Tesamorelin
FROM THE REEL TO THE RESEARCH
Visceral fat: what changes, and in whom?
A visual comparison of tesamorelin, ipamorelin and CJC-1295: receptors, exposure, visceral-fat trials, GH and IGF-1 biomarkers, stacking claims and safety.
What it is & what research shows
Study example availableTesamorelin is an analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone. It stimulates the pituitary to release growth hormone and raises circulating IGF-1. Egrifta WR is indicated to reduce excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. It is not indicated for weight-loss management. [1.1]
One selected study: A double-blind randomized trial compared tesamorelin with placebo for six months. Primary outcomes were visceral abdominal fat and liver fat. 50 adults with HIV receiving antiretroviral treatment and with abdominal-fat accumulation were randomized; forty-eight received study treatment. A verified dose and schedule have not yet been added to this study summary. Visceral-fat area fell by 34 square centimeters with tesamorelin versus an increase of 8 with placebo. The liver lipid-to-water percentage fell 2.0 percentage points versus a 0.9-point increase. Fasting glucose rose initially at two weeks, but six-month fasting and two-hour glucose changes did not significantly differ. The authors described the findings as preliminary and said further studies were needed to determine their clinical importance and long-term consequences. [2.1]
Sources & reading scope
- [1.1] Egrifta WR prescribing information (2025)Drug label · indications, limitations and clinical pharmacology
- [2.1] Effect of tesamorelin on visceral fat and liver fat in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation: a randomized clinical trial.Human · Abstract summarized · not a full-paper review
Evidence summarized on PED Evidence
7 completed summaries
6 human-study reports
6 randomized-trial candidates
3 safety-topic reports
More about Tesamorelin: identity, safety & reference details
Also known as Egrifta · TH9507
Start with the research
An outcome-specific synthesis has not been prepared for this compound. This is a coverage gap, not evidence that it has no effect.
Open studies and trial records- Uses & research
Egrifta WR is indicated to reduce excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. It is not indicated for weight-loss management. [1]
- Known half-life
Egrifta WR: about 11 minutes after a single injection under the skin in healthy participants. Egrifta SV: about 8 minutes in its label study. These are formulation-specific measurements. [1][2]
Half-life describes how quickly the measured drug concentration falls by half. It does not set a dosing interval.- Evidence & important limits
WR and SV are not substitutable. Long-term cardiovascular safety is not established in the WR label. Warnings include increased IGF-1, fluid retention, glucose intolerance and neoplasms. [1]
Safety & evidence boundaries
WR and SV are not substitutable. Long-term cardiovascular safety is not established in the WR label. Warnings include increased IGF-1, fluid retention, glucose intolerance and neoplasms.
Explore safety questions by system
These are literature filters, not claims that this compound causes each effect. A keyword match is not a confirmed adverse reaction.
Identity, names & formulations
Canonical compound: Tesamorelin · tesamorelin
Searchable names: Egrifta, TH9507
Names share a parent research page. Different esters, salts, routes and brands are not assumed to have the same half-life, indication or exposure.
Combination evidence stays attached to the studied combination. It is not automatically assigned to each ingredient.
Understand the evidence types
Read the model and design first, then the population, outcome and limitations. These categories describe evidence, not a best-compound ranking.
- Randomized human trials
- Compare assigned interventions. Randomization does not by itself establish low bias or relevance to every population.
- Controlled human studies
- Use a comparison group; allocation and confounding still matter.
- Prospective human research
- Follows participants forward. It may be observational or interventional, so this is not a separate quality grade.
- Observational human research
- Describes associations. Confounding can explain differences.
- Case reports and series
- Useful for unusual events and safety signals, not reliable rates or effect sizes.
- Animal research
- Can test biology and function in a living model. Human exposure, benefit and safety remain separate questions.
- Cell and tissue research
- Tests responses in a preparation, including human-derived cells. It is not a human participant trial.
- Mechanistic and computational evidence
- Helps explain or predict a pathway; predictions need experimental and clinical testing.
- Anecdotal reports
- Self-reported experiences can generate questions. Product identity, selection bias and other interventions may be uncontrolled.
Systematic reviews synthesize studies and depend on their quality. Preprint status and abstract versus full-paper reading are separate labels. Citation popularity measures attention, not reliability. A study summary is not a formal quality appraisal.
Sources for this profile
- 1. Egrifta WR prescribing information (2025) Drug label · indications, limitations and clinical pharmacology
- 2. Egrifta SV prescribing information Drug label · clinical pharmacology
Reference facts checked 2026-09-16. Source scope is listed above; this is not a formal quality appraisal. See each label for full prescribing information.
Study model describes the source. Confidence depends on methods, replication, population and outcome.
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Tesamorelin study summaries
Human-first reading order. Intervention candidates are distinguished from background mentions in the library.
- Effects of Tesamorelin on Neurocognitive Impairment in Persons With HIV and Abdominal Obesity. · Human · 2025-06-01
- Effects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIV: a randomised, double-blind, multicentre trial. · Human · 2019-10-11
- Safety and metabolic effects of tesamorelin, a growth hormone-releasing factor analogue, in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial. · Human · 2017-06-15
- Effect of tesamorelin on visceral fat and liver fat in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation: a randomized clinical trial. · Human · 2014-07-01
- Effects of tesamorelin, a growth hormone-releasing factor, in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation: a randomized placebo-controlled trial with a safety extension. · Human · 2010-03-01
- Metabolic effects of a growth hormone-releasing factor in patients with HIV. · Human · 2007-12-01
- Evaluation of Research Grade Peptides Marketed Directly to Consumers Reveals Extensive Variability in Purity and Measured Abundance · Preprint · 2026-04-24