Tesamorelin

Tesamorelin is a prescription drug. It is a lab-made copy of a natural hormone that tells the body to release growth hormone ^[2]. Growth hormone then raises IGF-1, a growth signal in the blood ^[2]. FDA first approved it in November 2010, under the brand name Egrifta ^[1].

It is a daily shot under the skin of the belly ^{[2] [3]}. It is approved for adults with HIV who have lipodystrophy. That is a shift in body fat that some HIV medicines can cause, with extra fat deep in the belly ^{[2] [17]}. The label says it is not for weight loss, because it does not change body weight ^[2].

Today it comes in two forms, Egrifta WR and Egrifta SV ^{[2] [3]}. FDA approved the WR form in March 2025 ^{[4] [19]}.

Tesamorelin is FDA-approved: FDA approved it as Egrifta in November 2010 to reduce extra belly fat in adults with HIV who have lipodystrophy ^{[1] [2]}. That covers Egrifta WR and Egrifta SV, with a prescription, for that one use. It does not cover weight loss, and it does not make tesamorelin sold for research legal ^{[2] [7]}. Checked 24 October 2026.

There is a gap between the approved use and what sellers offer it for. The label names one use, belly fat in adults with HIV ^[2]. In July 2026, FDA reviewed five seller websites ^{[7] [8] [9] [10] [23]}. They described it for body shape, fat loss, muscle, tissue repair, memory and liver health ^{[7] [8] [9] [10] [23]}. FDA called every one of those products an unapproved new drug ^{[7] [8] [9] [10] [23]}.

Since March 2020, the law has treated tesamorelin as a biologic, a type of protein drug ^{[1] [5]}. FDA says the federal compounding rules do not cover biologics ^[6]. So pharmacies may not make their own copies of it ^{[6] [11]}. Tesamorelin is not on FDA's Category 1 or Category 2 lists of raw ingredients for compounding ^{[21] [22]}.

The evidence grade is moderate-human: several trials in people agree that it shrinks deep belly fat in adults with HIV ^{[13] [14] [17] [18]}. All of the trials were in adults with HIV. Most lasted 6 to 12 months.

In a 26-week trial of 412 adults with HIV and extra belly fat, deep belly fat fell by 15.2% on it. On a dummy shot, it rose by 5.0% ^[13]. Blood fats also improved ^[13]. In a second trial of 404 adults with HIV, deep belly fat fell by 10.9% on it over 6 months. On a dummy shot, it fell by 0.6% ^[14]. People who kept taking it for a year kept about 18% less deep belly fat. Those who switched to a dummy shot lost the gain quickly ^[14].

Two smaller trials in adults with HIV found it also lowered liver fat. One had 50 people and one had 61 ^{[15] [16]}. A 2026 review of four trials with 909 people found less deep belly fat and a smaller waist ^[17]. It also found more people stopped taking it, though that result was not certain ^[17]. A second 2026 review of five trials found similar results ^[18].

The trials tested the approved drug in adults with HIV. They tell us nothing about tesamorelin sold for research, which FDA has not approved ^[7].

The legal way to get tesamorelin is a prescription for Egrifta WR or Egrifta SV ^{[1] [2] [3]}. The label is for adults with HIV who have extra belly fat from lipodystrophy ^[2].

The two forms are not swapped for one another. They use different doses and are mixed in different ways ^[2]. The maker said Egrifta WR will replace Egrifta SV ^{[19] [20]}.

Because the law treats it as a biologic, pharmacies may not make their own copies ^{[5] [6] [11]}.

Outside a prescription, tesamorelin reaches people through online sellers that label it for research use ^{[7] [12]}. On 24 August 2026, FDA sent warning letters to five such sellers ^{[7] [8] [9] [10] [23]}. Each letter names tesamorelin ^{[7] [8] [9] [10] [23]}. Two sellers also offered a mix of tesamorelin and another peptide ^{[7] [9]}.

The sellers' labels said the products were for research only, or not for people ^{[7] [8] [9] [10] [23]}. FDA said their websites showed the products were meant for people anyway ^{[7] [8] [9] [10] [23]}. It called them unapproved new drugs, and sending them across state lines breaks federal law ^[7]. FDA warns that injected products skip some of the body's defenses against germs and toxins ^[7]. It is unclear where and how these products are made ^[11].

No FDA page we found names tesamorelin at a clinic, an online prescriber, or as a fake or imported product. So this page does not describe those channels.