Tesamorelin

Tesamorelin is a stabilized synthetic analogue of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) that stimulates endogenous growth hormone — and downstream IGF-1 — secretion from the pituitary. It is the GHRH analogue most studied in controlled human trials and the only agent in this class approved (in people with HIV-associated lipodystrophy) for reducing excess visceral abdominal fat. [1][4]

Tesamorelin is built on the full 44–amino-acid sequence of human GHRH(1-44) with an N-terminal trans-3-hexenoyl modification. [4] This acylation protects the peptide's N-terminus against rapid enzymatic cleavage (notably by DPP-4), giving it greater metabolic stability and a longer duration of GHRH-receptor activity than native GHRH while preserving the natural, pulsatile pattern of GH release. [1]

As a GHRH-receptor agonist on pituitary somatotrophs, tesamorelin promotes pulsatile GH release and raises circulating IGF-1. [1] Because it stimulates the body's own GH production rather than supplying exogenous GH, the literature frames it as acting “upstream,” within physiological feedback — distinct from recombinant GH itself. [4]

In two phase-3 trials and their pooled analysis, daily tesamorelin significantly reduced visceral adipose tissue and waist circumference over 26 weeks in people with HIV-associated excess abdominal fat, with maintenance during extension phases. [1] Subsequent analyses examined which baseline characteristics predicted visceral-fat response. [4]

Research has also examined tesamorelin in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): a randomized, placebo-controlled trial reported reduced liver fat, and hepatic transcriptomic analysis suggested shifts in pathways related to inflammation and fibrosis. [2] More recent randomized work evaluated tesamorelin in people with HIV on modern integrase-inhibitor regimens, extending the earlier evidence base to current antiretroviral therapy. [3]

The clinical findings above describe the approved medicine in defined patient populations. The material supplied here is research-grade and intended solely for in-vitro and laboratory study by qualified professionals — it is not formulated, dosed, or authorised for use in humans or animals, and nothing here is a therapeutic claim. [4]