Tesamorelin

Growth hormone axis FDA-approved drug

Growth hormone releasing hormone analog · also known as Egrifta

For reference only — not medical advice. Figures are commonly reported values compiled from published sources and may be wrong or out of date. Many compounds listed are not approved for human use. Talk to a licensed clinician before using any compound.

Tesamorelin is a stabilized GHRH analog studied for its effect on growth-hormone release, with particular research attention to visceral fat. Its US-approved products (Egrifta SV and Egrifta WR) are labeled for reducing excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV and lipodystrophy.

Commonly reported dosing (10 mg vial)

Reconstituted with 3 mL → 3.333 mg/mL.

Also sold in 5 mg, 20 mg vials.

Phase	Dose	Volume	U-100 units
Standard Dose used in the 26-week phase 3 trials	2 mg	0.6 mL	60

Frequency: Once daily, subcutaneous · Half-life: ~30-40 minutes

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Commonly reported reconstitution steps

Vials are usually brought to room temperature (about 15-20 minutes) first.
3 mL of bacteriostatic water is added slowly down the inside wall of the 10 mg vial.
The vial is swirled gently until clear, not shaken.
This gives 3.33 mg/mL. Mixed vials are typically labeled with the date and refrigerated.

Storage

Before mixing: Branded Egrifta SV and WR vials are labeled for room temperature (20-25 °C) in the original box, protected from light. Compounded or research vials differ and are commonly stored refrigerated (2-8 °C).

After mixing: Branded Egrifta is used right after mixing and any remainder is discarded, not stored. Reconstituted research vials are commonly kept refrigerated, protected from light, and not frozen.

Commonly used within 28 days of mixing.

How it works

As a GHRH analog, tesamorelin stimulates the pituitary to release growth hormone, which in turn raises IGF-1 and is associated with reductions in visceral adipose tissue in studies.

Researched for

In a 26-week phase 3 trial in adults with HIV and abdominal fat accumulation, visceral adipose tissue fell 15.2% with 2 mg daily versus a 5.0% rise with placebo.
IGF-1 rose by about 81% with tesamorelin in the same trial.
Studied for other GH-axis effects, such as liver fat, in smaller trials.

Notes

IGF-1 is sometimes monitored in research contexts.
Branded Egrifta products are dosed differently from the research schedule above: Egrifta SV is 1.4 mg daily from a 2 mg vial, and Egrifta WR is 1.28 mg daily from an 11.6 mg vial; the two are not interchangeable.
Reconstitution volumes of 2.5 mL (5 mg vials) and 3 mL (10 and 20 mg vials) are commonly reported for research vials.
Approved products come with their own labeled preparation instructions; the reconstitution figures here apply to research vials.