Deep abdominal fat
Reduction of deep abdominal fat is tesamorelin's best-supported clinical effect.
Explore the research →GROWTH-HORMONE & VISCERAL-FAT RESEARCH
Tesamorelin
An established medicine for reducing deep abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy, tesamorelin is also studied in body-composition and liver-fat research.
Visceral fatHIV lipodystrophyLiver fat
Established human evidence in a defined populationTesamorelin has controlled human trials and US approval for reducing excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV and lipodystrophy; that evidence should not be generalized to routine weight loss.
FOLLOW THE FULL PICTUREFrom interest to evidence, quality and the numbers.
Where does tesamorelin have the strongest evidence?
Tesamorelin attracts attention because it can stimulate the body's own growth-hormone pathway and has demonstrated an effect on deep abdominal fat in a defined group of patients. That combination naturally creates wider interest around body composition, visceral fat and metabolic health.
Liver fat
Tesamorelin has also been investigated in people with HIV and fatty liver disease.
Explore the research →Growth hormone & IGF-1
Tesamorelin stimulates endogenous pulsatile growth-hormone release and raises IGF-1.
Explore the research →Body composition
People often ask whether selective visceral-fat loss may preserve other tissue compartments.
Explore the research →THE SCIENCE BIT
Encouraging the pituitary's own GH signal.
Tesamorelin is an analogue of GHRH. It activates the GHRH receptor in the pituitary and encourages growth-hormone release, which in turn raises IGF-1.
Its strongest clinical story is the reduction of excess visceral fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. That specific result is more informative than treating it as a general fat-loss peptide.
See the studies & trials →- GHRH receptor
- Pituitary target
- GH
- Endogenous hormone release
- IGF-1
- A downstream response
How this connects to the research
Established pharmacology with efficacy in a defined clinical setting.
FROM MOLECULE TO TISSUE
Where Tesamorelin connects with the body
These are the tissues and biological systems behind the interest in Tesamorelin.
- Pituitary
- Hormone secretion.
- Visceral fat
- The established clinical focus.
- Liver
- IGF-1 and liver-fat research.
The research behind the interest
Deep abdominal fat
Reducing visceral fat — the deeper fat stored around the abdominal organs — is where tesamorelin has its clearest and strongest human evidence.
Randomized trials in adults with HIV-associated abdominal fat accumulation reported significant reductions in visceral adipose tissue.
Strong human evidence in a defined populationExplore the studies →Liver fat
Tesamorelin has also attracted interest for its potential to reduce fat stored in the liver in some people living with HIV.
A randomized multicentre trial reported a greater reduction in hepatic fat fraction than placebo over 12 months.
Human trial evidenceExplore the studies →Growth hormone & IGF-1
Tesamorelin encourages the body to release more of its own growth hormone, which in turn raises IGF-1 and helps explain its effects on body fat.
This endocrine mechanism is established, but higher IGF-1 is a biological effect rather than a stand-alone health benefit.
Established pharmacologyExplore the studies →Body composition
Because tesamorelin can target visceral fat, there is understandable interest in whether it can change body composition without simply producing general weight loss.
Clinical trials measured visceral and subcutaneous fat separately; use for general body recomposition remains outside the approved indication.
Population-specific human evidenceExplore the studies →Studies & trials
Studies & trials
Original publication · PubMed · trial registry where availableMetabolic effects of a growth hormone-releasing factor in patients with HIV ↗
412 adults with HIV and excess abdominal fat
SubcutaneousOnce daily26 weeks
Visceral adipose tissue decreased by 15.2% with tesamorelin and increased by 5.0% with placebo.
Triglycerides and total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio improved; IGF-1 increased.
Effects of tesamorelin in adults with HIV and excess abdominal fat ↗
Adults living with HIV with excess abdominal fat
SubcutaneousOnce daily26 weeks, with 52-week extension data
Pooled phase 3 data confirmed a reduction in visceral adipose tissue during treatment.
Extension data added longer exposure and safety context; visceral-fat benefit was not presented as general weight loss.
