Evidence strength for the context described on this page.
PEPTIDE ATLAS / METABOLIC & FAT LOSS / TESAMORELIN
FDA-approvedHigh for approved indication
Tesamorelin
ALSO KNOWN ASEgrifta WR · Egrifta SV
Approved for excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV lipodystrophy—not general weight loss.
01CATEGORYMetabolic & fat loss
02REGULATORY STATUSFDA-approved
03COMMON ROUTESubcutaneous abdominal injection
04DOSE BASISFDA-approved label
HOW TO USE THIS PAGE
Read the profile in the order that protects the decision.
- 01Verify what it is
Confirm the exact molecule, route, regulatory lane and actual human evidence.
- 02Read limits before dose
Unsupported claims, contraindications and uncertainty come before any protocol.
- 03Build the monitoring plan
Define the target, baseline checks, reassessment point and stop rules with a qualified clinician.
RESEARCH PASSPORT
The five facts to know first.
REVIEWED
JULY 2026
Status is product-, formulation- and indication-specific.
Trial, label or reported-practice basis is always named.
Official labels, regulators, trials and indexed literature where available.
Peptide hormones, growth factors and related substances may be prohibited.
Check Global DRO ↗OVERVIEW
What Tesamorelin is.
A growth-hormone-releasing factor analog that increases endogenous GH pulsatility and IGF-1. Its approval is narrow and does not establish routine anti-aging or visceral-fat use outside HIV lipodystrophy.
HOW IT IS THOUGHT TO WORK
Stimulates pituitary growth-hormone release, raising IGF-1 and changing visceral adipose tissue in the labeled population.
EFFECTS & EVIDENCE
What the evidence supports—and what it does not.
- Reduces excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV and lipodystrophy
- Does not replace management of HIV or general cardiometabolic risk
- General obesity treatment
- Longevity enhancement
- Bodybuilding or recovery in healthy adults
Evidence grade: High for approved indication. For an approved drug, “high” refers only to its labeled indication—not every off-label or wellness claim.
DOSAGE CONTEXT
Best available dosing range.
FDA-APPROVED LABELFormulation-specific: Egrifta WR is labeled 1.28 mg subcutaneously once daily; Egrifta SV is 1.4 mg once daily. The formulations have different preparation instructions and are not interchangeable.
- Route
- Subcutaneous abdominal injection
- Duration
- Ongoing only while benefit and safety remain favorable
- Men & women
- No routine male/female dose split; pregnancy is contraindicated.
Clinician verification required. Always double-check the exact molecule or salt, concentration, route, volume, schedule, indication, patient-specific contraindications, interactions and applicable law with the prescribing clinician and dispensing pharmacy. A disclaimer does not make an unapproved product FDA-approved, and a reported-use range is not a prescription.
MONITORING
What should be tracked.
- IGF-1
- Glucose status
- Waist/visceral-fat response
- Injection reactions and fluid retention
SAFETY
Risks, red flags and reasons to avoid it.
- Elevated IGF-1
- Glucose intolerance or diabetes
- Fluid retention, joint symptoms and injection-site reactions
- Concern in active malignancy
- Pregnancy
- Active malignancy
- Disrupted hypothalamic-pituitary axis
- Using it as an unsupervised fat-loss peptide
Stop and seek careGet urgent medical help for trouble breathing, facial or throat swelling, chest pain, fainting, severe persistent abdominal pain, neurologic changes, severe hypoglycemia, uncontrolled vomiting or a prolonged painful erection.
CLINICIAN VISIT CHECKLIST
Six questions worth bringing with you.
Molecule or analog, salt, concentration, route, manufacturer or compounder, lot and beyond-use date.
Name the diagnosis or target, how it will be measured and the realistic time to reassess.
Ask how it compares with FDA-approved, lower-risk or better-studied alternatives.
Label, human trial, specialty guideline or clinic convention—and whether that route and formulation match.
Baseline checks, follow-up measures, interactions, pregnancy considerations and symptoms that mean stop.
Pharmacy license, prescription, identity/potency testing, sterility controls and who handles a product complaint.
Do not improvise reconstitution or convert “units” without the exact concentration. Mixing, storage and beyond-use instructions are product-specific; confirm them with the dispensing pharmacy.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Read the record yourself.
We prioritize official prescribing information, FDA regulatory material, registered trials and indexed biomedical literature. A source supports the specific statement beside it—not every claim made about the molecule.
PRODUCTS & TREATMENT ACCESS
Use a verified prescription pathway.
Prescription-only FDA-approved products for a narrow indication.
Marketing often strips away the HIV-lipodystrophy indication. The approved dose is not a general body-composition protocol.
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