Tesamorelin
The only growth hormone peptide with active FDA approval — sold as Egrifta for reducing dangerous belly fat (visceral fat) in HIV patients. It's especially effective at targeting the deep fat around your organs, which is the most harmful type. Widely used off-label by people wanting to improve body composition, reduce belly fat, and address fatty liver. In trials it reduced trunk fat by 15-18%.
Dosage
2 mg subcutaneous once daily
Dosages shown are for research reference only. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider.
Administration
Subcutaneous injection (daily, abdominal)
Get Research-Grade Tesamorelin
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Effects
Visceral Fat Reduction
FDA-approved for reducing visceral fat — 15-18% trunk fat reduction in trials.
GH Release
The only actively FDA-approved GHRH analogue with proven clinical efficacy.
Liver Health
Improvements in hepatic steatosis markers and liver enzymes in trials.
Mechanism of Action
Tesamorelin is a synthetic GHRH analogue consisting of all 44 amino acids of human GHRH with a trans-3-hexenoic acid group attached to the tyrosine at position 1. This lipophilic modification enhances receptor binding affinity and provides modest resistance to dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) cleavage, improving its pharmacokinetic profile compared to native GHRH.
Like other GHRH analogues, tesamorelin activates the GHRH receptor on pituitary somatotrophs via the Gs/cAMP/PKA pathway, stimulating endogenous GH synthesis and pulsatile secretion. The resulting increase in circulating GH and IGF-1 produces its primary therapeutic effect: targeted reduction of visceral adipose tissue (VAT). GH-mediated lipolysis is particularly active in visceral fat depots because these adipocytes have the highest density of GH receptors and are most responsive to GH-stimulated hormone-sensitive lipase activation.
The specificity of tesamorelin's effect on visceral rather than subcutaneous fat has been well-documented in clinical trials. Visceral adipose tissue is metabolically distinct — it drains directly into the portal circulation and contributes disproportionately to hepatic insulin resistance, inflammatory cytokine production, and cardiovascular risk. By selectively reducing this depot, tesamorelin improves the cardiometabolic profile beyond what would be expected from total fat loss alone. Clinical trials also showed improvements in hepatic steatosis (fatty liver) markers, triglyceride levels, and trunk fat distribution. It remains the only GHRH analogue with active FDA approval, specifically for HIV-associated lipodystrophy, where visceral fat accumulation is a common and distressing side effect of antiretroviral therapy.
Regulatory Status
FDA approved (2010) as Egrifta for HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Theratechnologies. Off-label use for body composition and NAFLD.
Risks & Safety
Common
injection site redness, itching, and pain, joint pain, swelling in hands/feet, muscle pain, tingling.
Serious
reduced insulin sensitivity and raised blood sugar, potential to accelerate existing tumour growth.
Rare
severe allergic reactions, wrist pain/numbness (carpal tunnel). Not suitable for people with active cancer or during pregnancy.
Compare Tesamorelin With
Research Papers
17Published: January 8, 2026
AI Summary
Introduction: Overweight and obesity are becoming increasingly prevalent. Incretin-based obesity treatments-glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and dual glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor agonists (GIP/GLP-1 RAs or dual agonists)-are a major stride in the evolution of obesity management. However, like weight loss with other m...
Published: January 15, 2026
AI Summary
HIV-associated lipodystrophy leads to visceral fat accumulation, metabolic complications, body image concerns, medication non-adherence, and increased cardiovascular risks. We thought to assess the effects of Tesamorelin, a synthetic growth hormone-releasing hormone analogue, that has been proposed as a targeted therapy..
Published: December 31, 2025
AI Summary
Therapeutic peptides are emerging as promising adjuncts in the management of orthopaedic injuries, grounded in their ability to modulate molecular signaling networks central to cellular medicine. By acting on key pathways such as PI3K/Akt, mTOR, MAPK, TGF-β, and AMPK, peptides exert influence over tissue regeneration, inflammation resolution, and neuromuscular recovery. Wound-healing peptides s...
