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Peptide entry · Growth

Tesamorelin

TH9507 · Egrifta · Egrifta SV

Highest evidence

Human RCT

Studies recorded

4· 4 in humans

Legal status · US

Prescription

Scientific context only. Not medical advice, not a recommendation to use.

At a glance

Stabilised GHRH analog (growth-hormone-releasing hormone). FDA-approved in 2010 as Egrifta for reduction of abdominal lipohypertrophy in HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Not approved for the general population.

Researched for

HIV-associated lipodystrophyNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in phase 2GH axis modulation

Official status

US: Prescription

FDA-approved in 2010 as Egrifta for HIV-associated lipodystrophy. In 2019 Egrifta SV (new formulation) was approved. Off-label use outside this indication is not covered by registration trials.

Jump to

Mechanism →Studies →Legal status →Risks & hygiene →

At a glance

★4studies 4in humans 1amount 1forum topic ★3countries 1open question 2adverse events

01 Mechanism
★02 Evidence overview3
★03 Study landscape4
04 Where studies disagree1
05 Pharmacokinetics
06 Routes of administration1
06b Amounts from sources1
★06d Safer use & risks
07 Adverse events2
07b Interactions
08 Risks & hygiene1
10 Anecdotal observations1
10b What online communities discuss1
★11 Legal status by country3
12 Reconstitution calculator
13 Related peptides
14 Study register4
15 Sources & methodology

Overview

What is it?

How is it meant to work? →

Tesamorelin is an N-terminally modified 44-amino-acid version of human GHRH(1-44). A 3-hexenoyl modification protects against rapid dipeptidyl-peptidase-IV cleavage. Binding to the pituitary GHRH receptor stimulates endogenous …

What do studies show? →

Human RCTReduction in visceral adipose tissue (VAT, measured by CT) in HIV patients with lipodystrophy over 26 weeks

What do users report? →

On drugs.com, tesamorelin (Egrifta) holds an average user rating of about 6.6 out of 10 across roughly 20 reviews (about 45–48% positive, 14% negative). It is approved to reduce visceral abdominal fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy; reported themes include injection-site reactions, joint complaints and fluid retention.⚠ anecdotal – not scientific evidence

Mechanism of action

Evidence at a glance

Reading note. The distribution shows on which evidence tier each observation sits. Strong colours mark stronger evidence — weaker tiers are deliberately visible, not hidden.

3 observations · single evidence tier

Human RCT

What the studies show

Human RCT

Mensch

Falutz J. et al. 2007

Reduction in visceral adipose tissue (VAT, measured by CT) in HIV patients with lipodystrophy over 26 weeks

What does NOT follow: Effect was limited to VAT; subcutaneous fat did not decrease significantly. Re-accumulation after discontinuation was documented.

Human RCT

Mensch

Stanley TL. et al. 2019

Reduction of liver fat (intrahepatic triglyceride) in HIV patients with NAFLD over 12 months reported

What does NOT follow: Study population narrowly defined; generalisation to NAFLD without HIV has not been studied.

Human RCT

Mensch

Increase in IGF-1 levels documented across all clinical studies

What does NOT follow: In some patients IGF-1 levels above the reference range were reached — FDA label recommends regular monitoring.

Where studies disagree

Open question

Does the IGF-1 rise triggered by tesamorelin carry a relevant long-term risk?

POSITION A

Tesamorelin markedly raises IGF-1 via the GH axis; theoretically, chronically elevated IGF-1 could favour proliferative processes.

POSITION B

In the HIV-lipodystrophy pivotal trials, no clearly raised tumour signal emerged over the studied duration.

CURRENT STATE · Within the approved indication and duration it is considered acceptable; long-term/off-label safety in healthy people is unproven.

Pharmacokinetics

Theoretical concentration curve at a half-life of 0.4 h. Pure pharmacokinetic model — not a dosing recommendation.

Open in PK tool →

Start time: t₀ = 0h

Repeat interval: off (single dose)

Routes of administration in the literature

Which routes of administration the available studies describe — neutral reporting, not a usage guide.

Subcutaneous

In all registration trials administered once daily subcutaneously (abdomen).

06b

Amounts reported in sources

Which amounts were reported in which source — ordered by context (approval, trial, animal model, secondary literature, community).

Not a recommendation

This is NOT a dosing or usage recommendation, but a compilation of amounts from the linked sources. Amounts from animal models or communities are NOT transferable to humans. Specific amounts belong in a conversation with a doctor.

Approved label2 mg· SubcutaneousHuman RCT

Egrifta — HIV-associated lipodystrophy, once daily s.c.

Context: Approved indication; GHRH analog, medically supervised.

