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.

Tesamorelin

TH9507Egrifta (brand)

Approved for another indicationProhibited in sport

Evidence

Approved (ex-US)

Half-life

0.4 h

Typical vial

2 mg

Route

Subcut

What it is

A GHRH analogue approved by the FDA for reducing excess visceral fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy. The only compound in this category with completed phase 3 trials.

Reviewed 12 Aug 2026

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.

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 trial
The 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 practice
Frequently 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.

Regulatory status

Last reviewed 12 Aug 2026. Positions in this category change frequently, so we date the line.

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.

Identity and clearance

What the molecule is, and how long a dose stays measurable.

Clinical trial

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 trial

Peak0.3 h

Half-life0.4 h

Substantially cleared3 h

Modelled from the half-life above, assuming first-order elimination. Illustrative rather than measured — it shows the shape of clearance, not a prediction for any individual.

Cleared 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.

A week-by-week progression is also reported for Tesamorelin. See it against a 2 mg vial, where the syringe units can be worked out.

Dose protocols reported in sources, with the source of each.
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

The doses above in syringe units, for the vial you have:

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.

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.

Tool

Draw to 40 units on a 1 mL U-100 syringe. That is 0.4 mL, containing 2 mg of Tesamorelin.

Concentration5mg / mL

Volume drawn0.4mL

Doses per vial5doses

Per unit50mcg / unit

40 units sits exactly on a printed line.

Get a shareable image Read the profile

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, the situations that need care, and the ones that mean stop.

Read before dosing

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

What the sources describe over time, and how confident anyone can be about it.

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 combinations

How to keep it, and what it does and does not go with.

Printable one-pager →

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.

Printable one-pager How to reconstitute a vial, step by step

Stacks with Tesamorelin in them

Documented combinations and plans people have published, with full schedules.

Documented combinations, with full schedules.

Tesamorelin and Ipamorelin

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.

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.

Vocabulary on this page

Subcutaneous: Into the layer of fat beneath the skin rather than into muscle. The route almost every peptide on this site uses.
GHRH analogue: A synthetic version of the hormone that tells the pituitary to release growth hormone. One of the two receptor routes into a growth hormone pulse.
Reconstitution: Adding liquid to a freeze-dried peptide powder to turn it into a solution that can be drawn into a syringe.
Vial: The small sealed glass container a peptide is sold in, holding a stated mass of freeze-dried powder under a rubber stopper.
Injection site: Where on the body an injection is given. Rotating between sites is standard practice for anything given repeatedly.
Protocol: One compound, with a dose, a frequency and a length: the plan, as opposed to what was actually taken.

The whole glossary →

Questions

Reader 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

Everything on this page that came from a source, with the source.

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.
Compiled community protocols
BioAlmanac editorial summary of a public protocol compilation, 2026 · Not a study
Records a week-by-week progression described on a vendor-adjacent protocol site, retrieved August 2026. Only the doses are taken from it. Its own syringe-unit conversions were checked against the vial sizes it states and several understate the volume by half, so nothing computed by that source is reproduced here — the units on this site are worked out from the vial in front of you. Carries no evidential weight about safety or effect.

Quick reference

Commonly described dose: 2 mg
How often: Once daily
Route: Subcutaneous
Where: Abdomen
Timing: Once daily. The trials did not test alternative timings.
Half-life: About 25 minutes
Storage once mixed: Refrigerated, 14 days

These describe what sources report, not what you should do. Full detail and provenance in the dosing section below.

Price index

$2.35 – $15.00per mg

Across 49 vendors, normalised per milligram and confirmed by a person. Compared against other injectable vials only — a capsule bottle holds far more milligrams than a vial, so the two are not one market.

SizeIn stock only

Confirmed listings for this compound, cheapest per milligram first.
Vendor	Size
S1Research	20 mg	$47.00	$2.35
Nexus Peptides	5 mg × 10 vial	$149.99	$3.00
S1Research	10 mg	$31.00	$3.10
Reta One Labs	30 mg	$96.00	$3.20
Reta One Labs	20 mg	$72.00	$3.60

