized dose-response study of low-dose HCG during testosterone suppression29 men with normal reproductive physiology given 200 mg testosterone enanthate weekly | 125 IU, 250 IU or 500 IU (or saline placebo) | Every other day | Injection alongside weekly intramuscular testosterone enanthate | 3 weeksNot applicable | Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (PubMed)2005 |
| Testosterone alone suppressed intratesticular testosterone by 94%, while intratesticular testosterone rose linearly with HCG dose: 25% below baseline at 125 IU, 7% below at 250 IU and 26% above baseline at 500 IU. This is the mechanistic basis for pairing low-dose HCG with testosterone therapy, measured by testicular fine-needle aspiration in healthy volunteers over only 3 weeks. | |||||
| Retrospective series of HCG added to testosterone replacement26 hypogonadal men (mean age 35.9) on daily testosterone gel or weekly testosterone injections who wanted to preserve fertility | 500 IU | Every other day | Intramuscular | Mean follow-up 6.2 months, with semen parameters followed for more than a yearNone described; HCG ran continuously with the testosterone | Journal of Urology (PubMed)2013 |
| Serum testosterone rose from 207 to 1,056 ng/dL on treatment, semen parameters did not change and no man became azoospermic; 9 of 26 contributed to a pregnancy. The study is a single-clinic chart review without a control group, so it shows preservation of semen parameters rather than proof of fertility benefit. | |||||
| Urology review: practice regimens for fertility in men on testosteroneHypogonadal men on testosterone or anabolic steroids who want to preserve or restore fertility | 500 IU with ongoing testosterone; 3,000 IU for a 4-week restoration cycle; 1,500 IU to maintain testicular size | Every other day (500 IU and 3,000 IU regimens); once weekly (1,500 IU) | Subcutaneous or intramuscular injection | Continuous with testosterone; or a 4-week HCG cycle each time testosterone is stopped, described as every 6 monthsTestosterone cycled off every 6 months for the 3,000 IU regimen when pregnancy is planned more than 12 months out | Translational Andrology and Urology (PubMed Central)2018 |
| This 2018 review summarizes a practice algorithm: continue testosterone with 500 IU HCG every other day when pregnancy is wanted within 6-12 months, add recombinant FSH 75 IU every other day if semen parameters do not improve, and use 1,500 IU weekly when only testicular size matters. These are expert recommendations drawn from small studies, not the output of a dose-finding trial. | |||||
| Community-reported2 rows | |||||
| Community dosing chart for testicular support and post-cycle use | 250-500 IU for testicular support; several hundred to about 1,500 IU in post-cycle protocols | 2-3 times per week | Subcutaneous with an insulin syringe (community), or intramuscular as in the 2013 study | Continuous alongside testosterone; post-cycle use described as a few weeksNot specified for testicular support | Community resource2026 |
| This 2026 guide anchors its 250-500 IU range to the Hsieh and Coviello studies and lays out the syringe math: a 5,000 IU vial in 5 mL of bacteriostatic water gives 1,000 IU/mL, so 250 IU is 25 units and 500 IU is 50 units on a U-100 syringe. It labels the higher post-cycle amounts as community schedules with no controlled trial behind them, and stresses that HCG has no meaningful milligram conversion. | |||||
| Research-vendor listing (format only) | 5,000 IU per lyophilized vial; a third-party assay of one lot measured 4,430-4,539 IU | Not stated | Not stated; sold for laboratory research only | Not statedNot stated | Community resource2026 |
| This is a vendor page, not a protocol. It describes a 5,000 IU vial tested by HPLC against the label claim, with the measured content on one lot about 10% under label and another lot measured above label, which is a useful reminder that research-grade HCG potency varies by lot. The page gives no dosing information. | |||||
How a course is commonly described
- Weeks 1-3Clinical
The labeled short regimen for hypogonadotropic hypogonadism gives 500-1,000 USP units intramuscularly 3 times a week to raise testicular testosterone output.
- Weeks 4-6Clinical
The same dose drops to twice a week for 3 more weeks. The label's alternative long regimen instead runs 4,000 USP units 3 times weekly for 6-9 months before stepping down to 2,000 USP units 3 times weekly for a further 3 months.
- Ongoing with testosteroneCommunity-reported
Clinical series and community charts describe 250-500 IU two to three times a week running continuously for as long as testosterone therapy continues, with no break pattern. The published series followed men for about 6 months on average.
- Every HCG dose is an activity unit (USP or IU), not a mass. The only conversion that matters is units to syringe volume, which depends entirely on how much water the vial was reconstituted with.
