What is tesamorelin?
Short answer
Tesamorelin is a synthetic analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone with a chemical modification that slows its breakdown in the body. Unlike most peptides in this catalog it has randomized human trials behind it, all in one setting: HIV-associated abdominal fat accumulation. Compounded tesamorelin is not FDA-approved. Tesamorelin itself is FDA-approved under a brand name for one indication only, the reduction of excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. It is prohibited in sport.
| Type | Synthetic analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), 44 amino acids |
|---|---|
| Origin | Human GHRH sequence with a stabilizing group attached to the first amino acid |
| Also known as | TH9507, tesamorelin acetate |
| Evidence to date | Randomized human trials, all in HIV-associated abdominal fat accumulation |
| Form in this catalog | Subcutaneous injection, supplied already reconstituted; also inside the Tesamorelin / Ipamorelin blend |
| Regulatory status | Compounded tesamorelin is not FDA-approved; the branded product is approved for one HIV-related indication only |
| Anti-doping | Prohibited at all times (WADA S2, growth hormone releasing factors) |
| Prescription units | Written in milligrams; the tesamorelin calculator converts label strength to units |
| Study type | Sources |
|---|---|
| Human clinical trials | 3 |
| Other human studies | 0 |
| Animal and lab studies | 0 |
| Review articles | 0 |
Where does tesamorelin come from?
Tesamorelin is a synthetic version of human growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), the 44-amino-acid signal the hypothalamus sends to the pituitary gland to prompt growth hormone release. Natural GHRH is cut apart within minutes by an enzyme called dipeptidyl peptidase-4. Tesamorelin keeps the full GHRH sequence and attaches a small chemical group, trans-3-hexenoic acid, to the first amino acid, which shields that cleavage point and lets the molecule persist long enough to work as a drug.
Tesamorelin was developed under the research code TH9507 and reached the market as a branded, FDA-approved injectable for a single indication. The compounded tesamorelin in this catalog is the same active molecule prepared by a licensed 503A pharmacy for an individual prescription. It is not the branded product, it carries its own pharmacy label, and the two are not substitutable on that label.
What has tesamorelin been studied for?
Tesamorelin has more randomized human trial data than any other peptide in this catalog, and all of it comes from one clinical setting: HIV-associated abdominal fat accumulation, a pattern of visceral fat build-up seen in some adults living with HIV. A randomized controlled trial published in 2007 examined the metabolic effects of the compound in patients with HIV. A 2010 paper pooled two multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trials in HIV-infected patients with excess abdominal fat and added safety extension data. A 2014 randomized trial measured visceral fat and liver fat in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation.
Tesamorelin trials in that population are the basis of the branded product's approval. What the verified literature does not contain is a randomized trial of tesamorelin in adults without HIV, in athletes, or for general body-composition goals. Whether findings from HIV-associated abdominal fat accumulation carry over to other people is a question those trials were not designed to answer, and a prescribing provider should say so plainly.
| Area | Type of evidence | What the studies examined |
|---|---|---|
| Metabolic effects | Randomized controlled trial (HIV-associated abdominal fat accumulation) | Metabolic measures in patients with HIV, 2007 |
| Excess abdominal fat | Pooled analysis of two phase 3 trials (HIV-associated abdominal fat accumulation) | Two double-blind placebo-controlled trials with safety extension data, 2010 |
| Visceral and liver fat | Randomized controlled trial (HIV-associated abdominal fat accumulation) | Visceral fat and liver fat measured in HIV-infected patients, 2014 |
| Adults without HIV | No randomized trials among the studies cited here | Not established by the trials above |
Get Tesamorelin prescribed, pre-mixed
How is tesamorelin different from growth hormone?
Tesamorelin is not growth hormone. It is a releasing factor: it acts on GHRH receptors in the pituitary to prompt the gland's own secretion, whereas recombinant growth hormone supplies the hormone directly. The pituitary still governs how much is released and when, which is the usual argument for a releasing factor over the hormone itself, although that argument is a description of mechanism and not a measured advantage.
Tesamorelin is grouped by regulators and anti-doping bodies with other GHRH analogs such as CJC-1295, not with growth hormone products, and the two groups are prescribed and monitored differently.
How is tesamorelin prescribed?
Tesamorelin is prescribed through Peptides.build as a compounded medication: a licensed US provider reviews an online intake and, if appropriate, writes a prescription that a licensed 503A pharmacy fills for that patient. It is a subcutaneous injection and ships already reconstituted, with the concentration printed on the pharmacy label, so there is no powder to mix and no water to measure.
Tesamorelin is available on its own and inside the Tesamorelin / Ipamorelin blend, which puts a GHRH analog and a ghrelin-receptor agonist in one vial. Which form, if either, fits a patient's history is the provider's decision at intake. The dose and the schedule are set by the provider and are not published on this site.
Is tesamorelin FDA-approved or allowed in sport?
Compounded tesamorelin is not FDA-approved. Tesamorelin itself is FDA-approved under a brand name for one indication only, the reduction of excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. The compounded tesamorelin prescribed here is prepared for an individual patient and is not that branded product; compounded medications are not reviewed or approved by the FDA the way mass-manufactured drugs are.
Tesamorelin is prohibited in sport at all times. The World Anti-Doping Agency lists it by name under S2 as a growth hormone releasing factor, the same category that covers CJC-1295. Drug-tested athletes should check with their governing body before a prescription is filled.