Effect of tesamorelin on visceral fat and liver fat in HIV ↗
Adults living with HIV and abdominal fat accumulation
SubcutaneousOnce daily6 months
The trial measured visceral fat and hepatic lipid in a carefully selected HIV population.
Results supported further study of liver fat while leaving general obesity and weight-loss claims unanswered.
Effects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIV ↗
61 adults living with HIV and hepatic steatosis
SubcutaneousOnce daily12 months
Tesamorelin produced a greater reduction in hepatic fat fraction than placebo, with an absolute effect size of −4.1 percentage points.
The result applies to the studied HIV-associated NAFLD population and does not establish a general fatty-liver indication.
Evidence snapshot
Evidence snapshot
Separate dimensions, not one overall score◎
Human evidenceExtensive
5/5 evidence depth
Multiple randomized human trials support effects on visceral fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy.
✓
Clinical efficacyStrong
4/5 evidence depth
Clinical efficacy is established for a narrow approved indication, not general weight loss or bodybuilding.
◇
Safety evidenceStrong
4/5 evidence depth
Product labelling and trials provide meaningful safety data, including glucose, IGF-1, malignancy and injection-site considerations.
⌁
Preclinical evidenceDeveloping
3/5 evidence depth
Preclinical and mechanistic work supports GHRH-receptor and GH-axis effects.
HOW TO READ THESE SCORESDeveloping preclinical evidence · extensive human evidence
These are editorial evidence-depth ratings on a 1–5 scale, not a statistical result or a single scientific formula. They summarise how much relevant evidence is present in each separate category and how mature that evidence is.
Human evidenceHow much direct research in people is available and how developed it is.
Clinical efficacyWhether human studies demonstrate meaningful outcomes for the claims being discussed.
Safety evidenceHow much human safety, tolerability and longer-term follow-up information is available.
Preclinical evidenceThe depth of laboratory and animal research supporting biological plausibility.
EVIDENCE TRANSLATION
Strong evidence—inside a clear boundary
Tesamorelin has passed the human-evidence threshold for one use. The page separates that established result from adjacent questions that remain promising, exploratory or unsupported.
Randomized phase 3 evidence and a current US prescribing label.
Positive controlled human trials, but not the labelled indication.
No direct efficacy programme supports transferring the approved result.
From promising signals to human evidencePreclinical research can reveal promising biological signals. Human studies show how far those signals have translated into real-world outcomes.
What people are exploring
COMMUNITY · USE CASES & EXPERIENCE
What people want to change with Tesamorelin
Community interest often extends tesamorelin's visceral-fat evidence into general fat loss, muscle preservation and 'body recomposition'. The approved evidence is narrower than those broader claims.
Explore the everyday goalsConceptual scientific illustration
THE PRACTICAL ATTRACTION
The goals behind the interest
What the desired change means in daily life, and what makes an experience useful to understand.
Reducing visceral abdominal fat
Interest is often described as stubborn belly fat, but the clinical research concerns visceral fat around internal organs in a specific HIV-associated setting. That is distinct from pinchable fat or general weight loss.
- What makes a report informative
- The type of abdominal fat and how it was measured.
- What can muddy the picture
- Waist photographs cannot identify visceral fat or reproduce the licensed-use evidence.
Liver-fat and metabolic concerns
Some people are drawn to research on liver fat and metabolic health. This is a clinical measurement question rather than a benefit that can reliably be judged from how someone feels.
- What makes a report informative
- Relevant imaging or laboratory outcomes in the studied population.
- What can muddy the picture
- A smaller waist does not establish a liver-fat reduction.
Body recomposition and recovery
Outside the specialist indication, people explore a leaner appearance, retained muscle or better recovery. These broader goals need their own evidence rather than borrowing the visceral-fat result.
- What makes a report informative
- Strength, body measurements and the full clinical context.
- What can muddy the picture
- Diet, other hormones and fluid changes can alter body composition independently.
PUT THE EXPERIENCE IN CONTEXT
How the goals compare with the research
Open an area to distinguish human findings from laboratory explanations.
