Tesamorelin
Also called Egrifta, Egrifta SV, TH9507, Tesamorelin acetate
Educational only, not medical advice. Dosaly reports what has been studied; it isn't a recommendation to use Tesamorelin or any amount of it. Talk to a clinician.
Approved by the FDA as a prescription medicine (Egrifta SV) to reduce excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV and lipodystrophy; not approved in the EU, where the application was withdrawn (as of October 2026).
Research applications
- Deep abdominal (visceral) fat in people with HIV (large randomized trials, FDA-approved use)
- Liver fat and fatty liver disease in people with HIV (randomized trials)
- Growth hormone release through the GHRH receptor
What studies have looked at, not proven uses.
What it is
Tesamorelin is a lab-made version of the hormone that tells the body to release growth hormone. Based on large trials, it's FDA-approved for reducing excess belly fat in some people with HIV.
More detail
Tesamorelin is a synthetic analog of the full 44-amino-acid growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), with a chemical group added at one end that makes it more stable in the body. Like natural GHRH, it signals the pituitary to release growth hormone. Large randomized, placebo-controlled trials in people with HIV studied its effect on visceral (deep abdominal) fat, and this work led to its FDA approval for that use. Later randomized trials in the same population looked at liver fat and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Research in people without HIV is limited.
Evidence listed here
- 3 human studies
Results from cells and animals often don't carry over to people. How to read peptide research
Molecular info
- Class
- Synthetic peptide (GHRH analog)
- Length
- 44 amino acids
- Sequence
- (trans-3-hexenoyl)-Tyr-Ala-Asp-Ala-Ile-Phe-Thr-Asn-Ser-Tyr-Arg-Lys-Val-Leu-Gly-Gln-Leu-Ser-Ala-Arg-Lys-Leu-Leu-Gln-Asp-Ile-Met-Ser-Arg-Gln-Gln-Gly-Glu-Ser-Asn-Gln-Glu-Arg-Gly-Ala-Arg-Ala-Arg-Leu-NH2
- Research areas
- Growth hormone, Metabolic
Full-length human GHRH with a hexenoyl group added at the start for stability.
Research
- Human studyLancet HIV · 2019Effects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIV: a randomised, double-blind, multicentre trial.
Randomized multicentre trial on fatty liver disease in people with HIV.
- Human studyJAMA · 2014Effect of tesamorelin on visceral fat and liver fat in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation: a randomized clinical trial.
Randomized trial on visceral and liver fat in people with HIV.
- Human studyN Engl J Med · 2007Metabolic effects of a growth hormone-releasing factor in patients with HIV.
Large randomized placebo-controlled trial on visceral fat in people with HIV.