Source ↗ — Effects of tesamorelin (TH9507), a growth hormone-releasing factor analog, in HIV-infected patients with excess abdominal fat

06d

Safer use & risks

Risk notes for harm reduction — descriptive, not a usage or dosing guide.

Important — please read

This platform does NOT provide usage or dosing instructions. The points below describe risks and are meant to help avoid harm — they do not replace medical advice. Anyone who uses a substance should discuss it with a doctor.

This substance is approved (in at least one country) — use belongs in medical hands, within the approved indication and a physician-set dose.

Online numbers are not a benchmark

Amounts from TikTok, YouTube and forums are mostly imitation rather than data — and are often wrongly derived from animal studies (µg/kg). Not a reliable benchmark for humans.

Sterility & infection risk

Injection solutions prepared or stored non-sterile carry an infection and abscess risk. Contamination is common with grey-market product.

Unknown product quality

Research-/grey-market product is not quality-tested: identity, purity and actual content are often unknown, and counterfeits occur.

Mind interactions

Combinations with medications or pre-existing conditions can carry risks (see the Interactions section). Clarify with a doctor beforehand.

Warning signs — seek medical help

With persistent pain, redness/swelling at the injection site, fever, shortness of breath, racing heart, chest pain or allergic reactions, seek medical help immediately.

A doctor, not a forum

Concrete questions about use and amount belong in a conversation with a doctor — not in a comment thread.

Known adverse events from studies

Factual reporting of what studies observed. Not a safety statement for individual use.

Human RCT

Local injection-site reactions

Most common documented adverse event in the registration trial.

häufig

Human RCT

Glucose intolerance

Class effect of GH-stimulating substances; therefore glucose monitoring recommended in the FDA label.

gelegentlich

07b

Interactions & combinations

Documented interactions and contraindications from studies, prescribing information and guidelines. Where no data exists, this is stated.

Reporting of risks, NOT a combination guide. The absence of an entry does not mean „safe to combine“ but „not sufficiently studied“.

No documented interactions recorded

We have not yet found robustly documented interactions for this peptide. This does NOT mean none exist — the data is limited.

Risks & hygiene aspects in the literature

What regulatory and scientific literature reports on risks, sterility and identity in non-pharmaceutical sources — descriptive, not a hygiene guide.

Contraindication in active malignancy

FDA prescribing information lists active malignancy as a contraindication due to the mitogenic effect of the IGF-1 axis.

Anecdotal observations

Weakest evidence tier — not supported by studies

Reading note. This section gathers popular claims from communities and forums. They are explicitly marked as weakest-tier evidence. Unblinded self-reports are particularly prone to placebo, recall and confirmation biases.

Why no amounts or protocols are listed here. We deliberately show only WHAT communities report — not in what amount or how it is used. Anecdotal "doses" or "biohacker protocols" are neither verified nor standardised nor safe; publishing them would be a usage guide, which we do not provide on principle. Specific amounts belong in a conversation with a doctor, not in a forum.

In biohacking / anti-aging circles, tesamorelin is discussed off-label for reducing belly fat and stimulating the body's own growth-hormone axis.

recurring in GH-secretagogue discussions

Not supported by studies: Tesamorelin is approved solely for HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Data for that narrow indication cannot be transferred to a general 'fat-loss' or anti-aging use; cost and the daily injection are also discussed.

10b

What online communities discuss

Recurring themes from Reddit, Quora and patient forums — synthetically summarised, sources linked. Not scientific evidence, but a signal of what users report. Deliberately separated from the study base.

Non-scientific sources. What users report in forums — synthetically summarised, paraphrased, with link to source. Not validated by studies.

Sorted by discussion frequency · 1 Thema

Discussion frequency: small base (~20 aggregated reviews)

What this does NOT mean: Review platforms are self-selected, unblinded and not representative; the figures are a snapshot (as of June 2026). They do not replace controlled data — see the studies section. With around 20 reviews, individual reports strongly shape the average.

Source drill-down:

ReviewsEgrifta (tesamorelin) Reviews & Ratings — Drugs.com

Legal status by country

Country	Status	Note	Checked
United States	Prescription	FDA-approved in 2010 as Egrifta for HIV-associated lipodystrophy. In 2019 Egrifta SV (new formulation) was approved. Off-label use outside this indication is not covered by registration trials.	2026-05-22
Germany	Unapproved	No EMA approval. Single-patient import via §73 AMG only in individual cases.	2026-05-22
Canada	Prescription	Health Canada has approved Egrifta for HIV-associated lipodystrophy.	2026-05-22

Reconstitution calculator

Pure mg/mL maths — works like a calculator. Not a usage recommendation.

Peptides ship as a dry powder. Once dissolved in a liquid (reconstitution), this calculator answers a single question: how much substance is in one millilitre of solution afterwards?