Visceral or 'stubborn' abdominal fat
The licensed visceral-fat story drives most online interest.
Human findings & limits
Randomized trials support visceral-fat reduction in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy.
Laboratory & animal context
Mechanistic work supports GHRH-driven GH release and downstream lipolytic biology.
What this means: A real human benefit in a specific population, not proof of general fat-loss superiority.
Liver-fat improvement
Fatty-liver discussions have grown following a positive HIV-associated NAFLD trial.
Human findings & limits
A 12-month randomized trial reported lower hepatic fat fraction.
Laboratory & animal context
GH-axis effects offer metabolic rationale, but the clinical trial is more informative here.
What this means: Promising human evidence that remains population-specific.
Lean mass and recovery
Body-composition communities sometimes frame tesamorelin as a muscle-preserving or recovery peptide.
Human findings & limits
Existing trials were not designed to establish bodybuilding, athletic recovery or sarcopenia treatment claims.
Laboratory & animal context
GH/IGF-1 biology is relevant but does not prove a net functional benefit.
What this means: Mechanistically plausible, but broader performance claims overreach the evidence.
General weight loss and body recomposition
Interest often moves from the real visceral-fat result to hopes for overall weight loss or a leaner appearance.
Human findings & limits
The current FDA label states that EGRIFTA WR is not indicated for weight-loss management and describes a weight-neutral effect.
Laboratory & animal context
Endocrine and lipolysis mechanisms cannot establish a general obesity benefit without direct trials.
What this means: The strongest boundary on the page: selective visceral-fat evidence in HIV lipodystrophy is not a general weight-loss result.
Dose & duration
DOSE & DURATION
Research protocols · community patterns · calculator toolsSee the numbers in their proper context
See the amount, how often it was used and how long each study ran. Published human research and community descriptions each carry their own source label, so you can see where the numbers came from.
Source matters. The figures below show authorised, human-research or community-described protocols in their original context — not a personalised recommendation.
CURRENT US LABEL · EGRIFTA WR
LICENSED INDICATION ONLYA fixed daily dose with monitoring—not a titration ladder
The March 2025 prescribing information gives a formulation-specific once-daily dose. It does not describe routine dose escalation or a fixed cycle-and-break schedule.
1Before treatment
Confirm indicationScreen contraindications; evaluate glucose status
2Daily treatment
1.28 mg · EGRIFTA WRSubcutaneous abdomen; rotate injection sites
3During treatment
MonitorIGF-1, glucose, response and adverse effects
4Clinical review
Continue or stopReassess benefit when visceral fat is not reduced
Current formulationEGRIFTA WR: 1.28 mg subcutaneously once daily. The label states that EGRIFTA WR and EGRIFTA SV differ and are not substitutable.
No labelled titration or breakMonitoring and clinical response review replace the community idea of automatically stepping up, cycling or scheduling a break.
WHY THE OLDER 2 MG NUMBER APPEARS
FDA prescribing information · revised March 2025 ↗Major clinical trials used 2 mg once daily with an earlier formulation. That historical protocol should not overwrite the current 1.28 mg EGRIFTA WR label.
Tesamorelin has a licensed, formulation-specific dose for its approved indication. EGRIFTA WR and EGRIFTA SV are not interchangeable, and use outside the indication is a different evidence question.
PUBLISHED HUMAN RESEARCH
View source ↗Current US EGRIFTA WR label ↗
Adults with HIV and lipodystrophy who have excess abdominal fat
WHAT THIS TRIAL EXAMPLE SHOWS
This was a published human study. It involved Adults with HIV and lipodystrophy who have excess abdominal fat. Route: Injection under the skin of the abdomen, with sites rotated. The study lasted no fixed course stated. The figures below describe the research design, not a personal schedule.
| First amount studied | 1.28 mg |
|---|---|
| How often? | Once daily |
| How was it given? | Injection under the skin of the abdomen, with sites rotated |
| How long? | No fixed course stated |
See the exact study wording +
Start / initial: 1.28 mg
End / target: 1.28 mg
Frequency: Once daily
Route: Subcutaneous abdomen; rotate sites
Study duration: No fixed course stated
This is the current EGRIFTA WR dose only. The label states that WR and SV formulations differ and are not substitutable; treatment response, IGF-1 and glucose require clinical review.
