# hCG

human chorionic gonadotropin · Pregnyl · Ovitrelle

https://graded.pl/en/substances/hcg · Checked: Not yet

Preliminary version. The editors have not finished checking this card, and grades may change.

A pregnancy hormone and prescription fertility medicine. The US label says plainly that it has not been shown to work for obesity. Approval covers only these medicines.

> This site is for information and education only. It does not promote or encourage the use or purchase of the substances described and is not medical advice. Many are not authorised as medicines and their safety has not been established. We sell nothing and have no ties to sellers. For health decisions, consult a doctor.

## Short answers

### Does hCG work?

A pregnancy hormone and prescription fertility medicine. The US label says plainly that it has not been shown to work for obesity. Approval covers only these medicines. Fat loss: grade A, no effect in studies. In blinded studies from 1976 to 1990, people lost no more weight on hCG than on placebo injections with the same diet. A 1995 pooled analysis found no scientific proof that it works for obesity.

### Is hCG legal?

PL: Prescription only. Approved in Poland as Chorapur and Zivafert, and across the EU as Ovitrelle (European medicines database, EMA, 9 October 2026). EU: Prescription only. Approved across the EU as Ovitrelle. This covers that medicine only, not products sold outside pharmacies. US: Prescription only. Prescription medicine (Pregnyl).

### Is hCG banned in sport?

Banned in sport, WADA 2026. Banned for men because it raises testosterone.

### Is hCG safe?

Well known. Long medical use and a US drug label. The label says hCG has not been shown to work for obesity and warns of overstimulated ovaries.

## What studies show

| | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fat loss | A | No effect in studies | In blinded studies from 1976 to 1990, people lost no more weight on hCG than on placebo injections with the same diet. A 1995 pooled analysis found no scientific proof that it works for obesity. |

## Studies we have read

- The effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity by means of the Simeons therapy: a criteria-based meta-analysis. (British journal of clinical pharmacology 1995; Pooled analysis) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8527285/
- Human chorionic gonadotrophin and weight loss. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. (South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde 1990; Random groups, n=40) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2405506/
- Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity: a critical assessment of the Simeons method. (The Western journal of medicine 1977; Random groups) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/595585/
- Ineffectiveness of human chorionic gonadotropin in weight reduction: a double-blind study. (The American journal of clinical nutrition 1976; Random groups, n=51) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/786001/
- Chorionic gonadotropin in weight control. A double-blind crossover study. (JAMA 1976; Random groups, n=202) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/792477/

## Is it legal

- PL: Prescription only. Approved in Poland as Chorapur and Zivafert, and across the EU as Ovitrelle (European medicines database, EMA, 9 October 2026). https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/other/article-57-product-data_en.xlsx (Checked: Not yet)
- EU: Prescription only. Approved across the EU as Ovitrelle. This covers that medicine only, not products sold outside pharmacies. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/ovitrelle (Checked: Not yet)
- US: Prescription only. Prescription medicine (Pregnyl). https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf/index.cfm?event=overview.process&ApplNo=017692 (Checked: Not yet)

## Doping

Banned in sport, WADA 2026. https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/trb-2026-25.html

## How much research exists

- Scientific papers: 1275
- Studies with random groups: 42
- Registered studies in people: 58
- These are search results. A count shows how much exists, not how good the studies are. 1 Nov 2026.

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Open data: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/