Also known as:Tesa· community shorthandEgrifta· brand nameEgrifta SV· brand/formulation name
Excess abdominal viscer…
Tesamorelin
Evidence levelEstablished clinical
Human evidenceSubstantial
Regulatory statusFDA-licensed product exists
What you need to know in 20 seconds
What is it?
GHRH analogue peptide
Research focus
Excess abdominal visceral fat in adults with HIV and lipodystrophy
Human evidence
Tesamorelin has strong evidence for its narrow HIV-associated abdominal-fat indication. A randomized HIV/NAFLD study also reduced liver fat substantially, while a small 2025 Phase II cognitive trial did not show significant between-group cognitive benefit.
Regulatory status
FDA-licensed Egrifta formulations are indicated to reduce excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV and lipodystrophy; not a general weight-loss approval.
Main limitations
General obesity treatment, general NAFLD therapy or cognitive enhancement outside studied HIV populations.
Safety
Glucose intolerance, edema, joint symptoms and IGF-1 elevation are among important label considerations.
i
Tesamorelin has strong evidence for its narrow HIV-associated abdominal-fat indication. A randomized HIV/NAFLD study also reduced liver fat substantially, while a small 2025 Phase II cognitive trial did not show significant between-group cognitive benefit.
What the evidence actually supports
✓Present as strong narrow-indication evidence, not a generic belly-fat peptide claim.
✓Add liver fat as a separate evidence card from approved visceral-fat reduction.
✓Important null outcome that prevents extrapolating metabolic improvement to cognition.
What is not established / key limitations
×This does not establish tesamorelin as a general obesity or cosmetic weight-loss drug.
×The study does not establish tesamorelin as a general NAFLD or obesity medicine.
×Between-group cognitive difference was not significant (P=0.673).
Tesamorelin reduced liver fat by an absolute 4.1 percentage points versus placebo, about a 37% relative reduction; 35% versus 4% reached hepatic fat fraction <5%.
Tesamorelin and neurocognitive impairment in people with HIV and abdominal obesity
2025 · Randomized open-label Phase II trial · n=73
Within-group cognitive score improved numerically with tesamorelin, but the between-group difference was not significant (P=0.673); waist circumference declined more with tesamorelin.
Glucose intolerance, edema, joint symptoms and IGF-1 elevation are among important label considerations.
Raises IGF-I and can affect glucose; labelled use includes monitoring and contraindications. Current EGRIFTA formulations have formulation-specific dosing/reconstitution and are not automatically interchangeable.
Technical details
Mechanism / biologyGHRH receptor agonist increases endogenous GH and IGF-1.
Route / formulation boundaryResearch-market tesamorelin is not automatically equivalent to authorised Egrifta products.
Identity / data-quality noteUse the canonical compound identity and studied formulation when interpreting evidence.
Dosing evidence statusVerified dosing evidence added. Published Phase 3 human regimen. See dosing_evidence records for route, regimen, population, duration and source.
Evidence rule: WhichPeps keeps human, animal, laboratory, regulatory and product/formulation evidence distinct. Common names help people find the page; they do not change the underlying scientific identity.
