Peptide Field Book

Reading settings

Choose a comfortable text size and appearance. Your choices are saved on this device.

Tesamorelin

Shrinks belly fat; approved in HIV

Egrifta

Match every finding to its exact substance, formulation, route and study population. A related molecule or approved medicine does not validate a catalog vial.

Human / product-specific records · Mechanistic / indirect records
Explore the evidenceWhy people take it
Compare this compoundRead original sources Community reports
Schematic illustration · View structure evidence

Simplified drawing of a chain of 44 amino acids

At a glance

Why people take it. And what backs it up.

  1. Lose deep belly fat

    Approved for HIV-related belly fat

    Approved as Egrifta to shrink deep belly fat, by about 15% in trials, in adults with HIV-related fat build-up; many others use it off-label.

    Sources (4)

  2. Get leaner, recover faster

    Small trial: less fat; recovery untested

    Gym-goers pair nightly shots with ipamorelin for a leaner body and faster recovery; in older adults, 20 weeks cut their body-fat percentage 7.4%.

    Sources (4)

  3. Lift growth hormone with age

    Raises growth hormone; anti-aging unproven

    Anti-aging clinics prescribe it to restore growth hormone that falls with age; in older adults, it more than doubled a key growth-hormone marker.

    Sources (4)

Evidence briefing

Sources checked

What the sources support.

Tesamorelin is FDA-approved as Egrifta SV to reduce excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Its label says it is not indicated for weight-loss management; a seller 10 mg vial is not the approved product.

Keep in mind

The approved indication is narrow and does not establish benefit for general weight loss.

Identity and research status reviewRead the original sources

The research. What’s been studied.

TapClick a dotted word to see what it means.

  • Human evidence

    Less deep belly fat

    Cut visceral fat (the fat around the organs) by about 15–18% over 26 weeks in trials.

  • Early human studies

    Less liver fat

    Reduced liver fat in a trial of people with HIV and fatty liver disease.

  • Human evidence

    Raises your own growth hormone

    Makes the pituitary release more of your own GH in natural pulses, raising .

  • Human evidence

    Keeps natural limits

    Because it works through your own pituitary, the body’s feedback controls stay in place.

What do these labels mean?
  • Human evidence: approved-drug data or larger human studies, within the populations and uses studied.
  • Early human studies: small, preliminary or limited human studies.
  • Animal & lab studies: animal or laboratory findings that do not establish effects in people.
  • Unverified: a proposed use or claim without verified supporting clinical evidence.
How each claim was reviewed (4)

Reported effects and evidence.

A citation may support, qualify or correct a claim. Read the study scope; a laboratory result is not an established benefit in people. Each review covers a claim as it was first collected; the tiles above show the collection’s current wording.

  1. Approved indication; human RCT

    Review of “Less deep belly fat”

    Tesamorelin reduced visceral abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy in 26-week trials.

    Limitations and applicability. Crucial population omitted in benefit: adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Not an approval for general weight loss.

    Original collected claim and review history

    Original title: Less deep belly fat

    Cut visceral fat (the fat around the organs) by about 15–18% over 26 weeks in trials.

    Original headline statistic: About 15–18%

    Original label: proven. Preserved for traceability; the reviewed wording above qualifies this record.

    Record tesamorelin:benefit:1 · Annotated 2026-10-01 · Review method

  2. Human randomized placebo-controlled trial

    Review of “Less liver fat”

    A randomized trial in people with HIV and NAFLD found reduced MRI-measured liver fat compared with placebo.

    Limitations and applicability. Small 12-month HIV/NAFLD trial; liver-fat reduction is not a general liver-disease indication.

    Original collected claim and review history

    Original title: Less liver fat

    Reduced liver fat in a trial of people with HIV and fatty liver disease.

    Original label: early. Preserved for traceability; the reviewed wording above qualifies this record.

    Record tesamorelin:benefit:2 · Annotated 2026-10-01 · Review method

  3. Approved-product pharmacology

    Review of “Raises your own growth hormone”

    Tesamorelin stimulates pituitary GH secretion and increases circulating IGF-1.

    Limitations and applicability. GH/IGF-1 increases are pharmacodynamic effects, not necessarily beneficial outcomes in their own right.

