Region — International. Neutral scientific reference — not offered for sale here.
Research reference — not for sale
Tesamorelin
Alead outcome
HIV-associated lipodystrophy — visceral-fat…
grades vary by outcome ↓
Peptide⚠ WADA-banned
also called — tesamorelin acetate · Egrifta (brand name) · developer code TH9507 · brand Egrifta → Egrifta SV (2019) → Egrifta WR / "F8" (2025) · stabilized GHRH analog. PubChem CID 16137828. INCI: none
GHRH analog / GH secretagoguevisceral fat (approved: HIV-lipodystrophy)(off-label:) body composition / liver fat
Reference entry — not sold here. The apex of the GH-secretagogue set: the only GHRH analog with a current FDA approval, and the compound with the strongest evidence in this register. A prescription biologic, not a wellness peptide. No dosing published here; neutral reference only.
In brief
Tesamorelin is a stabilized 44-amino-acid GHRH analog and the only GHRH analog with a current FDA approval (as Egrifta, for HIV-associated lipodystrophy since 2010). It carries the strongest evidence in this register — multiple large Phase 3 RCTs showing ~15–18% visceral-fat reduction. Its popular non-HIV / anti-aging use is off-label and not RCT-anchored in those populations. It is banned in sport.
Legal standing, by region
European Union
Not marketed under a general EU authorisation (availability
Not marketed under a general EU authorisation (availability differs from the US) — confirm current EU status before relying on it.
United States
Approved / prescription
Current FDA approval (Egrifta / Egrifta SV / Egrifta WR) for HIV-associated lipodystrophy; the only approved GHRH analog; regulated as a biologic. Compounded tesamorelin also exists and is used off-label (non-HIV visceral fat, NAFLD, body composition). Not part of the gray-market Category-2 situation.
International
Status varies
Varies.
⚠ WADA-prohibited in sportSport: WADA-prohibited — GHRH analogs / GH-releasing factors fall under Section S2.2. Banned even though FDA-approved.
An honest grade per outcome — drawn from the evidence, not any catalogue. Hype and undemonstrated marketing claims grade low.
OutcomeEvidence base · effectGrade
HIV-associated lipodystrophy — visceral-fat (VAT) reduction (approved indication)
The strongest evidence in the register; the effect reverses on discontinuation
Phase 3 RCTs — Falutz 2007 NEJM (n=412); pooled n=806 (JCEM 2010); FDA-approved · ~15–18% VAT reduction vs placebo at 26 wk (p<0.001)
ALiver fat / NAFLD (in HIV)
Off-label; studied specifically in the HIV population
RCT — Stanley 2014, JAMA · Reduced liver fat
BNon-HIV visceral fat / general body composition / longevity (popular off-label)
Not FDA-approved for these; the approved evidence is HIV-specific
Mechanism + observational; not RCT-anchored in these groups · Plausible
CCognition (older adults)
Early; not an approved use
Some GHRH-administration trial data · Suggestive
CSafety
Raises IGF-1 (monitored); glucose/insulin effects; injection-site reactions, arthralgia; WADA-banned
Phase 3 + post-marketing label · Well-characterised
—Disclosure
Vallydia sells its own cosmetic serums, and some ingredients graded here belong to the same categories as those products. Grades are drawn from the published evidence by the method we publish, and applied to our own ingredients on the same terms — our copper-peptide serum is graded no more kindly than the peptides it competes with. We disclose the interest so you can weigh it.
Trade names shown here (for example Matrixyl, Argireline, Syn-Ake) are the property of their respective owners and are used only to identify the ingredient under discussion. Their appearance implies no affiliation with, or endorsement by, the proprietor.
Evidence changes
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Identity
a synthetic 44-amino-acid analog of human GHRH (the full-length 44-aa sequence) carrying an N-terminal trans-3-hexenoic acid (hexenoyl) modification that resists DPP-4/enzymatic degradation. Developed by Theratechnologies (Canada) and marketed under the brand name Egrifta (later Egrifta SV and Egrifta WR). At 44 aa it sits at the upper boundary of the "peptide" range (endogenous GHRH is also 44 aa), and the FDA now regulates it as a biologic (BLA). (CJC-1295 stabilises the shorter 1-29 fragment instead.)
