Muscle & performanceWeight lossAnti-aging & longevity
Tesamorelin
TH9507 · Egrifta (brand)
Tesamorelin is a stabilised analogue of growth hormone releasing hormone, and it is the outlier in this category: it holds FDA approval, backed by randomised placebo-controlled phase 3 trials, for one specific indication, reducing excess visceral abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy.
That approval is narrow and worth reading precisely. It is for a defined patient population with a defined condition, not for body composition in healthy adults. The trials that support it enrolled people with HIV-associated lipodystrophy, and their results describe what happened in those people.
It is included here because it is the useful reference point for the whole category. When ipamorelin or CJC-1295 is described as 'well studied', tesamorelin is what actually well studied looks like: named trials, published endpoints, a regulator's review, and a specific approved use.
How it works
Like other GHRH analogues, tesamorelin binds the GHRH receptor on the pituitary and increases growth hormone release, which in turn raises IGF-1. Amino acid modification protects it from the enzyme that clears natural GHRH within minutes.
The reason its approved indication concerns visceral fat specifically is that visceral adipose tissue is unusually responsive to growth hormone's lipolytic effect. The trials measured visceral fat by CT scan and found reductions of roughly 15% against placebo. A genuine and specific effect, not a general body composition claim.
Regulatory status — United States
Approved by the FDA as a prescription medicine for reducing excess visceral abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. It is not approved for body composition, athletic performance or anti-ageing use, and material sold as a research chemical is not the approved product.
Last reviewed 12 Aug 2026. Regulatory positions in this category change frequently; we date this line so you can see how current it is.
What it is studied for
Each entry states the evidence behind it. We do not rank indications by effectiveness — for most compounds here, that would be a claim nobody can support.
Visceral fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy
Clinical trialThe approved indication, and the one the trials tested.
EvidenceTwo randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trials, over 26 weeks, with visceral fat measured by CT.
Body composition in healthy adults
Community practiceFrequently discussed, and outside what was studied.
EvidenceNot studied. The trial population had a specific condition, and results in that population do not establish effects in healthy adults.
Identity and clearance
Molecule
- Class
- GHRH analogue, trans-3-hexenoyl modified
- Molecular weight
- 5135.9 Da
- Length
- 44 amino acids
The full 44-amino-acid GHRH sequence with an N-terminal modification that resists enzymatic breakdown.
Pharmacokinetics
Clinical trialCleared rapidly. This is why the approved regimen is a daily injection.
Dose protocols reported in sources
Displayed for reference only. Every row says where it came from, and a trial protocol and a community convention are not the same kind of information. None of this is fed into the calculator, and none of it is a recommendation.
| Goal | Dose | Frequency | Route | Units, 2 mg vial | Source | Start this protocol |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approved regimen for the licensed indication | 2 mg | Once daily | SubcutaneousAbdominal injection, rotating sites. | 100 u | Clinical trial | Start this |
Start this copies a row into a protocol of your own, which you can then edit. Where a source gave a dose range or an ambiguous frequency, those fields arrive empty — we will not pick a number on your behalf.
Calculator
Work out what to draw
Pre-filled with a 10 mg vial as a worked example. These are not recommended values — change them to match the vial in front of you.
Draw to 40 units on a 1 mL U-100 syringe. That is 0.4 mL, containing 2 mg of Tesamorelin.
40 units sits exactly on a printed line.
Bioalmanac performs arithmetic on values you enter. It does not recommend doses, schedules or compounds, and nothing here is medical advice. Confirm every calculation against your vial and syringe before drawing, and speak with a licensed healthcare provider.
Open this calculation in the full calculator
Units, concentration, bacteriostatic water — the glossary defines the vocabulary, and a unit is not a fixed volume.
Safety
Reported effects
- Injection site redness, itching or painClinical trial
Common in trials
The most frequently reported effect in the phase 3 programme.
- Joint pain and muscle achesClinical trial
Common in trials
- Swelling in the hands or feetClinical trial
Common in trials
Fluid retention is a recognised growth hormone effect.
- Raised blood glucoseClinical trial
Documented in trials
Growth hormone opposes insulin. Glucose was monitored throughout the trial programme for this reason.
- Carpal tunnel symptomsClinical trial
Uncommon but documented
When to stop
- Persistent numbness, tingling or wrist pain. Carpal tunnel symptoms are a documented effect.
- Noticeable swelling of the hands, feet or face.
- Unusual thirst, frequent urination or blurred vision, which can indicate raised blood glucose.
- Any new lump or growth. Investigate rather than watch.
- Any allergic response: rash, hives, facial swelling or difficulty breathing. Seek urgent care.
