What it is
Tesamorelin is a peptide made of 44 amino acids. It is made in a lab. It copies the full natural GHRH, the signal the brain sends to the pituitary gland to release growth hormone. A small chemical group called trans-3-hexenoic acid is attached to the front end. That group protects it from DPP-4, the enzyme that breaks natural GHRH down within minutes. The FDA approved it in 2010 under the brand name Egrifta. It is approved to reduce visceral fat in people with HIV who have a condition called lipodystrophy. Visceral fat is the fat deep in the belly around the organs. Other names: Egrifta, Egrifta SV, TH9507.
What researchers study it for
- Visceral fat in people with HIV
- Liver fat
- Growth hormone and IGF-1 levels
- Long-term safety of daily use
What the studies found
1. Visceral fat dropped 15 percent in 26 weeks.
A 2007 trial gave 412 people with HIV and excess belly fat tesamorelin or a placebo every day for 26 weeks. Fat was measured with CT scans. Visceral fat dropped 15.2 percent in the tesamorelin group and rose 5.0 percent in the placebo group. Growth hormone and IGF-1 levels went up. Human data.
2. Two trials combined confirmed the result in 806 people.
This analysis pooled two 26-week trials with 806 people with HIV and excess belly fat. Visceral fat dropped 15.4 percent more with tesamorelin than with placebo. Fat just under the skin of the belly stayed mostly the same. Human data.
3. The fat loss held at one year, then came back when treatment stopped.
After the first 26 weeks, people were switched at random to keep taking tesamorelin or move to a placebo for another 26 weeks. The group that kept going held their visceral fat loss through 52 weeks. The group switched to placebo slowly gained it back. No major new safety problems showed up over the year. Human data.
4. Liver fat went down.
A 2014 trial gave 50 people with HIV tesamorelin or a placebo for 6 months. Liver fat was measured with a special MRI scan. Liver fat dropped in the tesamorelin group and rose slightly in the placebo group. Blood sugar rose for a short time at 2 weeks, but it was not different from placebo at 6 months. Human data.
How much research exists
Several large human trials, which led to FDA approval. Most of the data comes from people with HIV. Fewer studies have been done in people without HIV.
Facts
- Formula: C221H366N72O67S
- Weight: 5135.9 g/mol
- CAS number: 218949-48-5
- Sequence: trans-3-hexenoyl-Tyr-Ala-Asp-Ala-Ile-Phe-Thr-Asn-Ser-Tyr-Arg-Lys-Val-Leu-Gly-Gln-Leu-Ser-Ala-Arg-Lys-Leu-Leu-Gln-Asp-Ile-Met-Ser-Arg-Gln-Gln-Gly-Glu-Ser-Asn-Gln-Glu-Arg-Gly-Ala-Arg-Ala-Arg-Leu-NH2
- Time in the blood: 26 to 38 minutes
- Storage: keep the dry powder in the fridge. Keep mixed solution in the fridge.
Legal status
Approved by the FDA in 2010 as Egrifta, now sold as Egrifta SV, for visceral fat in people with HIV lipodystrophy. Research-grade tesamorelin is not the approved product and is not approved for human use. Banned in sports by WADA under section S2.
For research use only. Not for human use. Nothing here is medical advice.