PUBLISHED HUMAN RESEARCH
View source ↗Pivotal HIV abdominal-fat trial ↗
412 adults with HIV and excess abdominal fat
WHAT THIS TRIAL EXAMPLE SHOWS
This was a published human study. It involved 412 adults with HIV and excess abdominal fat. Route: Injection under the skin (SubQ). The study lasted 26 weeks. The figures below describe the research design, not a personal schedule.
| First amount studied | 2 mg |
|---|---|
| How often? | Once daily |
| How was it given? | Injection under the skin (SubQ) |
| How long? | 26 weeks |
See the exact study wording +
Start / initial: 2 mg
End / target: 2 mg
Frequency: Once daily
Route: Subcutaneous
Study duration: 26 weeks
Source: Falutz et al., NEJM 2007 ↗
This historical trial used an earlier formulation and supported development in a defined HIV-associated population. It is not the current EGRIFTA WR dose or a general weight-loss schedule.
PRACTICAL DOSING CONTEXT
Off-label discussion · licensed regimen is indication-specificHow the authorised schedule is structured
STARTING APPROACHES
Community discussions often borrow either the older 2 mg trial amount or a marketed formulation's daily dose for goals that were never studied. Those numbers are formulation- and indication-specific.
DURATION / CYCLES
Short cycles and longer continuous use are both discussed online, but no community cycle has been validated for general fat loss, bodybuilding or recovery.
MAINTENANCE DISCUSSION
There is no evidence-based maintenance, cycling or break schedule for general body composition. Licensed treatment uses clinician-led monitoring and response review.
Community patterns are anecdotal and unvalidated unless a linked human study independently supports the same approach.
CALCULATOR TOOLS
Work with the numbers
Convert amounts, concentration, liquid volume and vial requirements. These tools do the arithmetic; they do not select a dose.
NEED HELP READING THE NUMBERS?Source labels, routes and dose termsOpen guide +
HOW WE LABEL NUMBERSKnow where a dose came from before you compare it.
Authorised labelHuman trialCommunity-describedBEFORE THE NUMBERS: CHECK THE PRODUCT
Understand peptide testing →A dose only means something if the vial contains what the label says.
Purity, identity, quantity, sterility and endotoxin testing answer different questions. Learn how to read a COA and why a high purity percentage is not the same as confirming the amount in the vial.
READ THIS PAGE IN THREE STEPS
Understand the study before the number
A dose only makes sense alongside the population, route, frequency and duration. Start with where the number came from, then look at how it was delivered and how long the study actually ran.
1Source
Was it an authorised label, a human trial or a community-described pattern?
2Route & frequency
How was it given, and how often? The same number by a different route may not mean the same exposure.
3Duration
Was this one dose, a short trial or long-term treatment? A study window is not automatically a recommended cycle.
ROUTES EXPLAINED
Plain-English guideWhat do the injection types mean?
Route means how a compound was delivered. It affects absorption and can completely change how a study should be interpreted.
SubQ / SCSubcutaneous
An injection into the fatty layer just under the skin.
Common in peptide and metabolic-drug studies. It usually aims for systemic absorption rather than treating only the spot injected.IMIntramuscular
An injection into muscle tissue.
Muscle can absorb a medicine differently from fat. An IM amount should not be assumed to be equivalent to a SubQ amount.IVIntravenous
Delivered directly into a vein.
This gives immediate bloodstream exposure and is commonly used in supervised research or clinical settings. It is not interchangeable with a home injection route.INIntranasal
Delivered through the nose rather than by injection.
The amount delivered depends on formulation and device. A spray count alone does not tell you the dose unless concentration and spray volume are known.Other routes you may see:Oral = swallowed.Topical = applied to skin or another surface.Implant = a formulation placed under the skin by a trained professional.