Development & history
- Theratechnologies developed TH9507 as a stabilized GHRH that survives systemic proteases long enough to reach the pituitary.
- Pivotal Phase 3 RCT — Falutz et al., N Engl J Med 2007 — established efficacy in HIV-associated lipodystrophy.
- FDA approval November 2010 as Egrifta, for reduction of excess abdominal (visceral) fat in HIV-infected adults with lipodystrophy — the first and only drug specifically approved for that condition, and the only FDA-approved GHRH analog.
- Reformulated as Egrifta SV (2019) and again as Egrifta WR / F8 (2025) — approvals that keep it a current, actively-marketed medicine (unlike Sermorelin's withdrawn Geref).
Mechanism (as proposed)
a GHRH-receptor agonist on pituitary somatotrophs → pulsatile GH release → hepatic IGF-1 → GH/IGF-1 drive lipolysis preferentially in visceral fat (which expresses more GH receptors than subcutaneous fat), giving the visceral-selective effect documented in the trials. Its short half-life (~26–38 min) preserves the body's natural pulsatile GH rhythm — unlike the sustained "GH bleed" of CJC-1295-DAC.
Chemical identifiers
Cross-reference identifiers for the authoritative external databases — not a recipe, and nothing about how to use it.
InChIKeyQBEPNUQJQWDYKU-BMGKTWPMSA-N
SMILESCC/C=C/CC(=O)N[C@@H](CC1=CC=C(C=C1)O)C(=O)N[C@@H](C)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(=O)O)C(=O)N[C@@H](C)C(=O)N[C@@H]([C@@H](C)CC)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC2=CC=CC=C2)C(=O)N[C@@H]([C@@H](C)O)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(=O)N)C(=O)N[C@@H](CO)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC3=CC=C(C=C3)O)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCNC(=N)N)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCCN)C(=O)N[C@@H](C(C)C)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)NCC(=O)N[C@@H](CCC(=O)N)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)N[C@@H](CO)C(=O)N[C@@H](C)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCNC(=N)N)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCCN)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCC(=O)N)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(=O)O)C(=O)N[C@@H]([C@@H](C)CC)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCSC)C(=O)N[C@@H](CO)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCNC(=N)N)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCC(=O)N)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCC(=O)N)C(=O)NCC(=O)N[C@@H](CCC(=O)O)C(=O)N[C@@H](CO)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(=O)N)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCC(=O)N)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCC(=O)O)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCNC(=N)N)C(=O)NCC(=O)N[C@@H](C)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCNC(=N)N)C(=O)N[C@@H](C)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCNC(=N)N)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)N
via PubChem exact-name match (Tesamorelin) · high confidence
Sources — 4 cited
01Falutz J, et al. Metabolic effects of a growth hormone-releasing factor in patients with HIV. N Engl J Med. 2007. (PMID 17978289)
02Pooled Phase 3 analysis (n=806), J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010; Falutz J, et al. Long-term safety and effects of tesamorelin. AIDS. 2010. (PMID 20861624)
03Stanley TL, et al. Effect of tesamorelin on visceral fat and liver fat in HIV. JAMA. 2014. (PMID 24449321)
04FDA prescribing information — Egrifta / Egrifta SV / Egrifta WR (Theratechnologies).
Updated 2026-07-13
Grades reflect the published evidence, not our interest. No dosing, reconstitution, or administration is published for research compounds — that restraint is deliberate.
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Region — International
This site provides neutral scientific reference and sells only products lawful in your region. Nothing here is medical advice, a recommendation, or an offer to supply unapproved medicines. No dosing or administration is published for research compounds. Cosmetic peptides per Regulation (EC) 1223/2009. Unapproved injectable peptides are neither sold nor advertised in the EU (Directive 2001/83/EC, Title VIII). © 2026 Vallydia.