    Original collected claim and review history

    Original title: Raises your own growth hormone

    Makes the pituitary release more of your own GH in natural pulses, raising IGF-1.

    Original label: proven. Preserved for traceability; the reviewed wording above qualifies this record.

    Record tesamorelin:benefit:3 · Annotated 2026-10-01 · Review method

  4. Mechanistic claim implying unsupported safety

    Review of “Keeps natural limits”

    Pituitary feedback remains part of its mechanism, but it does not guarantee safe hormone levels or eliminate adverse effects.

    Limitations and applicability. Feedback does not prevent clinically important IGF-1 elevation, glucose intolerance or other label risks.

    Original collected claim and review history

    Original title: Keeps natural limits

    Because it works through your own pituitary, the body’s feedback controls stay in place.

    Original label: proven. Preserved for traceability; the reviewed wording above qualifies this record.

    Record tesamorelin:benefit:4 · Annotated 2026-10-01 · Review method

The research in detail

Evidence category

FDA-approved (US)

In trials of people with HIV-related fat buildup, it cut visceral fat by about 15–18% over 26 weeks and reduced liver fat. The fat returned after stopping.

Evidence is assessed claim by claim above. Regulatory approval, study design, findings and relevance are separate questions; there is no single evidence score.

Risks and unknowns. What to know first.

Collected cautions follow. These are not an exhaustive or independently validated safety assessment; claim references do not automatically support every caution.

  • Joint pain, swelling from fluid retention, injection-site reactions and higher blood sugar.
  • Not used in people with active cancer, since growth hormone and IGF-1 can promote growth.

What people report

Show all 9 cautionsShow fewer cautions

Read this first: what “research use only” means

Published dosing records. What the approved label says.

Historical label and trial records for the named product, route, population and indication. These records are not a personal schedule or a validated regimen for a catalog vial. Source attribution does not establish applicability.

Reducing excess belly fat in adults with HIV who have lipodystrophy

Egrifta SV

Long-termApproved label

Source: Egrifta SV prescribing information (FDA, revised 02/2024)

Every day
1.4 mg
How
Injection under the skin of the belly
How often
Once a day
How long
Ongoing (no set length)
  • Each 2 mg vial is mixed with 0.5 mL of the supplied sterile water. 0.35 mL (1.4 mg) is injected right away and the rest is thrown out.
  • The Egrifta WR label says Egrifta WR and Egrifta SV use different doses and cannot be swapped. The Egrifta SV label says 1.4 mg of Egrifta SV gives blood levels similar to 2 mg of the original Egrifta.
  • The label says to weigh the benefit of continuing if belly fat has not gone down, and to consider stopping if IGF-1 (a growth-factor blood test) stays high.
  • It is not a weight-loss drug; the label says its effect on weight is neutral.

Reducing excess belly fat in adults with HIV who have lipodystrophy

Egrifta WR

Long-termApproved label

Source: Egrifta WR prescribing information (FDA, revised 03/2025)

Every day
1.28 mg
How
Injection under the skin of the belly
How often
Once a day
How long
Ongoing (no set length)
  • One mixed 11.6 mg vial gives daily doses for 7 days. Each dose is 0.16 mL, and leftover solution is thrown out 7 days after mixing.
  • Egrifta WR and Egrifta SV use different doses and cannot be swapped.
  • The label says to weigh the benefit of continuing if belly fat has not gone down, and to consider stopping if IGF-1 (a growth-factor blood test) stays high.

These are the label’s doses for the approved medicine, started and adjusted by a prescriber. A research vial is not that medicine: no regulator has checked what’s in it, or how much.

Community protocols. Reported online. Not clinically validated.

Community reports Collection date: 30 Sep 2026

Off-label and grey-market users most often inject 1–2 mg once a day, usually at bedtime, often 5 days on and 2 days off, in cycles of about 10–12 weeks.

More about this

Many combine it with ipamorelin. Clinics tend to use 1 mg, while forum users often push to 2 mg a day and some drop to 0.25–0.5 mg because of side effects.

Not testedFrequently encountered in reviewed sources

Daily fat-loss / body-composition cycle

Collected report · exact form and route are only as reported below. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01.

Frequency labels describe this collection, not a measured population. Contradictory records remain available.

