The Sunlight Experiment

Supplement Monograph

Tesamorelin

PeptideGhMetabolic

Tesamorelin is an FDA-approved GHRH analogue that reduces visceral fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy; it is a prescription drug, not a dietary supplement.

Work in progress Updated July 2026

What Is Tesamorelin?

Tesamorelin is a synthetic analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) that stimulates the pituitary to secrete the body’s own growth hormone. It is an FDA-approved prescription medicine (marketed as Egrifta) indicated to reduce excess visceral (abdominal) fat in people with HIV who have lipodystrophy. Unlike most compounds in the GH-secretagogue space, it is backed by adequately powered phase III randomised controlled trials 1,2Reference 1Falutz J et al. · 2010RCTEffects of tesamorelin, a growth hormone-releasing factor, in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation — randomised placebo-controlled trialView study →Reference 2Stanley TL et al. · 2014RCTEffect of tesamorelin on visceral fat and liver fat in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation — randomised clinical trialView study →. It is a prescription drug, not a dietary supplement, and is not approved for cosmetic or general “anti-ageing” use.

Evidence

Tesamorelin has a genuine clinical evidence base in its approved indication. In a 12-month phase III randomised, placebo-controlled trial of 404 HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation, 2 mg subcutaneous daily reduced visceral adipose tissue by roughly 18% relative to placebo, alongside improvements in body-image distress and without significant perturbation of glucose 1Reference 1Falutz J et al. · 2010RCTEffects of tesamorelin, a growth hormone-releasing factor, in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation — randomised placebo-controlled trialView study →. A later randomised trial also showed reductions in both visceral fat and liver fat 2Reference 2Stanley TL et al. · 2014RCTEffect of tesamorelin on visceral fat and liver fat in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation — randomised clinical trialView study →, and a meta-analysis of the randomised trials found consistent visceral-fat reduction 3Reference 3(2025/2026) · 2025Meta-analysisBody composition, hepatic fat, metabolic, and safety outcomes of tesamorelin in HIV-associated lipodystrophy — meta-analysis of randomised controlled trialsView study →. Evidence outside HIV-associated lipodystrophy — for example for general body composition, cognition, or “anti-ageing” — is not established in this pass; the trials above are specific to the approved population.

Dosage & Safety

The studied and approved dose is 2 mg subcutaneously once daily 1Reference 1Falutz J et al. · 2010RCTEffects of tesamorelin, a growth hormone-releasing factor, in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation — randomised placebo-controlled trialView study →. This is a prescription medication, not an approved dietary supplement, and this page is informational only — not a personal recommendation or an endorsement of off-label use. Because it raises endogenous growth hormone and IGF-1, it is contraindicated in active malignancy and in pregnancy, and can affect glucose tolerance; it should only be used under medical supervision. Full interaction and long-term safety details beyond the trial data above are not assessed in this pass.

References

  1. Falutz J, et al. (2010). Effects of tesamorelin, a growth hormone-releasing factor, in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation — randomised placebo-controlled trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20101189/
  2. Stanley TL, et al. (2014). Effect of tesamorelin on visceral fat and liver fat in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation — randomised clinical trial. JAMA. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25038357/
  3. (2025/2026). Body composition, hepatic fat, metabolic, and safety outcomes of tesamorelin in HIV-associated lipodystrophy — meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41545261/