Published: December 31, 2025
AI Summary
Therapeutic peptides are short-chain amino acids that regulate cellular functions and facilitate biochemical processes. In recent years, there has been significant growth in the global market for therapeutic peptides and thus its popularity among patients. Given the increase in the development of peptides and increased marketing to patients for orthopaedic injuries, it is critical for orthopaed...
Published: January 14, 2026
AI Summary
Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and its synthetic analogs are considered performance-enhancing substances and are therefore prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The analysis of GHRH and its analogs in urine presents significant analytical challenges due to their inherent in vivo instability, rapid renal clearance, and low urinary concentrations. The present study aimed to ...
Published: June 30, 2025
AI Summary
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is highly prevalent among people with HIV (PWH) and increasingly recognized as a major contributor to morbidity and mortality. The field of MASLD is rapidly evolving with adoption of a new nomenclature and approval of the first FDA-approved therapy within the past year. These developments underscore the need to consider the curren...
Published: June 1, 2025
AI Summary
In people with HIV who are virally suppressed with antiretroviral therapy, abdominal obesity (AO) is linked to neurocognitive impairment (NCI), potentially due to visceral adiposity, inflammation, and reduced insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Tesamorelin, a growth hormone-releasing hormone, reduces AO and increases IGF-1, suggesting that it might mitigate NCI in people with HIV and viral su...
Published: September 30, 2024
AI Summary
Tesamorelin is the only FDA-approved therapy to treat abdominal fat accumulation in people with HIV (PWH). Phase III clinical trials were conducted prior to the introduction of integrase inhibitors (INSTIs), which are now a mainstay of HIV antiretroviral therapy..
Published: January 12, 2024
AI Summary
Peptides with a molecular mass between 2 and 10 kDa that are prohibited in elite sports usually require dedicated sample preparation and mass spectrometric detection that commonly cannot be combined with other (lower molecular mass) substances. In most instances, the physicochemical differences are too significant to allow for a generic analytical procedure. A simplification of established...
Published: November 30, 2023
AI Summary
The use of growth hormone-releasing hormones (GHRHs) is prohibited in sports according to the regulations of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Considering the complexity of urine samples and the low concentrations at which these analytes should be detected, analyzing GHRHs is a challenging task. In most of the studies, GHRHs are analyzed using UHPLC-HRMS with an orbitrap.
Published: August 21, 2022
AI Summary
Bioactive peptides with a molecular mass between 2 and 10 kDa represent an important class of substances banned in elite sports, which has been recognized with an increasing number and variety of substances by anti-doping organizations. Also, the annually renewed list of prohibited substances of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) explicitly mentions more and more of these peptides, and ef...
Published: May 29, 2022
AI Summary
This work presents an ultrafiltration-based, validated method for the screening and confirmation of prohibited growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analogues (sermorelin/CJC-1293, sermorelin metabolite, CJC-1295 and tesamorelin) in urine by nanoLC-HRMS/MS. Sample preparation avoids the use of laborious antibody-based extraction approaches and consists solely of preconcentration by ultrafiltr...
Published: May 16, 2022
AI Summary
Lipodystrophy constitutes a spectrum of diseases characterized by a generalized or partial absence of adipose tissue. Underscoring the role of healthy fat in maintenance of metabolic homeostasis, fat deficiency in lipodystrophy typically leads to profound metabolic disturbances including insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridemia, and ectopic fat accumulation. While rare, recent genetic studies i...
Published: November 6, 2021
AI Summary
The administration of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) and its synthetic analogs is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Although there is evidence of their use, based on admissions and intelligence, they do not appear to have been found in anti-doping samples by WADA accredited laboratories. This might be due to their small concentration in urine and limited knowledge abou...
Published: May 17, 2021
AI Summary
NAFLD is a leading comorbidity in HIV with an exaggerated course compared to the general population. Tesamorelin has been demonstrated to reduce liver fat and prevent fibrosis progression in HIV-associated NAFLD. We further showed that tesamorelin downregulated hepatic gene sets involved in inflammation, tissue repair, and cell division.
