Tesamorelin[Egrifta]
Compound snapshot
Class
GHRH analogue
FDA approved
Yes — approved for HIV-associated lipodystrophy
Clinical development
Approved
Last reviewed
September 2026
Research areas
Visceral fat / HIV-associated lipodystrophy / Growth hormone axis
Regulatory status
FDA-approved medicine
Internet attention
Moderate
Registry query
Tesamorelin
A stabilised GHRH analogue and the only GH-axis peptide in this list with full FDA approval — for excess abdominal fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy.
Reality check — what we actually know
Supported by human evidence
- This compound has completed human trials in at least one approved indication — see the regulatory section for what was actually approved.
Animal research only
- Clinically proven visceral adipose tissue reduction (~15–18% in pivotal trials) without weight-loss dieting
- Improvement in triglycerides in trial populations
- Reduced liver fat in studies of HIV-associated fatty liver
Mechanistically plausible
- Stimulates endogenous GH release, which increases lipolysis preferentially in visceral (organ-surrounding) fat.
Common internet claims
- Online discussion frequently presents Tesamorelin as a proven treatment rather than a research compound.
Not established
- Human efficacy for the outcomes commonly claimed
- Optimal route, quantity and duration in humans
- Long-term human safety
Evidence distribution
Each band is a live PubMed search for Tesamorelin, filtered to that kind of study. Top is the strongest evidence; the base is reasoning, not proof. A band with no records means that kind of study has not been published for this compound yet.
Mechanism and reported findings
Stimulates endogenous GH release, which increases lipolysis preferentially in visceral (organ-surrounding) fat.
- Clinically proven visceral adipose tissue reduction (~15–18% in pivotal trials) without weight-loss dieting
- Improvement in triglycerides in trial populations
- Reduced liver fat in studies of HIV-associated fatty liver
- Studied for cognitive effects in older adults with mild cognitive impairment
Strength of the evidence: Randomised, placebo-controlled Phase 3 trials supporting its approved indication. Use outside that indication is off-label.
Safety and known cautions
Prescription-only. Raises IGF-1; can worsen glucose tolerance and cause injection-site reactions, joint pain and swelling.
Evidence at a glance
No single score, on purpose. The line beside each bar shows how much reported outcomes vary between studies.
Development stage
- Discovery
- Preclinical
- Phase 1
- Phase 2
- Phase 3
- Regulatory review
- ApprovedCurrent