Tesamorelin.

The signal it changes

Tesamorelin stimulates the pituitary growth-hormone pathway, which can raise IGF-1. That is a biological pathway, not a guarantee that a person will lose weight or gain useful muscle. Effects depend on the product, indication, dose, duration and the person’s health.

To understand why “fat burning”, appetite and body-weight claims can mean different things, see the guide to weight-loss peptides and fat.

For the actual people, scan results and limitations behind the percentages, read the visceral-fat trial explained.

For a clear introduction to where these tissues are and how they are measured, see visceral fat versus fat under the skin.

For the bigger picture, follow the growth-hormone signal and its connection to muscle, fat and sleep.

For the related family, compare sermorelin, tesamorelin and CJC-1295 or start with the sermorelin profile.1

The authorised use is narrow

Egrifta SV and Egrifta WR are labelled in the United States for excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Their prescribing information explicitly says they are not indicated for weight-loss management. HIV-associated lipodystrophy involves changes in how body fat is distributed; excess fat around internal organs is not the same as total body weight. An approved medicine can have a narrow indication.

For tested sport, check peptides and anti-doping rules.13

What did a clinical trial measure?

In a 26-week randomised trial, 412 adults with HIV and excess abdominal fat received tesamorelin or placebo; 86% were men. Researchers used a scan to measure visceral fat, the fat around internal organs. On average the tesamorelin group’s measured visceral-fat area decreased, while the placebo group’s increased slightly. This is evidence for the studied group and outcome, not proof of improved long-term cardiovascular health or a general weight-loss effect. The manufacturer, Theratechnologies, funded and designed the study with investigators.23

Can tesamorelin reduce liver fat?

A small trial suggests it can reduce a scan-based measure of liver fat in a specific group, but that is not the same as proving it prevents liver failure or improves survival. In a 2019 double-blind study, 61 adults with HIV and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease were randomised to tesamorelin or placebo for 12 months; 54 had at least one follow-up liver measurement included in the primary analysis. The reduction in liver fat fraction was an estimated 4.1 percentage points greater with tesamorelin than with placebo. The 95% confidence interval ranged from 0.7 to 7.6 percentage points. The study excluded people with known cirrhosis, and participants who discontinued limit how confidently the result applies more widely.

The primary outcome was liver fat measured by magnetic resonance, not liver failure, survival or an overall cure. Average glucose measures did not differ between groups in this small study, but injection-site complaints were more frequent with tesamorelin; that does not remove the glucose warnings in the product label. The NIH funded the research; the manufacturer supplied study material at reduced cost, and an author disclosed company ties and a related patent application. The 2025 US Egrifta WR label identifies a different, specific indication: reducing excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. See why a trial result and an approved use are different. Explore tesamorelin’s separate liver-fat and biopsy study.43

Why the exact Egrifta product matters

FDA prescribing information says Egrifta SV and Egrifta WR are not substitutable: the two formulations differ in preparation, dose and storage requirements. For example, the 2025 US Egrifta WR label says not to refrigerate or freeze the mixed product. That instruction is specific to that product and stage of use; it is not a rule for other tesamorelin products or research peptides. Check the current instructions for the exact product and ask a pharmacist about storage or a temperature excursion. See the storage and handling hub.3

Why safety needs context

The label lists contraindications and warnings including active malignancy, pregnancy, elevated IGF-1, fluid retention and glucose intolerance. Those details are why a reader should use the current product label and qualified clinical advice rather than extrapolate from gym or longevity marketing. For a closer look at monitoring and adverse effects, see tesamorelin safety. For what happened after stopping in trials, see the withdrawal studies.1

Development & regulatory context

These selected records are not a complete global legal-status list. Approval depends on the product, use, population and country; check each record’s date.