Before you enter

This is a medical program, not a store

Bioaminex does not sell products directly. Everything begins with lab work and a licensed physician. Please confirm you understand:

I'm not ready — exit
Growth axis · GHRH analog

Tesamorelin

An FDA-approved growth-hormone-releasing hormone analog — with one specific approved use, and a lot of off-label interest beyond it.

Tesamorelin is unusual on this page: it's a genuinely FDA-approved drug with real trial data — for one specific indication. Interest in it, though, runs well beyond that approval. This page covers both what's proven and what isn't.

At a glance

Drug class
Growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog
FDA status
FDA-approved (for its specific indication)
Brand names
Egrifta, Egrifta SV, Egrifta WR
Approved use
Reduction of excess abdominal fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy
Route
Subcutaneous injection (daily or weekly, depending on formulation)
Prescription
Required

What tesamorelin is

Tesamorelin is a synthetic analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone, the hypothalamic signal that tells the pituitary gland to release growth hormone. It was FDA-approved in 2010 as the first and only GHRH analog approved for an adult metabolic indication: reducing visceral (abdominal) fat in people with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. A newer once-weekly formulation (Egrifta WR) was later approved to reduce the treatment burden of daily injections.

How it works

Tesamorelin binds GHRH receptors in the pituitary, stimulating the body's own pulsatile release of growth hormone — rather than delivering growth hormone directly. That distinction matters clinically: it works with the body's natural feedback loops rather than overriding them, which is part of why it has a more favorable long-term safety profile than direct growth hormone administration.

What the evidence shows

In pooled Phase III trial data across more than 800 participants, tesamorelin reduced visceral adipose tissue by roughly 15% versus placebo over 26 weeks — the evidence base behind its specific approval. That trial population was people with HIV-associated lipodystrophy; using it for general fat loss, athletic performance, or anti-aging purposes is off-label, and the evidence for those uses is much thinner than the evidence for its approved indication.

Side effects and who it's not for

Common side effects include joint pain, swelling (especially in hands/feet, from fluid retention), and injection-site reactions. Because it raises IGF-1, it requires caution in anyone with a history of active malignancy, and isn't appropriate without a provider evaluating pituitary function and cancer history first.

The Bioaminex standard for tesamorelin

Before starting
Baseline labs incl. IGF-1 + provider review
Screening
Active malignancy history, pituitary function
Dosing
Provider-managed, on-label or clearly-disclosed off-label use
During therapy
Follow-up labs & monitoring

The bottom line

Tesamorelin is one of the few peptides on this page with a genuine FDA approval and real trial evidence — for a specific population. That's worth knowing if you're considering it for a different reason than lipodystrophy: the science is real, but the approval doesn't automatically extend to every use it's marketed for online.

Want to know if it's right for you? That's not a question a website can answer — it's a clinical evaluation. Start your intake and a licensed provider will review your goals and your labs.

Start your consultation

This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It does not establish a provider-patient relationship. FDA-approval status and clinical information are summarized in general terms and may change; consult a licensed healthcare provider and current prescribing information before making any medical decision. Bioaminex does not sell or dispense tesamorelin or any medication.