CALENDAR SETUP
EGRIFTA WR · current US labelled amount
US product information · formulation-specificThe US EGRIFTA WR label specifies 1.28 mg daily for excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. WR and SV formulations are not substitutable. This amount does not apply to generic research vials or general weight loss.
Form and route: EGRIFTA WR · subcutaneous injection
| Calendar stage | Amount each time |
|---|---|
| Weeks 1–12 | 1.28 mg |
Frequency: Every day · 1 entry per scheduled day.
Twelve weeks is only an editable calendar window. The label does not prescribe a twelve-week course; treatment duration is determined through clinical review.
PLAIN-ENGLISH GLOSSARYWhat do the dose terms mean?Open glossary +
mgmilligram
One thousand micrograms (mcg).
mcg / μgmicrogram
One thousandth of a milligram.
mcg/kgweight-based dose
The amount is calculated for each kilogram of body weight.
IUinternational unit
A measure of biological activity used for some medicines; it cannot be converted to mg without compound-specific information.
Routehow it was given
For example SubQ, IM, IV, intranasal, oral or topical.
Frequencyhow often
For example once daily, twice weekly or every seven days.
Titrationplanned step-up or step-down
A protocol changes the amount over time rather than using one fixed amount throughout.
Half-lifehow quickly levels fall
The time taken for the amount of a compound in the body to reduce by roughly half. It can influence study timing but does not by itself define a schedule.
Cyclea defined period of use
Usually means an on-period followed by a stop or review. Many community 'cycles' have not been clinically validated.
Maintenancea continuing phase
A longer-term amount or interval used after an initial phase when a study or authorised treatment actually defines one.
Reconstitutionturning powder into solution
Adding a specified liquid to a freeze-dried vial so a concentration can be calculated.
U-100 unitssyringe volume markings
100 units equals 1 mL on a U-100 insulin syringe. The markings show volume, not peptide mass.
Often combined with
OFTEN COMBINED WITH
Community rationale · component roles · evidence boundaryWhy people explore pairings with Tesamorelin
See the thinking behind community-named stacks, the different role each component is proposed to play, and how much of that idea has actually been tested as a combination.
Potential first, evidence in context. Pairings are usually explored because their research stories appear complementary. That makes them interesting to study, but does not yet prove extra benefit or safety.
CURRENT COMPOUNDTesamorelin
→
OFTEN EXPLORED WITHTesamorelin + resistance training
Tesamorelin + Resistance training
→
OFTEN EXPLORED WITHTesamorelin + nutrition-led metabolic care
Tesamorelin + Dietary and cardiometabolic care
→
OFTEN EXPLORED WITHTesamorelin + GLP-1-based therapy
Tesamorelin + GLP-1 receptor agonist
Combination-specific human research is the strongest evidence for what a pairing adds. Evidence for either ingredient alone should not be silently transferred to the combination.
TTESAMORELIN'S ESTABLISHED ROLESelective visceral-fat reduction in a defined HIV population
＋Its strongest evidence is an approved clinical use—not general appetite suppression, total weight loss or athletic enhancement.
PTHE PAIRED APPROACH MAY TARGETTraining, nutrition or a broader metabolic goal
That may make clinical sense in an individual care plan, but it does not create combination evidence or expand tesamorelin's licence.
＋
OFTEN EXPLORED WITH
Explore →＋Tesamorelin + resistance training
Tesamorelin + Resistance trainingWHY IT IS EXPLOREDDiscussed around visceral-fat reduction, function and lean-tissue goals.
Exercise benefits are established; no controlled trial has shown that tesamorelin adds athletic or muscle-building benefit.OFTEN EXPLORED WITH
Explore →＋Tesamorelin + nutrition-led metabolic care
Tesamorelin + Dietary and cardiometabolic careWHY IT IS EXPLOREDA structured care plan can address broader metabolic risk while tesamorelin's licensed role remains focused on excess abdominal fat in HIV lipodystrophy.
Clinically coherent in the approved population, but outcomes depend on the complete care plan rather than the peptide alone.OFTEN EXPLORED WITH
Explore →Tesamorelin + GLP-1-based therapy
Tesamorelin + GLP-1 receptor agonistWHY IT IS EXPLOREDExplored where visceral adiposity and broader obesity or glucose goals overlap.
