Peptide · weight loss adjunct, monoamine reuptake inhibitor

Tesofensine

Also known as: Tesofensine NS-2330

Tesofensine is a triple monoamine reuptake inhibitor (serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine) originally developed for Parkinson's disease. Phase 2 trials in obesity showed weight loss roughly twice that of historical anti-obesity drugs at the time. Approved in Mexico for obesity in 2023; not yet approved in US, EU, UK.

Last reviewed · Panya.health editorial

Panya documents this peptide. Panya does not yet route to vendors.

Panya scores vendors against an 11-signal rubric. Vendors at or above 70 out of 100 are routable; below 70 are documented but get no Panya affiliate link. For prescription peptides like Mounjaro and Wegovy, Panya routes today through licensed clinicians. For research peptides like Tesofensine, vendor scorecards land in a follow-up sprint after legal review and payment processor selection. Until then, the page surfaces commonly-mentioned vendor names so adults can do their own diligence. We do not yet earn commission on any Tesofensine vendor.

Not medical advice. Tesofensine 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.

Mechanism

What it does, and how

Tesofensine inhibits the reuptake of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, similar in mechanism to drugs like sibutramine but with a different receptor-affinity profile. The proposed weight-loss effect is appetite suppression plus increased thermogenesis via sympathetic nervous system activation. NeuroSearch (Denmark) developed it, ran Phase 2 obesity trials in 2007 to 2009 with strong outcomes (mean weight loss 12.8 kg at 0.5 mg over 24 weeks vs 2.2 kg placebo), but Phase 3 was paused for cardiovascular safety review. Saniona (Denmark, US-listed) licensed it, secured Mexican approval in 2023, and is pursuing additional regulatory paths.

What users actually do

Typical practice

Approved Mexican label dosing is 0.25 to 0.5 mg orally per day. Community use outside Mexico typically follows the same range, often starting at 0.125 mg and titrating up over 4 to 6 weeks to manage CNS side effects. Cycles typically 12 to 24 weeks; longer-term safety data is limited. Drug-drug interactions are non-trivial: tesofensine is metabolised mainly by CYP3A4, so strong inhibitors (some antifungals, certain HIV drugs) elevate plasma levels meaningfully.

The dosing above is community practice, not a regulator-validated protocol. Trial-validated dosing for Tesofensine in humans does not exist for most use cases listed.

What could go wrong

Risks and contraindications

Most-reported side effects in the Phase 2 trials: dry mouth, insomnia, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, occasional anxiety. The cardiovascular signal that paused Phase 3 was mean blood pressure rise of 1 to 7 mmHg and resting heart rate increase of 7 to 8 bpm at higher doses. This is meaningful at the population level even if any one patient tolerates it. Contraindications: cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled hypertension, history of psychosis or major mood disorder, pregnancy. Not for stacking with serotonergic drugs (SSRIs, MAOIs, MDMA) due to serotonin syndrome risk.

Regulatory status by region

Where this stands legally

the US
Research-only

Not FDA-approved. Saniona's regulatory strategy is for Mexico market expansion plus possible future US filing. Sold as research chemical online; legal to possess but not labelled for human use.

the UK
Unscheduled

Not licensed by MHRA. Research-chemical category. Not commonly available through prescription channels.

the EU
Unscheduled

Not on EMA's approved list.

Mexico
Approved or sold legitimately

COFEPRIS-approved for obesity treatment since 2023. Sold under brand name Tesomet (Saniona) in Mexican pharmacies with prescription. The most legitimate single source globally.

Thailand
Legal grey zone

Not formally scheduled. Some Bangkok weight-management clinics import for off-label use; quality varies.

Australia
Restricted import

Not TGA-approved. Personal imports require documentation under specials scheme.

Commonly-mentioned vendors

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.

  • Mexican pharmacies (Tesomet brand, COFEPRIS-approved)Pending Panya 11-signal audit
  • Saniona direct via Mexico distribution channelsPending Panya 11-signal audit
  • Pure Rawz (research-grade)Pending Panya 11-signal audit
  • Limitless Life (research-grade)Pending Panya 11-signal audit

Full vendor scorecards for Tesofensine 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.

Document your own journey

Track Tesofensine in your peptide journal.

Panya users log their full stack at panya.health/journey. Public-by-default with per-entry privacy controls. Vote-validated by the community.