Tesamorelin

Areas of active research — not promised effects

Each tag links to other compounds with research into that goal. Research use only: these are areas of study, not human-use claims.

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Tesamorelin is an FDA-approved Rx-only drug for HIV-associated lipodystrophy. It may only be legally dispensed pursuant to a valid prescription. Compounded tesamorelin is available from licensed 503B outsourcing facilities. Compounding by 503A pharmacies requires the compound to appear on an approved bulk drug substance list; researchers should verify current 503A status as of the date of access.

Transparent blend · bci-1.0 · never paid-placement

Primary name

Tesamorelin

Origin

Derived from endogenous human GHRH(1-44); N-terminus modified with a trans-3-hexenoic acid moiety to resist DPP-IV-mediated cleavage, extending in vivo stability beyond the parent peptide.

Registry IDs

PubChem CID

16137828

CAS

218949-48-5

InChIKey

QBEPNUQJQWDYKU-BMGKTWPMSA-N

Molecular formula

C221H366N72O67S

Molar mass

5136 g/mol

Monoisotopic

5132.7166406 Da

InChIKey

QBEPNUQJQWDYKU-BMGKTWPMSA-N

Appearance

White to off-white lyophilized powder

Solubility

Reconstitutes in sterile water for injection; aqueous solubility adequate at phy…

Sequence not available in current seed.

Stability: The trans-3-hexenoic acid N-terminal modification confers resistance to DPP-IV cleavage, extending stability relative to native GHRH(1-44) in physiological cond

Vial sizes

1 mg · 2 mg · 11.6 mg

Purity grades

pharmaceutical

Salt forms

Free base (primary)

• GHS hazard class on file
• PPE & spill response
• Disposal guidance
• Not-for-human-consumption posture

How much research exists, and of what maturity — never a verdict on whether it works.

Mechanism of action

• Tesamorelin binds the GHRH receptor (GHRHR) on pituitary somatotrophs, activating adenylyl cyclase via Gs coupling and elevating intracellular cAMP
• This drives both synthesis and pulsatile secretion of endogenous growth hormone (GH), preserving hypothalamic-pituitary feedback regulation
• Circulating GH subsequently stimulates hepatic and peripheral production of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which mediates downstream metabolic effects including visceral lipolysis and promotion of lean body mass
• Because the peptide acts upstream at the pituitary rather than supplying exogenous GH directly, physiological pulsatility and axis feedback are maintained

Pharmacokinetics (ADME)

Half-life

~8–38 min (subcutaneous; range reflects single-dose vs. steady-state and healthy vs. HIV-infected subjects; per FDA label/clinical pharmacology review)

Clearance

Not formally published as a clearance value; absolute subcutaneous bioavailability <4%

PK–PD note: Tmax ~9 min post-SC injection; Cmax ~2,875 pg/mL (single 2 mg dose, healthy subjects per FDA clinical pharmacology review NDA 22-505). GH pulse amplitude peaks within 30–60 min of administration. Rapi…

Reading the evidence

• Evidence quality and gaps vary by application — see the cited grades above.
• Indexed-article counts span all evidence tiers, not only completed human trials.
• No first-party human-dosing, efficacy, or benefit claims are made here.

Key reviews & evidence-gap sources

• CADTH Clinical Review Report: Tesamorelin (Egrifta), 2016 — systematic review of VAT reduction — Health technology assessment systematic review; 3 studies included
• Ayesh et al., 2026 — meta-analysis of RCTs of tesamorelin in HIV-associated lipodystrophy (Obesity Research & Clinical Practice) — Searched PubMed/Embase/Scopus/WoS/CENTRAL through July 2025
• Bedimo R, 2011 — Growth hormone and tesamorelin in the management of HIV-associated lipodystrophy (HIV AIDS Auckl) — Narrative review; PMC3218714

5 registered trials — 0 currently recruiting.

NA
NCT00795210
Effects of Short-term Growth Hormone in HIV-infected Patients

COMPLETED

Phase 2
NCT03375788
Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone Analog to Improve Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Associated Cardiovascular Risk

COMPLETED

—
NCT01579695
Long-term Observational Study in HIV Subjects Exposed to EGRIFTA®

TERMINATED

Phase 4
NCT03226821
Body Composition and Adipose Tissue in HIV

TERMINATED

Phase 1
NCT02553603
The Effect of Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone on Cognitive Function in Individuals With Mild Cognitive Impairment

COMPLETED

Summary (literature)

Per the FDA-approved prescribing information (Egrifta/Egrifta WR), the most commonly reported adverse effects in RCTs include injection-site reactions (erythema, pruritus, pain), arthralgia, myalgia, peripheral edema, and paresthesia/hypoesthesia — effects consistent with GH-axis…

WADA status

Prohibited in-competition and out-of-competition under WADA Prohibited List S2.2.4 (Growth Hormone Releasing Factors/GHRH analogs); listed alongside sermorelin …

Dominant research route: Subcutaneous (SC)

Single- and multiple-dose pharmacokinetics characterized in healthy adult subjects and HIV-infected patients (with and without lipodystrophy) following 2 mg subcutaneous administration; absolute bioavailability determined in healthy adults; population PK model built from Phase I/III data

Bioavailability: Absolute bioavailability after subcutaneous administration of a 2 mg dose was less than 4% in healthy adult subjects; median Tmax 0.15 h; mean elimination half-life ~8 minutes after a single 1.4 mg subcutaneous dose

