what does tesamorelin do
Verified Source-Derived Information
- ✓Identity: Synthetic 44-amino-acid GHRH analogue approved by the FDA under the trade name Egrifta.
- ✓Clinical outcome: Demonstrated 15.2% reduction in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in Phase 3 clinical trials (Level 1 evidence).
- ✓Label indication: Indicated strictly for HIV-associated abdominal lipodystrophy; not approved for general anti-aging or cosmetic fat reduction.
- Level 1 · OfficialFDA Egrifta (Tesamorelin) Prescribing Information ↗
- Therapept ReferenceTesamorelin Endocrine Cascade Visualizer →
Educational Explanation & Context
Tesamorelin is an FDA-approved synthetic growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analogue that stimulates your pituitary gland to release its own natural growth hormone in pulsatile waves, selectively reducing visceral belly fat without shutting down natural hormone feedback.
Tesamorelin binds pituitary GHRH receptors, stimulating cyclic AMP (cAMP) and triggering pulsatile release of endogenous growth hormone. Circulating GH reaches the liver, prompting hepatic IGF-1 synthesis (+81%). This cascade selectively mobilizes deep visceral adipose tissue (-15.2% in Phase 3 trials) while preserving normal somatostatin negative-feedback loops, preventing the supraphysiological hormone spikes common with direct synthetic growth hormone injections.
Tesamorelin is commercially marketed as Egrifta and is approved specifically for reducing excess visceral abdominal fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy.
Unlike exogenous human growth hormone (hGH), which floods the system and shuts down natural pituitary output, Tesamorelin works upstream through the brain's natural regulatory pathway.
Unknown / Not Available & Regulatory Boundaries
Approved exclusively for HIV-associated visceral lipodystrophy. Off-label use for visceral fat reduction in healthy adults has limited long-term controlled trial data.
- •Tesamorelin is NOT approved for general weight loss or lifestyle anti-aging in non-HIV populations.