Published: August 15, 2021
AI Summary
The growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) axis modulates critical metabolic pathways; however, little is known regarding effects of augmenting pulsatile GH secretion on immune function in humans. This study used proteomics and gene set enrichment analysis to assess effects of a GH releasing hormone (GHRH) analog, tesamorelin, on circulating immune markers and liver tissue in ...
Published: July 14, 2021
AI Summary
Fat quality and quantity may affect health similarly or differently. Fat quality can be assessed by measuring fat density on CT scan (greater density = smaller, higher quality adipocytes). We assessed the effects of tesamorelin, a growth hormone-releasing hormone analogue that reduces visceral fat (VAT) quantity in some people living with HIV (PWH), on fat density..
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tesamorelin?
The only growth hormone peptide with active FDA approval — sold as Egrifta for reducing dangerous belly fat (visceral fat) in HIV patients. It's especially effective at targeting the deep fat around your organs, which is the most harmful type. Widely used off-label by people wanting to improve body composition, reduce belly fat, and address fatty liver. In trials it reduced trunk fat by 15-18%.
What is Tesamorelin used for?
The only growth hormone peptide with active FDA approval — sold as Egrifta for reducing dangerous belly fat (visceral fat) in HIV patients. It's especially effective at targeting the deep fat around your organs, which is the most harmful type. Widely used off-label by people wanting to improve body composition, reduce belly fat, and address fatty liver. In trials it reduced trunk fat by 15-18%.
What is the dosage for Tesamorelin?
FDA-approved: 2 mg subcutaneous once daily in the abdomen. Off-label protocols may vary. Injection site should be rotated within the abdominal area.
What are the side effects of Tesamorelin?
Common: injection site redness, itching, and pain, joint pain, swelling in hands/feet, muscle pain, tingling. Serious: reduced insulin sensitivity and raised blood sugar, potential to accelerate existing tumour growth. Rare: severe allergic reactions, wrist pain/numbness (carpal tunnel). Not suitable for people with active cancer or during pregnancy.
How does Tesamorelin work?
Tesamorelin is a synthetic GHRH analogue consisting of all 44 amino acids of human GHRH with a trans-3-hexenoic acid group attached to the tyrosine at position 1. This lipophilic modification enhances receptor binding affinity and provides modest resistance to dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) cleavage, improving its pharmacokinetic profile compared to native GHRH. Like other GHRH analogues, tesamorelin activates the GHRH receptor on pituitary somatotrophs via the Gs/cAMP/PKA pathway, stimulating endogenous GH synthesis and pulsatile secretion. The resulting increase in circulating GH and IGF-1 produces its primary therapeutic effect: targeted reduction of visceral adipose tissue (VAT). GH-mediated lipolysis is particularly active in visceral fat depots because these adipocytes have the highest density of GH receptors and are most responsive to GH-stimulated hormone-sensitive lipase activation. The specificity of tesamorelin's effect on visceral rather than subcutaneous fat has been well-documented in clinical trials. Visceral adipose tissue is metabolically distinct — it drains directly into the portal circulation and contributes disproportionately to hepatic insulin resistance, inflammatory cytokine production, and cardiovascular risk. By selectively reducing this depot, tesamorelin improves the cardiometabolic profile beyond what would be expected from total fat loss alone. Clinical trials also showed improvements in hepatic steatosis (fatty liver) markers, triglyceride levels, and trunk fat distribution. It remains the only GHRH analogue with active FDA approval, specifically for HIV-associated lipodystrophy, where visceral fat accumulation is a common and distressing side effect of antiretroviral therapy.
How is Tesamorelin administered?
Tesamorelin is administered via subcutaneous injection (daily, abdominal).
What is the half-life of Tesamorelin?
The half-life of Tesamorelin is 26-38 minutes.
Is Tesamorelin legal?
FDA approved (2010) as Egrifta for HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Theratechnologies. Off-label use for body composition and NAFLD.
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