FDA-approved route of administration for EGRIFTA/EGRIFTA SV (tesamorelin for injection); the only route evaluated in the registrational clinical program and described in the US Prescribing Information

No approved or clinically validated oral formulation; discussed only as a preclinical/model oral peptide delivery research format (tesamorelin tablets) addressing gastric proteolysis, intestinal enzymatic degradation, epithelial tight-junction impermeability, and hepatic first-pass metabolism

Bioavailability: Not established; as a ~5,135 Da peptide, oral bioavailability is expected to be negligible without enabling formulation (permeation enhancers, nanocarriers) due to gastric acid/pepsin degradation, pancreatic protease cleavage, and tight-junction size exclusion

Oral route is not an approved or pharmacokinetically characterized route for tesamorelin; references are formulation-science/mechanistic discussions, not human absorption data

Animal & human figures are kept visibly separate so studied animal doses are never misread as human guidance.

Sorted A–Z by vendor — never by price

Weekly median $/mg from the live vendor crawl.

Researched storefront prices, bucketed

p25 $7.53 · median $8.80 · p75 $10.50 · 7 researched vendors

Legit, COA-backed band: $6.00–$15.00/mg.

Value rule: don't just buy the cheapest — a price under $3/mg is a red flag. Pair price with COA and independent-test grade.

Estimated cost of research (10 mg)

Vial (best researched price)

$55

Bacteriostatic water (generic estimate)

$6

Syringes / supplies (generic estimate)

$12

What each test proves — general guidance, plus this compound's researched purity data

Purity on the current market (researched)

~99.2–99.4% HPLC (vendor-published Janoshik reports for grey-market research-grade tesamorelin 10 mg vials; not independently aggregated)

Independent labs cited for this compound

One compound-specific recall located: Tailor Made Compounding LLC voluntary recall of tesamorelin products (July 6–Sept 11, 2018 production) for incorrect beyond use date labeling, acknowledged in FDA Warning Letter 594743 (April 1, 2020). No other tesamorelin-specific FDA recalls found.

Buyer red-flag checklist

• Grey-market research-use-only tesamorelin vials are not FDA-approved for human use; FDA-approved product is EGRIFTA SV/WR (Theratechnologies).
• Tesamorelin is prohibited by WADA under S2 (peptide hormones/growth factors) — banned in-competition.
• FDA reclassified tesamorelin as a biologic product, making compounded tesamorelin ineligible under 503A/503B compounding exemptions.
• Tailor Made Compounding recalled tesamorelin lots for incorrect beyond-use-date labeling and was cited for insanitary sterile-compounding conditions.
• Import Alert 66-41 permits detention without physical examination of unapproved imported tesamorelin products.
• Vendor-published Janoshik COAs are single-batch and self-submitted; no independent aggregate purity/underdosing prevalence data exists.

GMP vs research-grade: the chemistry (SPPS + HPLC + MS) is identical — the difference is the quality system.

Underdosing / mislabeling: No independent aggregate lab-test prevalence data (Janoshik/MZ Biolabs/Finnrick) for tesamorelin underdosing was located; only single-batch vendor-published COAs were found.

• FDA Import Alert 66-41 'Detention Without Physical Examination of Unapproved New Drugs Promoted In The U.S.' — general DWPE alert for unapproved new drugs; not tesamorelin-specific but applies to imported unapproved tesamorelin research/compounded products. Red-list firms subject to automatic detention.66-41
• An RUO label is not an import exemption — CBP judges actual intended use.
• Lyophilized powder is ambient-stable in transit; temperature control needed for > 7-day transit.
• US-warehouse vendors dodge import scrutiny — they cost more but ship more reliably.

Every item dated & sourced

Prohibited — WADA Prohibited List, Section S2 (Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics). Tesamorelin is explicitly named as a growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analogue alongside CJC-1293, CJC-1295, and sermorelin. Non-Specified substance; default sanction 4 years. TUE theoretically possible for the HIV-lipodystrophy indication.

No granted patents identified in current seed. Composition-of-matter coverage is limited given the peptide's synthetic origin.

• IACUC / IRB research context
• RUO buyer responsibilities & documentation
• Veterinary / alternative-use where lawful
• Jurisdiction-aware "who may lawfully obtain"

What people discuss

Reported concerns — discussion, not established effects

Reading caveats

• Self-selection toward off-label biohacker users rather than on-label HIV lipodystrophy patients
• Cost complaints overrepresented due to grey-market research-grade sourcing
• Vendor-affiliated accounts and 'trusted vendor' lists present in sourcing threads
• On-label Egrifta patient reviews (WebMD/Drugs.com) underrepresented vs Reddit biohacker discourse
• Stacking reports (retatrutide/ipamorelin) confound attribution of effects

Manually researched from reddit, youtube, x— theme weights are research estimates, not live counts; aggregated & de-identified. No individual posts, quotes, or usernames are ever shown.

Relative research / market volume — populated once the activity stream is wired

Inline tooltips for lyophilized, RUO, EU/mg, SPPS, 503A and more.

Toggle plain-language ↔ scientific in the header.

• How to read a COA
• Free base vs acetate
• Understanding evidence grades

FDA-approved synthetic GHRH analog that stimulates pulsatile GH release; indicated to reduce excess visceral fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Approximately 116 articles are indexed (literature last scanned 2026-05-29). US regulatory status: FDA-approved prescription drug (Egrifta / Egrifta WR). Research use only.

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