Details and sourcesHide details
Dose
1–2 mg (some start at 0.5 mg)
How often
Once a day, often 5 days on and 2 days off
Route
Injection under the skin
Timing
Usually at bedtime on an empty stomach; some inject in the morning before eating
How long
About 10–12 weeks per cycle; some run it for months
Cycle
Usually a break after 10–12 weeks (one clinic: up to 3 months on, then 2 months off), but some users say it need not be cycled and run it for years
Ramp
Some start at 0.5 mg for 2–3 weeks, then 1 mg; some move on to 2 mg
Mixing
10 mg vial + 1 mL bacteriostatic water (10 units = 1 mg) is common; one clinic uses 2.5 mL (25 units = 1 mg)
  • Users often check IGF-1 blood levels and lower the dose if it runs high.
  • Frequently stacked with retatrutide or other GLP-1 drugs.
Sources (4)

Not testedCommon

Tesamorelin + ipamorelin blend

Collected report · exact form and route are only as reported below. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01.

Frequency labels describe this collection, not a measured population. Contradictory records remain available.

Details and sourcesHide details
Dose
Tesamorelin 0.6–1.5 mg with ipamorelin 0.2–0.75 mg per shot
How often
Once a day, often 5 days on and 2 days off
Route
Injection under the skin
Timing
Bedtime, or morning on an empty stomach if it disturbs sleep
How long
About 12 weeks
Ramp
One clinic uses 1 mg + 0.5 mg in month 1, then 1.5 mg + 0.75 mg in months 2 and 3
Mixing
Pre-mixed vials (for example 10 mg tesamorelin + 3 or 5 mg ipamorelin) + about 2 mL bacteriostatic water
  • Pre-mixed ratios differ between sellers, so the ipamorelin dose depends on the vial.
Sources (4)
Show all 5 protocolsShow fewer protocols

Not testedSometimes seen

Once or twice a day, 5 days a week (practitioner stack)

Collected report · exact form and route are only as reported below. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01.

Frequency labels describe this collection, not a measured population. Contradictory records remain available.

Details and sourcesHide details
Dose
1 mg
How often
Once or twice a day, 5 days a week
Route
Injection under the skin
Timing
Before bed at least 90 minutes after eating; on waking, before exercise and food
How long
6–8 weeks
  • Part of a published recovery and muscle-gain peptide stack.
Sources (2)

Not testedSometimes seen

Continuous, year-round use

Collected report · exact form and route are only as reported below. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01.

Frequency labels describe this collection, not a measured population. Contradictory records remain available.

Details and sourcesHide details
Dose
1–1.5 mg
How often
Once a day
Route
Injection under the skin
Timing
Before workouts, or at night
How long
Months to years (one user: more than 25 months)
Cycle
No breaks
  • Users who do this point to the long approved-drug trials rather than to 8–12 week peptide cycles.
Sources (2)

Not testedSometimes seen

Low dose

Collected report · exact form and route are only as reported below. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01.

Frequency labels describe this collection, not a measured population. Contradictory records remain available.

Details and sourcesHide details
Dose
0.25–0.5 mg
How often
Once a day, or a few times a week
Route
Injection under the skin
Timing
Some move it to the morning
  • Used by smaller or leaner people, or by people who could not tolerate 1–2 mg.
Sources (2)

Where the numbers come from

The 1–2 mg daily dose tracks the approved Egrifta dose range, usually trimmed to 1 mg by clinics. The 5-days-on, 2-days-off pattern, bedtime timing and pairing with ipamorelin come from the wider growth-hormone-peptide clinic culture rather than from tesamorelin trials.

Home-made sprays and serums

Home-made nasal spray. Community recipes. Not tested.

Original source recordsHide

Only a vendor-made tesamorelin nasal spray was found (4 mg per bottle, 13.33 mcg per spray), bought by one user who realised a 2 mg dose would take 150 sprays. No home recipe, trial or clinic use found.

Best evidence: Community only (one Reddit post, 2025).

Not testedNasal sprayFringe

Ready-made vendor spray: 4 mg, 300 sprays

Original source-specific report. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Exact form and route are limited to the source’s description.