Interactions and situations that need care
- Active or previous cancerAvoid
The approved labelling contraindicates use in active malignancy, because raising growth hormone raises IGF-1 and IGF-1 promotes cell proliferation.
- Disruption of the pituitary axisAvoid
Contraindicated after pituitary surgery, hypophysectomy, head irradiation or head trauma. The mechanism depends on an intact pituitary responding normally.
- Pregnancy and breastfeedingAvoid
Contraindicated in pregnancy. There is no benefit to weigh against unknown fetal risk.
- Diabetes or impaired glucose toleranceUse caution
Glucose rose measurably in the trials. Anyone managing blood sugar needs that monitored by whoever manages it.
- Competing in a tested sportAvoid
Prohibited at all times under WADA's S2 category.
SportProhibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency under S2: Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors and Related Substances, at all times.
What to expect
- In the phase 3 trials, visceral adipose tissue fell by roughly 15% against placebo over 26 weeks, measured by CT scan.
- That result is in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. It is not a prediction for anyone else, and the trials did not enrol healthy adults.
- The effect reversed when treatment stopped, so it was studied as ongoing therapy, not a course.
- Subcutaneous fat and overall weight were not the endpoints. This was a visceral fat result specifically.
Storage and handling
- Freeze-dried powder
- Refrigerated at 2–8 °C, protected from light.
- After mixing
- Refrigerated at 2–8 °C. The approved product is intended for use shortly after reconstitution rather than stored for weeks.
- Long-term, frozen
- Unopened powder is stable at −20 °C or colder.
In use
Stacks with Tesamorelin in them
Documented combinations, with full schedules.
Checking your vial
Research chemicals carry no manufacturing standard, so what the vial looks like is often the only quality signal available before you use it. More on assessing quality and COAs.
White cake, clear solution
Standard for this class.
Cloudy or discoloured after mixing
Do not use. This is also the instruction that accompanies the approved product.
Questions
- Is tesamorelin approved?
- Yes, but narrowly: for reducing excess visceral abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. It is not approved for body composition in healthy adults, for athletic performance, or for anti-ageing use.
- How does it compare with CJC-1295?
- Both are GHRH analogues acting on the same receptor. The difference is evidence: tesamorelin completed a phase 3 programme and holds an approval, while CJC-1295 has early pharmacology and no outcome trials. They are not equivalent products with different names.
- Why is the approved dose so much larger than ipamorelin doses?
- Tesamorelin is dosed at 2 mg daily, around ten times a typical ipamorelin dose. Different compounds in the same category can have very different potencies. That is why the calculator refuses a dose larger than the vial rather than assuming you meant micrograms.
References
Effects of tesamorelin on visceral fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy
New England Journal of Medicine / phase 3 programme, 2010 · Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial
Adults with HIV-associated abdominal fat accumulation · n = 412 · 2 mg once daily, subcutaneous · 26 weeks
Visceral adipose tissue measured by CT fell by roughly 15% against placebo. Effects reversed after discontinuation. Injection site reactions and joint pain were the most common adverse events.
10.1056/NEJMoa0810687
Commonly reported community protocols
Bioalmanac editorial summary of public community sources, 2026 · Not a study
Records that tesamorelin is discussed for body composition outside its approved indication. Carries no evidential weight about safety or effect in that context.
Tesamorelin compared with
Tesamorelin vs HGH
Ask the body to release its own growth hormone, or supply it from outside. The choice decides how much say the body's own feedback still has.
Tesamorelin vs CJC-1295
Two GHRH analogues acting on the same receptor, separated by the largest evidence gap on this site: one completed a phase 3 programme and holds an approval, the other has neither.
Related compounds
Semaglutide
A long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for type 2 diabetes and for weight management, dosed once weekly.
Tirzepatide
A once-weekly dual agonist that activates both the GIP and GLP-1 receptors, approved for type 2 diabetes and for weight management.
Retatrutide
An investigational once-weekly triple agonist acting on the GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors. Not approved anywhere.
Liraglutide
The first GLP-1 analogue approved for weight loss. A daily injection, superseded by weekly semaglutide but still the best-documented compound in the class.
Next
What to do with Tesamorelin
- Keep a record of itTurn a dose and a schedule into a protocol, then log what you actually take. Tesamorelin is filled in for you.
- See what it costsPer-milligram prices read from vendor sites and confirmed by a person, so vial sizes compare.
- Check a combinationWhat our profiles record about Tesamorelin alongside each other compound — including the pairs where nothing is recorded.
Keep this page honest
If something here is wrong, out of date, or missing a source, tell us and we will fix it and say that we did.
This page is educational. It describes what published research reports, not what you should do. Peptides discussed here are largely not approved for human use, and nothing on Bioalmanac is medical advice. No clinician reviews these pages.
Page last updated 12 Aug 2026