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PEPTIDESUNCENSORED

Tesamorelin

/tess-ah-MOR-eh-lin/aka Egrifta, Egrifta SV, Egrifta WR

Stabilized GHRH analog that amplifies your own GH pulses. FDA-approved for abdominal fat in HIV lipodystrophy.

SubcutaneousDaily
Open in cycle visualizer

Tesamorelin: educational research discussion. Not medical advice. Not a protocol for you.Details

Reported range
1.28–2 mg (by formulation)
Frequency
Once daily
Cycle length
Continuous; trials ran 26–52 weeks
Half-life
≈ 30 min
Route
SC

Reported figures describe what is published or discussed. None of them is a dose for you.

Mechanism

What it is proposed to do

Tesamorelin binds pituitary GHRH receptors and increases the body's own pulsatile growth hormone release, which raises IGF-1. Because the pituitary still shapes the pulse, feedback loops stay partly intact, unlike injecting GH itself. The best-documented downstream effect is less visceral (deep abdominal) fat.

  1. 01

    Tesamorelin

    Daily SC injection

    established
  2. 02

    Pituitary GHRH receptor

    Same receptor as your own GHRH

    established
  3. 03

    GH pulses ↑ · IGF-1 ↑

    Endogenous, pulsatile release

    established
  4. 04

    Visceral fat ↓

    Shown in HIV lipodystrophy RCTs

    established
EstablishedProposed from animal or cell data

Half-life. Short, roughly half an hour in plasma per label data. The GH pulse it triggers is the point, not sustained drug levels.

Dosing & cycles

What is reported, and where it comes from

Numbers below are labeled FDA label, clinical trial range or commonly reported range. They describe the published and discussed landscape. They are not instructions and not a protocol for you.

Dosing studio

Every figure is labeled by where it comes from.

This is not your dose

Scale view: Egrifta WR label dose

0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5

Probe at 1.28 mg: at the listed figure Drag it to read the scale. It does not pick a number for you.

Typical cycle, as a calendar

Label pattern: daily, continuous

26+ weeks

One injection a day, continuously. Pivotal trials measured visceral fat at 26 weeks, with an extension to 52.

OffLow / startMid / loadingHigh / maintenance

Cycle patterns

Label pattern: daily, continuous

26+ weeks

One injection a day, continuously. Pivotal trials measured visceral fat at 26 weeks, with an extension to 52.

Daily
Week 1Week 26

Community pattern: 5 on / 2 off

8–12 week blocks

An off-label habit borrowed from GH-secretagogue culture. Weekend breaks are not based on tesamorelin data.

5 on / 2 off
Break
Week 1Week 16

Stacks

What it gets combined with

Why people pair things, and what nobody has tested.

Tesamorelin + ipamorelin

2 compounds
TesamorelinIpamorelin
Why people combine these
A GHRH analog plus a ghrelin-receptor agonist: two different triggers for the same GH pulse, borrowed from CJC/ipamorelin culture.
Caution
No trial has tested the pair. Stacking GH triggers stacks glucose and fluid-retention concerns too.
What is unknown
No published human data on this combination: dosing, interactions and long-term effects are all unstudied.

GH-axis + GLP

2 compounds
TesamorelinSemaglutide
Why people combine these
Pitched as "lose fat, keep muscle".
Caution
Two drugs that both move glucose handling, combined for a use neither was studied for.
What is unknown
No published human data on this combination: dosing, interactions and long-term effects are all unstudied.

Also sold in pre-mixed blends

What a blend changes

In a blend, Tesamorelin cannot be adjusted on its own, and the mixture has no human data of its own. Typical vial formats shown; labels vary.

Evidence

How much of this is known

Evidence grade

A

Strong human evidence

Multiple adequate human RCTs and/or FDA approval for a defined indication.

How we grade

Grade A for its approved indication. The popular off-label use (general fat loss, physique, anti-ageing) has no comparable trials.

Human trial status

Two Phase 3 RCTs in HIV lipodystrophy showed roughly a 15% drop in visceral fat at 26 weeks versus placebo, and the fat reaccumulated after stopping. A 2019 RCT in HIV-associated fatty liver found lower liver fat. There are no comparable RCTs for general physique or anti-ageing use.

Limitations

  • The approved population is narrow: adults with HIV and lipodystrophy.
  • Visceral fat returned after treatment stopped.
  • Physique claims are extrapolated from a different population.

Sources to read

Links open PubMed, DailyMed, FDA or trial-registry searches. We do not cite what we have not described accurately.

Safety

Side effects, cautions, status

Commonly reported effects

  • Label-listed: joint pain, injection-site redness and itching, swelling in the arms or legs, muscle pain, tingling or numbness.
  • Can worsen glucose tolerance. The label reports a higher risk of developing diabetes than placebo.
  • Raises IGF-1; labels advise monitoring it.
  • Hypersensitivity reactions are listed on the label.
Injection-site reactionsWater retentionBlood glucose changesNumbness / tingling

Who should be extra cautious

  • Active malignancy. Contraindicated on the label.
  • Pregnancy. Contraindicated on the label.
  • Disrupted hypothalamic–pituitary axis. Contraindicated, e.g. after pituitary surgery or irradiation.
  • Diabetes or prediabetes. Glucose tolerance can worsen; the label advises monitoring.
  • Tested athletes. Prohibited (WADA S2.2.4).

Legal & regulatory status

FDA-approved since 2010 to reduce excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV and lipodystrophy. Current products are Egrifta SV and Egrifta WR. Any other use is off-label.

WADA. Prohibited at all times as a GHRH analogue (S2.2.4). Named on the list.

Storage & handling, high level

Supplied as powder with diluent. Mixing and storage instructions differ by formulation; a mixed WR vial is used over 7 days. Follow the label, not a forum.

Reconstitution and injection technique are clinical skills. The reconstitution calculator does arithmetic only.

FAQ

Questions people ask about Tesamorelin

Is tesamorelin just expensive CJC-1295?
No. Both act on the GHRH receptor, but tesamorelin is an approved drug with randomized trials and a regulated supply chain. CJC-1295 has a few small human pharmacokinetic studies and no approval.
Why do label doses differ (1.28, 1.4, 2 mg)?
They are different formulations with different concentrations and delivery. Doses are not interchangeable between them.
Does it build muscle?
Trials focused on visceral fat. Lean-mass changes were modest. It is not an anabolic in the steroid sense.
Does the fat come back after stopping?
In the pivotal trial, yes: visceral fat reaccumulated after treatment ended.

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