Is tesamorelin approved?

Yes, as a prescription medicine (Egrifta) to reduce excess visceral fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy. The research material we supply is not that product and is for laboratory use only.

What has tesamorelin research looked at?

Phase-3 and randomised trials in people with HIV that measured visceral and liver fat against placebo. The cited studies are above.

Tesamorelin research: what the studies have looked at

Q: What is tesamorelin?

A synthetic analogue of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH).

This page summarises the published clinical research on tesamorelin, for reference. It sets out what each trial tested and in whom, not an outcome for any individual, and it is not medical advice. Tesamorelin is the active ingredient in an approved medicine, but the material we supply under this name is a research chemical for laboratory use only and is not that product.

What tesamorelin is

Tesamorelin is a synthetic analogue of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). It is approved by the US FDA and sold as Egrifta to reduce excess visceral abdominal fat in people with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. That is a prescription medicine used under medical supervision. The powder we supply has the same chemical identity but is unapproved research material, not Egrifta, and it is not for human use.

What the studies investigated

Falutz et al. (2007), New England Journal of Medicine 357(23):2359-2370. Human, phase-3, HIV lipodystrophy. Investigated change in visceral adipose tissue over 26 weeks against placebo Source.

Stanley et al. (2014), JAMA 312(4):380-389. Human, randomised, HIV with abdominal fat accumulation. Investigated visceral fat and liver fat against placebo Source.

Stanley et al. (2019), The Lancet HIV 6(12):e821-e830. Human, randomised, HIV with NAFLD. Investigated change in liver fat over 12 months against placebo Source.

Mechanism, as described in the literature

As a GHRH analogue, tesamorelin is described as prompting the pituitary to release the body’s own growth hormone in its natural pulses, which in turn raises IGF-1. The trials above measured visceral and liver fat in people with HIV, under medical supervision, over fixed periods. They are efficacy and safety trials in a defined patient group and say nothing about what a research powder does outside that setting.

The material we supply

We supply tesamorelin as a research chemical, released against a written specification with a batch certificate of analysis. It is not Egrifta or any other medicine, and it is not for human or animal use. For the vial sizes, the price per mg and how to order, see the Tesamorelin compound page; the COA lookup pulls the certificate for any batch. The references above link to each trial’s record; this summary is for research and educational reference only.