How are tesamorelin doses measured?
Tesamorelin prescriptions are usually written in milligrams rather than micrograms, which makes its draws larger than most peptide draws and makes syringe size matter more. A pre-mixed pharmacy vial prints its concentration in mg/mL; the volume to draw is the prescribed amount divided by that concentration, and a U-100 syringe reads that volume in units. The free tesamorelin calculator on this site does that arithmetic for single vials and for the tesamorelin and ipamorelin blend, where each peptide has its own strength on the label. It converts numbers only and never suggests a dose.
Prescribed Tesamorelin vs research peptides: what is different?
Prescribed Tesamorelin is not a research chemical. It is a prescription medication: a licensed US provider reviews your intake first, and a licensed 503A pharmacy compounds it for you by name. Vials sold online as “research use only” skip both steps. What you pay for here is that review, a pharmacy you can name, and a label that says what is in the vial.
A research seller’s certificate of analysis is a document the seller controls: it chooses the lab and the sample, and a PDF can be reused, edited or re-dated. No regulator checks it.
| Point | Prescribed through Peptides.build | Research use only |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Online intake reviewed by a licensed US provider; prescribed only when appropriate. | No prescription and no clinical review of whether it suits you. |
| How it's labeled | A prescription medication compounded for you by name. | Commonly sold labeled “research use only, not for human consumption.” |
| Who prepares it | A licensed 503A US compounding pharmacy under state and federal oversight. | Unregulated suppliers, often with no verifiable chain of custody. |
| Testing | Third-party tested. | Certificates of analysis are self-reported when provided at all. |
| Purity and identity | Prepared to a prescription for a specific patient. | Purity, strength, and even identity are unverified by any independent party. |
This compares two care models, not two products. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved, and we do not claim otherwise. What a prescription adds is a licensed provider deciding whether a protocol is appropriate for you and a licensed pharmacy preparing it. Read the full guide to research vs prescription peptides.
Tesamorelin FAQ
Is tesamorelin the same as growth hormone?
No. Tesamorelin is a synthetic analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone, the signal that prompts the pituitary to release its own growth hormone. It does not contain growth hormone, and regulators and anti-doping agencies classify it separately from growth hormone products.
Is tesamorelin FDA-approved?
Compounded tesamorelin is not FDA-approved. Tesamorelin itself is FDA-approved under a brand name for one indication only, the reduction of excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. The compounded version prescribed through this site is not that branded product, and compounded medications are not FDA-approved.
Has tesamorelin been studied in people who do not have HIV?
The randomized trials in the verified citation pool were all conducted in HIV-associated abdominal fat accumulation. They were not designed to show what tesamorelin does in adults without HIV, so any use outside that setting is a conversation with a prescribing provider rather than something the trials settle.
Is tesamorelin banned in sport?
Yes. The World Anti-Doping Agency names tesamorelin under S2 as a growth hormone releasing factor, prohibited at all times. Drug-tested athletes should check with their governing body.
What is the difference between tesamorelin and the Tesamorelin / Ipamorelin blend?
Tesamorelin on its own is a single GHRH analog. The blend adds ipamorelin, a five-amino-acid ghrelin-receptor agonist, in the same vial, so one injection carries both in a fixed ratio. Whether one compound or the pair is appropriate is a provider decision.
Does tesamorelin come as a powder I have to mix?
Not through Peptides.build. Prescriptions ship already reconstituted from a licensed 503A pharmacy with the concentration on the label. The calculator exists for reading that label, not for mixing.
Tesamorelin through Peptides.build
A licensed US provider reviews a short online intake and decides whether a protocol is appropriate. A US 503A pharmacy prepares it already reconstituted, labels the concentration and ships it cold-chain. Dosing is set by the provider and is not published on this site.
Intake coming soon- Tesamorelin protocol: pricing, who it is for, FAQ
- Tesamorelin / Ipamorelin protocol: pricing, who it is for, FAQ
- All performance protocols compared
- Tesamorelin Calculator: units, reconstitution and dosing chart
- What is ipamorelin?
- What is the Tesamorelin / Ipamorelin blend?
- Tesamorelin vs ipamorelin: what is the difference?
- CJC-1295 vs tesamorelin: what is the difference?
References
- Metabolic Effects of a Growth Hormone-Releasing Factor in Patients with HIV. New England Journal of Medicine, 2007. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa072375Study type: Randomized controlled trial (HIV-associated abdominal fat accumulation)
- Effects of tesamorelin (TH9507), a growth hormone-releasing factor analog, in HIV-infected patients with excess abdominal fat: a pooled analysis of two multicenter, double-blind placebo-controlled phase 3 trials with safety extension data. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2010. doi:10.1210/jc.2010-0490Study type: Pooled analysis of two phase 3 trials (HIV-associated abdominal fat accumulation)
- Effects of tesamorelin on visceral fat and liver fat in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA, 2014. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.8334Study type: Randomized controlled trial (HIV-associated abdominal fat accumulation)
Citations are listed with their study type so the evidence can be weighed. Review articles summarize other studies; animal and in vitro findings do not describe outcomes in people.
This article is educational and is not medical advice. Compounded tesamorelin is not FDA-approved, and compounded medications are not FDA-approved. No results are implied or guaranteed. Talk to a licensed provider about your own history before starting any protocol.