Tesamorelin
A growth-hormone-releasing-hormone analog. The FDA-approved product is indicated for reducing excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Any other use is clinician-directed and off-label.
Monthly total
$399
Care $109 + Medication $290*
Dosing
Set by your clinician and reviewed with IGF-1 and glucose monitoring. The price does not change with the dose.
*One monthly price; your clinician sets the dose. Supplies and cold-chain shipping are included. Compounded tesamorelin requires a written prescription from a licensed clinician and is not FDA-approved or evaluated for safety, effectiveness or quality. The FDA-approved product is labeled only for HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Evidence standards.
Start Your Assessment →What Is Tesamorelin?
Tesamorelin is a growth-hormone-releasing-hormone analog. The FDA-approved product is indicated to reduce excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy.
Any other use is off-label and clinician-directed. We tell you what the evidence does and does not cover before you decide.
Good to Know
- Prescribed only after a clinician reviews your history.
- Dose and course are set by your clinician, not by you.
- Results vary, and we do not promise outcomes.
Who It Is For
Eligibility
Competitive Athletes
Growth-hormone-releasing hormone analogs are on the WADA Prohibited List at all times. A prescription does not establish sporting eligibility, so we ask about anti-doping rules before presenting any option.
Often a Good Fit If
- ✓Adults with excess abdominal fat who have addressed nutrition, activity and sleep
- ✓Adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy, in coordination with their HIV care team
- ✓Willing to complete baseline labs and repeat them
- ✓Comfortable with limited evidence outside the approved indication
Not Prescribed If
- —Active malignancy, or a history that your clinician judges to carry risk
- —Pregnancy, breastfeeding, or actively trying to conceive
- —Disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis from tumor, surgery or radiation
- —Prior serious hypersensitivity to tesamorelin or its excipients
- —Subject to anti-doping rules that prohibit it
Read Before You Decide
Key Risks, Stated Plainly
Reported effects of the approved product include injection-site reactions, joint pain, swelling of the hands or feet, muscle pain and changes in glucose tolerance. Raising IGF-1 also warrants ongoing monitoring, particularly for anyone with a history of cancer or diabetes.
Contact care the same day for
Significant swelling, shortness of breath, signs of allergic reaction, symptoms of high blood sugar such as marked thirst or frequent urination, or any new or unexplained symptom during your course.
What Is Measured
Monitoring requirement: IGF-1 and glucose monitoring with scheduled reviews.
IGF-1
Measured at baseline and again during the course to keep levels in a clinician-defined range.
Fasting Glucose and HbA1c
Reviewed at baseline and at every scheduled review.
Waist and Body Composition
Tracked over weeks against your original goal.
Fluid Retention and Joint Symptoms
Asked about at each check-in.
Anti-Doping Check
Competitive athletes are screened against current sport rules first.
A Clearer Path Forward
How Clinicians Review Your Response
You and Your Clinician Look at the Same Data
Symptoms you report, laboratory results and, if you connect one, wearable trends are reviewed together before any change.
A Physician-Led Review Every 90 Days
Included in your monthly price. Your clinician decides whether to continue, adjust the dose, change course or stop.
Clinical Judgment Decides
If the measures are not moving toward your goal, or any safety signal appears, the plan changes. We do not renew by default.
What Is Included in the Monthly Price
- ✓Named, physician-led care team
- ✓Supplies and cold-chain shipping included
- ✓Baseline laboratory panel included in your first care cycle
- ✓Physician-led review every 90 days
- ✓Dose adjusted by your clinician with no change in price
Your Care Sequence
01
Questionnaire
Share your history and goals in about ten minutes. No card required.
02
Video Visit
Meet your clinician to review labs, confirm it is a reasonable fit and set the course length.
03
Delivery
If prescribed, medication ships from a licensed pharmacy, cold-chain when required, with supplies.
04
Ongoing Care
Repeat labs, dose adjustments and a physician-led review every 90 days, included.
Common Questions About Tesamorelin
What Is Tesamorelin Approved For?+
The FDA-approved product is indicated to reduce excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. It is not approved as a general weight-loss medication, and compounded tesamorelin is not FDA-approved at all.
Is It Used Outside That Indication?+
Sometimes, at a clinician's discretion. We tell you plainly that this is off-label, that the supporting evidence is thinner, and what we will monitor.
Does It Cause Weight Loss?+
In the approved population it reduced visceral abdominal fat, not overall body weight. We do not offer it as a weight-loss drug, and we cannot promise any outcome for you.
How Long Does a Course Run?+
A defined course with a scheduled reassessment. Benefits seen in trials faded after stopping, so your clinician discusses that before you begin.
Can I Use It If I Compete in Sport?+
Probably not. Growth-hormone-releasing hormone analogs are prohibited by WADA at all times, and a prescription does not change that.
Still unsure? Message the care team before you join. No account needed.
Published Research
What the Published Science Shows
~15%
Reduction in visceral abdominal fat over 26 weeks in a pivotal trial in HIV-associated lipodystrophy.
26 wks
Trial duration behind that figure. Benefits faded after stopping.
1 group
The approved indication covers one population: adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy.
Figures come from the cited trials and reviews. They describe published research, not a forecast for any one person, and not a study of compounded formulations.
The Mechanism
The Proposed Mechanism
GHRH Analog
Tesamorelin acts on the pituitary like growth-hormone-releasing hormone, prompting natural pulses of growth hormone.
Visceral Fat
Higher growth hormone signaling is associated with a reduction in visceral abdominal fat.
Downstream IGF-1
Growth hormone raises IGF-1, which is why IGF-1 and glucose are the main labs we monitor.
For Readers Who Want More
Deeper Evidence
What We Can and Cannot Tell YouEvidence and regulatory status+
What the Evidence Supports
In randomized trials in HIV-associated lipodystrophy, tesamorelin reduced visceral abdominal fat by roughly 15 percent over 26 weeks compared with placebo, and the product is FDA-approved for that use.
What It Does Not (Yet)
Those trials studied the approved product in a specific population, not compounded formulations and not people without HIV. Benefits did not persist after stopping, and long-term safety outside the trial setting is limited.
Badge definitions and FDA category sourcing are on the Science page.
Illustrative Course StructureFinal dose set by your clinician+
Illustrative only, not a prescription. The approved product is dosed once daily by injection. Your clinician sets the dose and length for compounded use.
| Phase | Approach | Duration | What we watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline | Labs and clinician visit | Before starting | IGF-1, glucose, HbA1c |
| Initiation | Clinician-directed dosing | First weeks | Injection sites, fluid retention |
| Course | Held at the tolerated dose | Defined by your clinician | Waist trend, IGF-1, glucose |
| Reassessment | Extend, stop or change course | At the scheduled review | Whether the goal was met |
Selected Studies
Falutz et al., New England Journal of Medicine, 2007
In HIV-associated abdominal fat accumulation, tesamorelin reduced visceral fat versus placebo.
See Whether Tesamorelin Is Worth Considering
Ten minutes, no card, reviewed by a clinician.