As of September 2026, tesamorelin is an approved medicine in the US for one use: reducing excess belly fat in people with HIV and lipodystrophy. The FDA has not approved it for general weight loss, muscle building or anti-aging. The approval covers Egrifta, the maker's product. It is sometimes sold in the unregulated research-peptide market too, and you cannot see what is inside a vial from there.
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What is tesamorelin?
Tesamorelin is a lab-made, more stable version of GHRH, the hormone that triggers growth hormone release. Theratechnologies developed it. The FDA approved it in 2010 as Egrifta for people with HIV and lipodystrophy, a shift in where the body stores fat, linked to HIV medicines.
Does tesamorelin work?
For its approved use, the FDA reviewed the trials and approved it. That use is narrow: reducing excess belly fat in people with HIV and lipodystrophy.
What we found. 4+ completed randomized trials counted on the record. 2 rows listed below, and one of them is a review, so the number shows with a plus sign until every trial is listed.
| Study | Tested in | Status | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 3 trials behind the Egrifta approval | People | Completed, reviewed by the FDA | A significant drop in belly fat against placebo, in people with HIV and lipodystrophy. They supported the approval |
| Published review of tesamorelin in HIV-related lipodystrophy | People | Published. A review | It reported that the drop in belly fat lasted while treatment continued |
Is tesamorelin safe?
Known concerns include fluid retention, joint pain and a higher risk of raised blood sugar. The record also cites a warning against use in people with active cancer. It gives the reason as a theory: stimulating the growth hormone system could promote tumor growth. Long-term safety data outside people with HIV and lipodystrophy are close to absent. All of this describes Egrifta, the approved product. A vial from another source is taken up below.
Is tesamorelin legal?
- United States
- Approved by the FDA in 2010 as Egrifta, to reduce excess belly fat in people with HIV and lipodystrophy. The record also lists the brand names Egrifta SV and Egrifta WR.
- European Union
- No EU marketing authorisation found.
- Sport
- Banned in sport at all times. WADA's 2026 Prohibited List names tesamorelin in class S2, among the analogues of growth hormone-releasing hormone.
- Other uses
- Not approved for general weight loss, muscle building, athletic performance or anti-aging.
Not medical advice. Approval and sport status as of . Medical disclaimer
What is in a vial sold as tesamorelin?
Egrifta is the maker's approved product, and the trials above stand behind it. The record says tesamorelin is also sometimes sold informally in the unregulated research-peptide market, for uses the FDA has not approved. It lists no test of a vial from that market. A "research use only" label guarantees nothing about purity. A certificate of analysis counts only if it names your lot number, a lab with no stake in the result, and the method used. Purity and identity are separate tests.
Three questions to ask the seller:
- Which lot number is this certificate for?
- Who ran the test, and are they independent of you?
- Does the report confirm identity by mass spectrometry, or purity alone?
What don't we know?
- What long-term use does in people without HIV. Safety data for that group are close to absent.
- Whether it helps with general weight loss, muscle building or anti-aging. The FDA has approved none of those uses.
- Whether stimulating growth hormone promotes tumor growth in people. The record calls that link a theory.
- What is in any vial that did not come from the maker.
The other side
The approved product comes with a prescription and a doctor's care, and randomized, placebo-controlled trials stand behind its one approved use. The open questions on this page are use outside that group and a vial from another source.
What would change this record?
- New FDA-reviewed trials in a different group of people, with a formal expansion of the label.
Change log
- Sport status corrected from "Not named" to "Banned". WADA's 2026 Prohibited List names tesamorelin in class S2.
- Record checked. No change logged yet.
Three questions to ask next
- What does 'research use only' actually mean?
- How can you tell if a peptide vendor is legitimate?
- How do you read a certificate of analysis?
Ask better questions.
More questions about tesamorelin
What is tesamorelin approved for?
- One use in the US: reducing excess belly fat in people with HIV and lipodystrophy. The FDA approved it in 2010 as Egrifta.
Is tesamorelin approved for weight loss?
- No. The record says it is not approved for general weight loss, muscle building, athletic performance or anti-aging.
Is tesamorelin the same as Egrifta?
- Egrifta is the brand name for tesamorelin. The record also lists the names Egrifta SV, Egrifta WR and TH9507.
Is tesamorelin approved in Europe?
- Not that this record found. It identified no EMA marketing authorisation.
Is tesamorelin banned in sport?
- Yes. WADA's 2026 Prohibited List names tesamorelin in class S2, with the other analogues of growth hormone-releasing hormone. It is banned at all times.
Record checked on . Each source shows the date it was checked.
In the same group
- CJC-1295Grade C1 completed randomized trial
- GHRP-2 (pralmorelin)Grade C1 completed randomized trial
- GHRP-6Grade C4+ completed randomized trials
- HexarelinGrade C3+ completed randomized trials
- Ibutamoren (MK-677)Grade B3 completed randomized trials
- IpamorelinGrade C2 completed randomized trials