Tesamorelin Reconstitution Calculator

Yes, approved as EGRIFTA for reduction of excess abdominal (visceral) fat in HIV-infected adults with lipodystrophy. No approval exists for athletic performance, anti-aging, or general fat loss; such use is off-label, and "research" supply chains carry unvalidated product composition.

Injection only; no oral formulation. Approved dose: 2 mg subcutaneously once daily into abdominal skin. The original EGRIFTA (1 mg/mL, 2 mL) and concentrated EGRIFTA WR (1.28 mg in 0.16 mL) are bioequivalent. Cognitive trials used 1 mg/day. Off-label protocols commonly mirror 1–2 mg/day (community protocol).

Meta-analysis of five RCTs: visceral adipose tissue −27.7 cm², trunk fat −1.18 kg, waist −1.61 cm, and hepatic fat −4.28% over 6–12 months. Pooled phase 3 data show a −15.4% VAT treatment effect at 26 weeks; "responders" are defined as ≥8% VAT reduction. This holds in integrase-inhibitor-treated patients (−25 cm² at 12 months). In an NAFLD RCT, liver fat fell −37% relative at 12 months.

Modestly. Meta-analysis shows +1.42 kg lean body mass versus placebo. Among responders, truncal muscle density and rectus/psoas muscle area increased over 26 weeks. Expect meaningful visceral fat loss with modest lean-mass gains, not anabolic-scale muscle growth.

Common adverse events (RCT/meta-analysis): arthralgia, myalgia, paresthesia, and injection-site reactions. In 53 type 2 diabetics treated 12 weeks, 2 mg/day did not worsen HbA1c, fasting glucose, insulin response, or diabetes control. Pregnancy and active malignancy are contraindications. FAERS pharmacovigilance shows disproportionate carpal tunnel reports (ROR 20.7); monitor new-onset hand symptoms.

Approved use is chronic; phase 3 extension data maintain VAT, waist, triglyceride, and cholesterol improvements through 52 weeks of continued dosing. Fat reaccumulates if treatment stops (benefits persist only while dosing continues). The NAFLD trial used 12 months continuous dosing.

Tesamorelin activates the GHRH receptor, preserving pulsatile GH physiology with greater metabolic selectivity and less neuroendocrine interference than ghrelin-type secretagogues or recombinant GH. Unlike supraphysiologic rhGH, it spares subcutaneous fat and showed no clinically meaningful glucose changes in phase 3. In HIV fat accumulation, GLP-1 RAs reduce body weight nonspecifically; tesamorelin selectively removes visceral fat even in non-obese patients. All GHRH analogues are WADA-prohibited with validated urine detection.

Cognitive RCTs injected 30 minutes before bedtime, aligning dosing with endogenous nocturnal GH secretion. No published evidence establishes optimal timing for fat loss; off-label use generally follows bedtime dosing (community protocol). Reconstituted EGRIFTA must be refrigerated, never frozen or shaken, and discarded after the package-insert window (practitioner consensus).