- The low-dose regimens paired with testosterone come from a 3-week mechanistic study in healthy volunteers and a 26-man chart review. They preserve semen parameters in those reports; no controlled trial has measured pregnancy outcomes.
- HCG is a prescription biologic in the United States. Research-vendor vials are not FDA approved and their potency varies by lot. The rows above record what sources report, not endorsements of use.
Sources for this section (7)
- Novarel (chorionic gonadotropin for injection, USP) prescribing information
- Pregnyl (chorionic gonadotropin for injection, USP) prescribing information
- Low-dose human chorionic gonadotropin maintains intratesticular testosterone in normal men with testosterone-induced gonadotropin suppression
- Concomitant intramuscular human chorionic gonadotropin preserves spermatogenesis in men undergoing testosterone replacement therapy
- Indications for the use of human chorionic gonadotropic hormone for the management of infertility in hypogonadal men
Plus 2 community resources (dosing guides, forum threads and vendor write-ups), reported above but not linked.
Overview
HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a glycoprotein hormone made by the placenta that acts on the same receptor as luteinizing hormone, so in men it drives the testes to make testosterone and in women it triggers ovulation. Pharmaceutical HCG (Novarel, Pregnyl) is purified from the urine of pregnant women and is FDA approved for prepubertal cryptorchidism, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in men and ovulation induction, with every dose written in USP or international units of biological activity rather than milligrams. It is a two-chain glycoprotein rather than a defined small molecule, so PubChem has no compound record for it (the name lookup resolves to an unrelated steroid fragment) and no chemistry card is shown; the best-documented off-label use is low-dose HCG to keep the testes active and sperm production going in men on testosterone therapy.
What researchers are exploring
These themes describe recurring questions in published research. They are not claims of effectiveness or recommendations for use.
- 1
Endocrine & reproductive
Hormonal, reproductive and sexual-function research.
- 2
FDA label (Novarel): hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in males
The label presents these as regimens advocated by various authorities rather than a single validated schedule, and leaves the choice to the physician based on indication, age and weight. Novarel comes as 5,000 or.
- 3
FDA label (Pregnyl): ovulation induction and prepubertal cryptorchidism
Pregnyl is supplied as a 10,000 USP unit vial with 10 mL of solvent and the label states the reconstituted solution is stable for 60 days refrigerated. The label lists the same hypogonadotropic hypogonadism regimens as.
- 4
Randomized dose-response study of low-dose HCG during testosterone suppression
Testosterone alone suppressed intratesticular testosterone by 94%, while intratesticular testosterone rose linearly with HCG dose: 25% below baseline at 125 IU, 7% below at 250 IU and 26% above baseline at 500 IU. This.
- 5
Retrospective series of HCG added to testosterone replacement
Serum testosterone rose from 207 to 1,056 ng/dL on treatment, semen parameters did not change and no man became azoospermic; 9 of 26 contributed to a pregnancy. The study is a single-clinic chart review without a.
- 6
Urology review: practice regimens for fertility in men on testosterone
This 2018 review summarizes a practice algorithm: continue testosterone with 500 IU HCG every other day when pregnancy is wanted within 6-12 months, add recombinant FSH 75 IU every other day if semen parameters do not.
What the current evidence can support
Study models remain visible so laboratory and animal findings are not mistaken for established human outcomes.
- Human
Human studies and registrations
5 protocol rows on this page come from human trials, trial registrations, regulator labels or reviews of human data. Approval status and populations are stated per row.
- Not graded
Community-reported use
2 rows record what blogs, vendor write-ups or forums describe for HCG. None has been verified against primary literature.
Identity, limitations and unknowns
Important limitations
- Every amount on this page is a report of what a source describes, not a protocol to follow.
- Preclinical and community rows do not establish a human amount, schedule or route.
- Formulation, purity and presentation vary by supplier and are not covered by the dossier.
Sources
5 curated references, each with its journal, year and study model, plus 2 community resources reported but not linked.
- Novarel (chorionic gonadotropin for injection, USP) prescribing information
- Pregnyl (chorionic gonadotropin for injection, USP) prescribing information
- Low-dose human chorionic gonadotropin maintains intratesticular testosterone in normal men with testosterone-induced gonadotropin suppression
- Concomitant intramuscular human chorionic gonadotropin preserves spermatogenesis in men undergoing testosterone replacement therapy
- Indications for the use of human chorionic gonadotropic hormone for the management of infertility in hypogonadal men