Ingredients and methodHide the recipe

Ingredients

IngredientAmountRole
Tesamorelin4 mg per bottleActive
Per dose
13.33 mcg per spray (stated on the product).
  • Replies told the buyer ‘You got ripped off’ and to ask the seller for dosing.

Not stated: how it’s used.

Sources (2)

How the method was put together, step by step with its sources

Editorial synthesis and reported strength comparison

This synthesized method combines source records. It has not been validated for preparation, sterility, compatibility, absorption or storage. Select a reported strength to inspect the arithmetic; no strength is selected for you.

Not testedNasal spray

No amounts were found in the reviewed recipe records for this one. What was found is under “Original source records”.

The general method for home-made nasal sprays, with its sources

Good to know

  • Bacteriostatic water contains 0.9–1.1% benzyl alcohol as a preservative. Its label covers mixing injections, not nasal use; EU labels warn of allergic reactions.
  • Some use store-bought saline nasal spray for its preservatives: often benzalkonium chloride, which can irritate the nose with long use, and sometimes benzyl alcohol.
  • Never tap water: it is not sterile, and CDC researchers warn against it for nasal rinsing.
Research notes

Clinic protocols (1 mg at bedtime, 5 days on and 2 off) and forum practice (often 2 mg every day, or year-round use) differ, and users disagree on whether cycling is needed. Most forum users also take retatrutide or other GLP-1 drugs, so side effects are hard to attribute. Several users report IGF-1 above the reference range.

Taken with

Measurement basics and calculator

Explore vial arithmetic

What it is. In plain English.

An FDA-approved prescription drug for excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy; it is not approved for general weight loss.

A synthetic version of , the brain signal that tells the pituitary to release growth hormone. A small chemical cap on one end protects it from rapid breakdown.

It stimulates the pituitary to release your own growth hormone in natural pulses, which raises IGF-1. The strongest effect is on visceral fat, the fat packed around the organs.

Reviewed 2026-10-01.

Structure. A close relative’s structure.

Specs. The facts at a glance.

Length
44 amino acids
Sold as
  • Tesamorelin 10 mg
In blends
Regulatory status
FDA-approved as Egrifta products to reduce excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. The FDA label says tesamorelin is not indicated for weight-loss management. Approval applies to labeled Egrifta formulations, not research-vial products. Banned by .
Also known as
Egrifta

Sources. What this page rests on.

Every source behind this page, with what it says and when it was checked, is in the Source library.

Tesamorelin in the Source library

Original overview and research notes · annotated 2026-10-01

Historical collection text. Read alongside the claim corrections above; identity or evidence qualifications may supersede this wording.

Belly fat reduction through natural growth hormone

An FDA-approved growth-hormone-releasing drug that reduces deep belly fat.

A synthetic version of GHRH, the brain signal that tells the pituitary to release growth hormone. A small chemical cap on one end protects it from rapid breakdown.

It stimulates the pituitary to release your own growth hormone in natural pulses, which raises IGF-1. The strongest effect is on visceral fat, the fat packed around the organs.

In trials of people with HIV-related fat buildup, it cut visceral fat by about 15–18% over 26 weeks and reduced liver fat. The fat returned after stopping.

Original status record: FDA-approved in 2010 as Egrifta for excess abdominal fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Banned by WADA.

More in Growth hormone.

Glossary

GHRH

Growth-hormone-releasing hormone, the brain signal that tells the pituitary to release GH. Mimicked by sermorelin, CJC-1295 and tesamorelin.

Full glossary

Glossary

IGF-1

Insulin-like growth factor 1, made in the liver in response to growth hormone. It carries out many of GH’s effects.

Full glossary

Glossary

WADA

The World Anti-Doping Agency. Its S0 category bans any substance not approved for human use, which covers most of this catalog.

Full glossary

Glossary

Cryo-EM

Cryo-electron microscopy. Molecules are frozen in a thin layer of ice and photographed thousands of times with an electron microscope; the images are combined into a 3D map.

Full glossary

Glossary

Resolution

How sharp a structure is, measured in ångströms (Å; a ten-billionth of a meter). Smaller is sharper.

Full glossary

Glossary

Protein Data Bank (PDB)

The free worldwide archive of 3D structures of proteins and other molecules measured in experiments. Each entry has a four-character code, like 7KI0.

Full glossary