1Enter the vial's substance amount (printed on the label).
2Enter how much solvent you add.
3Result = concentration in mg per mL.

Substance (mg)Printed on the label

Solvent (mL)Liquid you add

2.50

mg / mL

5 mg in 2 mL gives 2.50 mg/mL — each millilitre contains 2.50 mg of substance.

Study register

Human RCTRandomised controlled trialn = 412

Falutz J. et al. · 2007

Effects of tesamorelin (TH9507), a growth hormone-releasing factor analog, in HIV-infected patients with excess abdominal fat

Concrete results

VAT reduction from baseline

−15.2%

vs Placebo (+5.0%) · 26 Wochen

PubMed ↗

Human RCTRandomised controlled trialn = 61

Stanley TL. et al. · 2019

Effects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIV

Concrete results

Reduction in intrahepatic triglyceride (IHTG)

−4.1 percentage points

vs Placebo · 12 Monate

PubMed ↗

Human RCTRandomised controlled trialn = 412

Falutz J, et al. · 2007

Metabolic Effects of a Growth Hormone–Releasing Factor in Patients with HIV

SamplePeople with HIV and abdominal fat accumulation (HIV-associated lipodystrophy).

EndpointPercentage change in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) at 26 weeks.

MethodDaily subcutaneous 2 mg tesamorelin vs. placebo over 26 weeks.

Concrete results

Change in visceral fat (VAT)

−15%

vs Placebo · 26 Wochen

Findings:Visceral fat fell by about 15% (vs. a ~5% rise on placebo); IGF-1 increased and lipids improved, without relevant glucose worsening.

Limitations:Narrowly defined indication (HIV lipodystrophy); 26 weeks; not transferable to general 'fat-loss' use.

Quelle ↗

Human RCTRandomised controlled trialn = 61

Stanley TL, et al. · 2019

Effects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIV: a randomised, double-blind, multicentre trial

SamplePeople with HIV and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (hepatic fat fraction ≥5%).

EndpointChange in hepatic fat fraction at 12 months.

MethodDaily subcutaneous 2 mg tesamorelin vs. placebo over 12 months.

Concrete results

Relative reduction in liver fat

−37%

vs Placebo · 12 Monate

Findings:Tesamorelin reduced hepatic fat fraction by about 37% relative to placebo and prevented fibrosis progression over one year.

Limitations:Small sample (n=61), HIV population; not transferable to the general fatty-liver population.

PubMed ↗

Sources & method

Reviewed by

editor-placeholder

Last reviewed

2026-05-22

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Country

Status

Note

Checked

United States

Prescription

FDA-approved in 2010 as Egrifta for HIV-associated lipodystrophy. In 2019 Egrifta SV (new formulation) was approved. Off-label use outside this indication is not covered by registration trials.

2026-05-22

Germany

Unapproved

No EMA approval. Single-patient import via §73 AMG only in individual cases.

2026-05-22

Canada

Prescription

Health Canada has approved Egrifta for HIV-associated lipodystrophy.

2026-05-22

Mechanism of action

Evidence at a glance

What the studies show

Where studies disagree

Does the IGF-1 rise triggered by tesamorelin carry a relevant long-term risk?

Pharmacokinetics

Routes of administration in the literature

Amounts reported in sources

Safer use & risks

Known adverse events from studies

Interactions & combinations

Risks & hygiene aspects in the literature

Contraindication in active malignancy

Anecdotal observations

What online communities discuss

Legal status by country

Reconstitution calculator

Related peptides

Study register

Effects of tesamorelin (TH9507), a growth hormone-releasing factor analog, in HIV-infected patients with excess abdominal fat

Effects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIV

Metabolic Effects of a Growth Hormone–Releasing Factor in Patients with HIV

Effects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIV: a randomised, double-blind, multicentre trial

Sources & method

Get new studies on Tesamorelin

Mechanism of action

Evidence at a glance

What the studies show

Where studies disagree

Does the IGF-1 rise triggered by tesamorelin carry a relevant long-term risk?

Pharmacokinetics

Routes of administration in the literature

Amounts reported in sources

Safer use & risks

Known adverse events from studies

Interactions & combinations

Risks & hygiene aspects in the literature

Contraindication in active malignancy

Anecdotal observations

What online communities discuss

Legal status by country

Reconstitution calculator

Related peptides

Study register

Effects of tesamorelin (TH9507), a growth hormone-releasing factor analog, in HIV-infected patients with excess abdominal fat

Effects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIV

Metabolic Effects of a Growth Hormone–Releasing Factor in Patients with HIV

Effects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIV: a randomised, double-blind, multicentre trial

Sources & method

Get new studies on Tesamorelin