Show 88 more vendors

The remaining listings, continuing from cheapest.
Reta One Labs	10 mg	$39.00	$3.90
Liberty Peptides	20 mg	$78.00	$3.90
Elite Edge Biotech	20 mg	$85.00	$4.25
Liberty Peptides	10 mg	$43.55	$4.36
Peptide Giants	20 mg	$89.99	$4.50
Alpha Peptides	10 mg	$45.38	$4.54
Glacier Aminos	20 mg	$93.74	$4.69
OneDay Compounds	10 mg	$48.99	$4.90
TCore Biotech	10 mg	$49.49	$4.95
Peptide Pros	5 mg × 100 vial	$2,492.50	$4.99
IDUN Peptides	10 mg	$49.99	$5.00
Glacier Aminos	10 mg	$50.99	$5.10
Vital Core Research	10 mg	$54.99	$5.50
Felix Chemical Supplyout of stock	10 mg	$54.99	$5.50
Genpeptide	10 mg	$55.00	$5.50
Elite Edge Biotech	10 mg	$55.00	$5.50
Peptide Giants	10 mg	$55.00	$5.50
Nexus Peptides	5 mg × 10 vial	$279.99	$5.60
Ameano Peptides	10 mg	$58.00	$5.80
Prime Lab Peptides	10 mg × 10 vial	$595.00	$5.95
Royal Peptides	20 mg	$120.00	$6.00
PeptidePlugs	10 mg	$60.00	$6.00
Penguin Peptides	20 mg	$125.00	$6.25
Peptira	30 mg	$189.00	$6.30
Paramount Peptides	10 mg	$64.60	$6.46
Polaris Peptides	10 mg	$65.00	$6.50
Evolve BioPep	10 mg	$65.00	$6.50
Happy Peps	10 mg	$65.00	$6.50
Peptide Pros	5 mg × 50 vial	$1,744.75	$6.98
PSPeptides	20 mg	$139.99	$7.00
Protide Health	10 mg	$70.00	$7.00
Protide Health	20 mg	$140.00	$7.00
Prime Lab Peptides	20 mg	$140.00	$7.00
Happy Peps	10 mg	$70.00	$7.00
Xeno Peptides	10 mg	$70.00	$7.00
Nura Peptide	20 mg	$140.00	$7.00
Modern Aminos	10 mg	$71.00	$7.10
Biotech Peptides	10 mg	$73.00	$7.30
Nationwide Peptides	20 mg	$146.00	$7.30
Nexus Peptides	2 mg × 10 vial	$149.99	$7.50
Royal Peptides	10 mg	$75.00	$7.50
Penguin Peptides	10 mg	$75.00	$7.50
Blank Peptides	10 mg	$75.00	$7.50
Biotech Peptides	5 mg	$38.00	$7.60
Biotech Peptides	5 mg	$38.00	$7.60
Licensed Peptidesout of stock	10 mg × 10 vial	$764.95	$7.65
Core Peptides	10 mg	$79.00	$7.90
Prime Peptides	10 mg	$80.00	$8.00
Longevity Pro Labs	10 mg	$80.00	$8.00
Nura Peptide	10 mg	$80.00	$8.00
Direct Peptides	10 mg × 2 vial	£160.72	$8.04
Peak Lab Peptides	10 mg	$82.00	$8.20
TCore Biotech	5 mg	$41.39	$8.28
Direct Peptides	10 mg	£82.82	$8.28
Direct Peptides	5 mg × 2 vial	£83.66	$8.37
Sports Technology Labs	5 mg	$42.49	$8.50
Prime Lab Peptides	10 mg	$85.00	$8.50
Felix Chemical Supply	5 mg	$42.99	$8.60
Core Peptides	5 mg	$43.00	$8.60
Direct Peptides	5 mg	£43.50	$8.70
Nationwide Peptides	10 mg	$87.00	$8.70
Peptira	10 mg	$89.00	$8.90
AminoVault	10 mg	$89.25	$8.93
Koi Peptides	10 mg	$89.95	$8.99
PSPeptides	10 mg	$89.99	$9.00
Penguin Peptides	5 mg	$45.00	$9.00
Vital Core Research	5 mg	$45.99	$9.20
Licensed Peptidesout of stock	20 mg	$184.99	$9.25
Nationwide Peptides	5 mg	$47.00	$9.40
Direct Peptides	2 mg	£19.07	$9.54
Peptide Pros	5 mg	$49.85	$9.97
Ascension Peptides	5 mg	$50.00	$10.00
Apex Peptides	10 mg	$100.00	$10.00
Direct Peptides	2 mg × 2 vial	£43.45	$10.86
BulkGLP	10 mg	$119.00	$11.90
PSPeptidesout of stock	5 mg	$59.99	$12.00
Pepvida Labs	10 mg	CA$120.00	$12.00
Life Link Research	10 mg	$124.00	$12.40
Sports Technology Labs	2 mg	$24.99	$12.49
Pure Bio Labs	10 mg	$124.99	$12.50
Peak Lab Peptides	5 mg	$63.00	$12.60
Licensed Peptides	10 mg	$130.99	$13.10
Swiss Chems	2 mg	$27.95	$13.97
Apex Peptidesout of stock	5 mg	$70.00	$14.00
Elite Biogenix	10 mg	$140.99	$14.10
BioLongevity Labs	10 mg	$149.97	$15.00
Pure Bio Labs	5 mg	$80.99	$16.20
Royal Peptides	10 mg	$435.00	$43.50

Is this price moving? →Every compound we price →

Average per mg

30 daysAll

We started tracking more vendors during this window, so part of this line is who we track rather than what they charge.

Lowest ever: $2.35 4 Oct 2026
Highest ever: $53.00 14 Sept 2026
Change: 25 → 38 vendors 13 Sept to 13 Oct

We started tracking more vendors during this window, so part of this line is who we track rather than what they charge.

Lowest ever: $2.35 4 Oct 2026
Highest ever: $53.00 14 Sept 2026
Change: 4 → 38 vendors 24 Aug to 13 Oct

Mean of each vendor’s cheapest vial listing, US dollars only. Full chart

Email me when Tesamorelin gets cheaper

Ranked on price alone. We sell nothing, take no payment for placement, and use no affiliate links — listing a price is not a recommendation to buy. Prices are what the vendor listed when we last looked, not a live quote.

Cold chain

Freeze-dried: 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.

How to reconstitute a vial

Stop and seek advice

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.

The full safety section carries the sources for these.

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.

Also compared with Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, Retatrutide, Liraglutide, Cagrilintide, Orforglipron.

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.

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.

Suggest a correction

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