Tesamorelin
Tesamorelin is a growth hormone-releasing factor analog, FDA-approved as Egrifta WR and Egrifta SV to reduce excess belly fat in adults with HIV lipodystrophy.
US regulatory status
FDA-approved for a different use
FDA-approved as Egrifta WR and Egrifta SV (Theratechnologies) only to reduce excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV and lipodystrophy; the labels say it is not indicated for weight loss. The first Egrifta approval was on November 10, 2010. Tesamorelin sold online as a “research” peptide is an unapproved drug, and the FDA has sent warning letters to sellers. WADA prohibits it at all times.
At a glance
- Also known as
- Egrifta, Egrifta WR, Egrifta SV, TH9507
- Supplied as
- Freeze-dried powder, mixed before use
- US status
- US status: Approved for one usechecked
What the research shows
Evidence grade
Strong human evidence (approved use only)
Consistent results from large randomized controlled trials in people.
For its approved use, the evidence comes from two 26-week randomized, placebo-controlled trials in adults with HIV and excess abdominal fat. On the label, visceral (deep belly) fat fell by 18% on tesamorelin vs a 2% rise on placebo in Study 1 (412 people), and by 14% on tesamorelin vs 2% on placebo in Study 2 (404 people). In the published report of the first trial, IGF-1 rose by 81.0% on tesamorelin and fell by 5.0% on placebo, triglycerides fell by 50 mg/dL (vs a 9 mg/dL rise), and blood-sugar measures did not differ significantly. In a pooled analysis of 806 people, those who stayed on tesamorelin kept the visceral fat reduction at 52 weeks (−17.5%). A 6-month trial in 50 people with HIV also found less liver fat; its authors said the long-term clinical importance needs further study. Egrifta WR’s approval rests on these trials of the original formulation plus data showing how the new one is absorbed. The labels call its effect on weight neutral, and a 2026 review notes that claims about body composition or recovery in other people go beyond what the trials measured.
How we grade evidence
Strong human evidence · this page
Consistent results from large randomized controlled trials in people.
Limited human evidence
Some studies in people, but they are small, short, early-phase or uncontrolled.
Mixed evidence
Studies in people disagree, or strong evidence for one use sits beside weak evidence for another.
Animal or lab studies only
Studied in cells or animals, not properly in people. Animal results may not apply to humans.
The grade describes how much research exists and in whom. It is not a judgment that a compound works or is safe.
Side effects and safety
In the 26-week trials, the most common side effects were injection-site reactions (17% vs 6% on placebo), joint pain (13% vs 11%), muscle pain (6% vs 2%), swelling of the legs or feet (6% vs 2%) and pain in the arms or legs (6% vs 5%). Allergic reactions occurred in 4% of patients; the label says to stop and seek prompt medical care if one happens. Tesamorelin can cause fluid retention, including carpal tunnel syndrome, and can raise blood sugar, so glucose is checked before starting and IGF-1 is monitored during treatment. It must not be used in pregnancy, with active cancer, or with a disrupted pituitary axis (for example after pituitary surgery, head radiation or head trauma). Long-term cardiovascular safety has not been established.
Vial math
Pre-filled calculators turn your vial, water and prescribed dose into syringe units.
Pre-filled for your vial size
- Tesamorelin 10 mgReconstitution calculator
- Tesamorelin 5 mgReconstitution calculator
- Any vial sizePeptide reconstitution calculator
This is arithmetic, not medical advice. Confirm with your prescriber or pharmacist.
Questions people ask
What is tesamorelin used for?
One use is FDA-approved: reducing excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV who have lipodystrophy, under the brand names Egrifta WR and Egrifta SV. It prompts the pituitary gland to release more of the body’s own growth hormone, which raises IGF-1. The Egrifta WR label notes there are no data showing it helps people keep taking their HIV medicines.
Is tesamorelin approved for weight loss?
No. Both Egrifta labels state that tesamorelin is not indicated for weight loss management because it has a weight-neutral effect. It reduces visceral fat, the fat around the organs, in adults with HIV lipodystrophy. Its long-term cardiovascular safety has not been established.
What is the difference between Egrifta WR and Egrifta SV?
Same medicine, different vials. Egrifta WR is an 11.6 mg vial mixed with 1.3 mL of the supplied bacteriostatic water (8 mg per mL); one vial covers 7 daily doses and is thrown away 7 days after mixing. Egrifta SV is a 2 mg single-dose vial mixed with 0.5 mL of sterile water and injected right away. The labeled daily doses are 1.28 mg (WR) and 1.4 mg (SV); follow your prescriber. Both are stored at room temperature, 20 °C to 25 °C (68 °F to 77 °F), away from light.
What are the side effects of tesamorelin?
On the label, the most common are injection-site redness and itching, joint pain, pain in the arms or legs, swelling in the legs or feet, and muscle pain. Injection-site reactions affected 17% of people (6% on placebo). It can also cause fluid retention, carpal tunnel symptoms, higher blood sugar and, in 4% of people, allergic reactions. Rotating sites around the abdomen lowers injection-site reactions.
What is the half-life of tesamorelin?
Very short: on average 11 minutes after a single Egrifta WR injection and 8 minutes after Egrifta SV, in healthy people, according to the labels. Both labels give it as a once-daily injection under the skin.
Is “research” tesamorelin the same as Egrifta?
No. In August 2026 the FDA warned a website selling tesamorelin labeled “research use only” that its products were unapproved new drugs intended for human use. Those vials have no FDA label, and their contents are not verified. Their concentration depends on how much water is added, so unit readings based on Egrifta WR’s 8 mg per mL don’t carry over. The tesamorelin 10 mg calculator converts the dose your prescriber gave you for any vial and water volume.
Sources
- EGRIFTA WR (tesamorelin) for injection, prescribing informationDailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- EGRIFTA SV (tesamorelin) for injection, prescribing informationDailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2024 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Drugs@FDA: EGRIFTA (BLA 022505)U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Warning letter: TXP Innovations LLC dba Tex Peptides (MARCS-CMS 735067)U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2026World Anti-Doping Agency, 2026 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Metabolic effects of a growth hormone-releasing factor in patients with HIVN Engl J Med, 2007 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Effects of tesamorelin (TH9507), a growth hormone-releasing factor analog, in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with excess abdominal fat: a pooled analysis of two multicenter, double-blind placebo-controlled phase 3 trials with safety extension dataJ Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2010 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Effect of tesamorelin on visceral fat and liver fat in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation: a randomized clinical trialJAMA, 2014 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- The emerging landscape of performance-enhancing peptides modulating GH-IGF1 axis: bridging the gap between clinical evidence and patient self-administrationFront Endocrinol (Lausanne), 2026 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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