Tesamorelin
Also known as: Egrifta · TH9507
Tesamorelin is an FDA-approved GHRH analog (Egrifta) for HIV-associated visceral lipodystrophy. Real prescription-routable peptide with multi-trial data showing 15-18% visceral adipose tissue reduction at 2 mg / 26 weeks. Off-label use for body composition is common in aging-medicine clinics.
Last reviewed · Panya.health editorial
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Not medical advice. Tesamorelin is not approved for human medical use in most jurisdictions. The data below is what users do; it is not what regulators have validated. You decide your risk profile.
What it does, and how
Tesamorelin is a stabilized 44-amino-acid analog of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH). It binds the GHRH receptor on the anterior pituitary and stimulates pulsatile endogenous GH secretion, which in turn raises IGF-1 and downstream metabolic effects. Distinct from exogenous HGH (somatropin) in that it works through the patient's own pituitary, preserving pulsatile release pattern. The clinical effect that earned FDA approval is preferential reduction of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) without significant subcutaneous fat reduction; Falutz 2007 NEJM and Stanley 2014 JAMA showed 15 to 18 percent VAT reduction at 2 mg/day over 26 weeks in HIV patients with lipodystrophy. The mechanism for VAT preferential targeting is not fully understood but is reproducible across multiple trials. Approved as Egrifta in the US (Theratechnologies) and several other markets for the HIV-lipodystrophy indication; off-label use for general body composition exists at aging-medicine clinics in markets where private prescribing is permitted.
Typical practice
Approved Egrifta protocol: 2 mg subcutaneous daily, in the abdomen, rotated. Effects begin around 4 to 8 weeks; visceral adipose reduction continues over 26 to 52 weeks. Off-label community practice for body composition follows the same dose. Reconstitution: lyophilized 1 mg or 2 mg vials reconstituted in 2 mL bacteriostatic water; dose drawn daily. Egrifta SV is a longer-acting reformulation introduced in 2019; same clinical effect at the same daily dose but with simpler reconstitution. Cycle length in research-chem off-label use varies from 12 weeks to indefinite; the trial-validated duration is 52 weeks in the original FDA studies. IGF-1 monitoring is standard in approved-indication use; reasonable to mirror in off-label use.
The dosing above is community practice, not a regulator-validated protocol. Trial-validated dosing for Tesamorelin in humans does not exist for most use cases listed.
Risks and contraindications
Egrifta label adverse events: injection site reactions (most common), arthralgia, peripheral edema, paresthesias. IGF-1 elevation is dose-dependent and real; the cancer-pathway concern that limits exogenous HGH applies to tesamorelin too, though somewhat less acutely because the pulsatile GH pattern preserves negative feedback. Active or recent malignancy (any), pituitary disease, and hypersensitivity to any GHRH analog are formal contraindications. Pregnancy and breastfeeding off-limits. Diabetes worth flagging: GH elevation drives gluconeogenesis and can worsen glycemic control in poorly-controlled T2D, which the Egrifta label flags explicitly. The body-composition-only off-label case is the cleanest non-approved use because the safety profile is the same as the approved indication; the longevity-stack-as-life-extension framing is harder to defend on evidence grounds because the visceral-adipose benefit is well-characterised but the longevity-endpoint case is not.
Where this stands legally
FDA-approved as Egrifta (Theratechnologies, 2010) and Egrifta SV (2019) for HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Off-label prescribing for body composition is at the prescriber's discretion. Cost is meaningful: Egrifta SV runs roughly $2,500 to $4,000/month at US pharmacies without insurance.
Egrifta is not licensed by the MHRA in the UK. Some UK private clinics import via specials licensing for HIV lipodystrophy. Off-label body-composition use requires private prescription.
EMA-approved as Egrifta SV for HIV-associated lipodystrophy (2014). Off-label prescribing varies by member state.
TGA-approved for HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Off-label private prescription is possible; Schedule 4 dispensing rules apply.
Egrifta is not registered with FDA Thailand. Bangkok aging-medicine clinics import for body-composition protocols under in-house dispensing. Research-chem channels also exist.
Egrifta is not approved by MOHAP. Prescription-only by default; off-label use requires private clinic prescription.
Where users say they source it
Names below are sourced from community discussion. None are currently scored against the Panya 11-signal rubric. Panya does not earn commission on any of these. You can search them yourself; treat the list as a starting point for your own diligence, not an endorsement.
- Egrifta SV (Theratechnologies, the FDA-approved brand product)Pending Panya 11-signal audit
- US aging-medicine clinics (off-label prescribing)Pending Panya 11-signal audit
- Bangkok aging-medicine clinics (in-house dispensing)Pending Panya 11-signal audit
- Pure RawzPending Panya 11-signal audit
- Limitless LifePending Panya 11-signal audit
Full vendor scorecards for Tesamorelin land in a follow-up sprint after lawyer review and payment processor selection. We will not route users to any vendor that scores below 70 on the rubric.
Papers worth reading directly
- Falutz et al. — Effects of tesamorelin (TH9507), a growth hormone-releasing factor analog, in HIV-infected patients with excess abdominal fat. N Engl J Med, 2007 →
- Stanley et al. — Reduction in visceral adiposity is associated with an improved metabolic profile in HIV-infected patients receiving tesamorelin. JAMA, 2014 →
- FDA Egrifta SV (tesamorelin for injection) prescribing information →
- Adrian et al. — Long-term tesamorelin treatment effect on visceral adipose tissue in HIV. AIDS, 2014 →
Panya blog posts
The phrase on every grey-market peptide site. What it actually means, what it does not mean, and why reading it wrong costs people money.
The clinic route costs more and takes longer. The research-chem route puts more on you. Neither is wrong. Here is how to choose.
Adjacent reading
Track Tesamorelin in your peptide journal.
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