Specialist-only discussion: combination-specific efficacy and safety have not been established, and glucose monitoring matters.01Keep the target clear
Visceral fat, total weight, liver fat and muscle performance are different outcomes.
02Keep each evidence base separate
Benefits of exercise or a GLP-1 medicine do not prove that adding tesamorelin improves them.
03Account for shared monitoring
IGF-1, glucose, fluid retention and treatment interactions make clinician oversight especially important.
Safety context
SAFETY & UNCERTAINTY
Licensed does not mean suitable for every goal
01WHAT IS WELL DEFINEDTrials and a current product label provide real safety data
Tesamorelin has controlled human exposure data, common adverse reactions, contraindications and explicit monitoring requirements.
02WHAT NEEDS MONITORINGIGF-1, glucose, fluid retention and treatment response
The label calls for glucose evaluation before and during treatment, IGF-1 monitoring and reassessment where benefit is not clear.
03KEY CONTRAINDICATIONSActive malignancy, pregnancy and pituitary-axis disruption
Hypersensitivity is also a contraindication. A prior malignancy requires a careful benefit-risk assessment under the label.
What the current evidence saysTesamorelin can raise IGF-1 and glucose. Current US labelling also addresses active malignancy, pregnancy, hypothalamic-pituitary disruption, fluid retention, hypersensitivity and injection-site reactions. Clinical screening and monitoring are part of the treatment, not optional extras.
01 · OBSERVEDPublished safety findings
The summary above reflects the human or preclinical evidence currently represented on this profile.
02 · UNCERTAINGaps still matter
Limited follow-up, small studies or absent controlled trials can leave uncommon and longer-term risks unresolved.
03 · CONTEXTProduct and regulatory status
Route, product identity, quality and regulatory status can materially change the safety context; see the linked status sources below.
Injection-site reactions, arthralgia, myalgia, limb pain and peripheral oedema appear in the label.
Baseline and periodic glucose assessment matters, especially when broader metabolic therapies are also being considered.
The current label explicitly notes this limitation and recommends weighing continuation when visceral fat is not reduced.
Sources & current status
READ FURTHER
Sources & current status
Follow the professional sources used across this profile, then see how the compound is currently described in regulatory and research terms.
KEY RESEARCH RECORD
14 sourcesSources used on this profile
Original publicationMetabolic effects of a growth hormone-releasing factor in patients with HIVJournal / DOI ↗Bibliographic recordMetabolic effects of a growth hormone-releasing factor in patients with HIVPubMed ↗Trial registryMetabolic effects of a growth hormone-releasing factor in patients with HIVClinicalTrials.gov ↗Original publicationEffects of tesamorelin in adults with HIV and excess abdominal fatJournal / DOI ↗Bibliographic recordEffects of tesamorelin in adults with HIV and excess abdominal fatPubMed ↗Original publicationEffect of tesamorelin on visceral fat and liver fat in HIVJournal / DOI ↗Bibliographic recordEffect of tesamorelin on visceral fat and liver fat in HIVPubMed ↗Original researchEffects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIVFree full paper ↗Original publicationEffects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIVJournal / DOI ↗Bibliographic recordEffects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIVPubMed ↗Trial registryEffects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIVClinicalTrials.gov ↗Published dosing contextCurrent US EGRIFTA WR labelFDA prescribing information · revised March 2025 ↗Official regulatory recordSafety and uncertaintyFDA Drugs@FDA · application 022505 ↗Professional sourceUnited KingdomMHRA products database ↗
CURRENT STATUS
How to interpret its position today
FDA-approved for a specific indication
Approved to reduce excess abdominal fat in HIV-infected adult patients with lipodystrophy; not indicated for general weight-loss management.
FDA Drugs@FDA · EGRIFTA ↗Check current UK product status
The US approval should not be assumed to create a UK marketing authorisation or a general weight-management indication.
MHRA products database ↗Profile reviewed against its linked source record on 20 September 2026. See how evidence is assessed.