The Tesamorelin Reference

Tesamorelin (also written TH9507 in early literature, branded as Egrifta) is a synthetic analog of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH). It is the full 44-amino-acid sequence of native GHRH with a trans-3-hexenoic acid modification at the N-terminus. The modification protects the peptide from rapid degradation by dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV), extending the pharmacokinetic profile compared with native GHRH.

A tesamorelin peptide pen is not a ballpoint pen, writing implement, or office supply. It is supplied in a pre-filled delivery device at a fixed concentration. The research format is distinct from the FDA-approved Egrifta clinical product.

Tesamorelin was developed by Theratechnologies (Canada) and received FDA approval in 2010 under the brand name Egrifta for one specific indication: the reduction of excess abdominal fat in HIV-infected adults with lipodystrophy. This is the only therapeutic indication for which tesamorelin has regulatory approval anywhere worldwide. Baseline works with tesamorelin only within its approved indication and only after a consultation.

The molecule has a molecular formula of C₂₂₁H₃₆₆N₇₂O₆₇S and a molecular mass of approximately 5197.8 Da. The acetate salt form (tesamorelin acetate) is the standard supplied form.

How tesamorelin differs from CJC-1295

Both are GHRH analogs designed to overcome the very short plasma half-life of native GHRH (roughly seven minutes), but they use different structural strategies. Tesamorelin retains the full GHRH (1-44) sequence and uses a hexenoic acid N-terminal modification for DPP-IV resistance. CJC-1295 is a shorter GHRH (1-29) fragment with either no modification or a drug-affinity-complex modification for albumin binding. See /uae/guides/cjc-1295-ipamorelin for the comparative reference.

Why tesamorelin is written as TH9507, Egrifta, or GHRH analog

Four variant names appear across the literature and commercial sources. Each refers to the same compound.

The biological activity of tesamorelin is built on engagement with the growth hormone releasing hormone receptor and on the structural stabilisation that allows the peptide to reach the receptor at clinically relevant plasma concentrations.

Phase 3 visceral adiposity findings

Falutz and colleagues (N Engl J Med, 2007;357(23):2359-2370) reported a 26-week double-blind placebo-controlled Phase 3 trial of tesamorelin in HIV-infected adults with abdominal lipodystrophy. The published findings documented a significant reduction in visceral adipose tissue measured by CT scan compared with placebo, with corresponding effects on triglycerides and the total cholesterol to HDL ratio. This study and a parallel Phase 3 trial formed the regulatory basis for the FDA approval.

Liver fat and metabolic findings

Stanley and colleagues (JAMA, 2014;312(4):380-389) reported a 6-month randomised controlled trial of tesamorelin in HIV-infected adults with abdominal fat accumulation. The published findings documented reductions in liver fat measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A follow-on multicentre trial published in Lancet HIV (Stanley TL, Fourman LT, et al., 2019) extended the liver fat work into participants with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the setting of HIV.

Growth hormone axis pharmacology

The mechanistic distinction of tesamorelin within the GHRH-analog class is its pulsatility-preserving effect on endogenous growth hormone secretion. Exogenous GH administration suppresses pulsatile release; GHRH-analog stimulation preserves it. Researchers studying the growth hormone axis use tesamorelin as a tool when the pulsatility variable matters to their experimental design.

All effects described in this section have been reported in published clinical trial literature. They are referenced here for research context and do not constitute therapeutic claims outside the FDA-approved Egrifta indication.

References

The primary peer-reviewed sources referenced in this guide. The originals are linked in full for anyone who wants the methods behind them.

• Falutz J, Allas S, Blot K, et al. Metabolic effects of a growth hormone-releasing factor in patients with HIV. N Engl J Med. 2007;357(23):2359-2370. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa072375.
• Stanley TL, Feldpausch MN, Oh J, et al. Effect of tesamorelin on visceral fat and liver fat in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2014;312(4):380-389. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.8334.
• Stanley TL, Fourman LT, Feldpausch MN, et al. Effects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIV: a randomised, double-blind, multicentre trial. Lancet HIV. 2019;6(12):e821-e830. doi:10.1016/S2352-3018(19)30338-8.

Tesamorelin appears across four principal research application areas in the published literature. The compound's established clinical evidence base distinguishes it from most other research peptides and supports a broader range of mechanistic and translational research designs.

Growth hormone axis research

The principal mechanistic application area. Investigators use tesamorelin as a tool to probe GHRH receptor pharmacology, the relationship between GHRH stimulation and downstream IGF-1 signalling, and the pulsatility-preservation property that distinguishes GHRH-analog stimulation from exogenous GH administration.

Visceral adipose tissue and lipodystrophy research

The Falutz NEJM 2007 trial and the parallel Phase 3 work characterised tesamorelin effects on visceral adipose tissue measured by CT scan. Investigators study tesamorelin in adipose-tissue biology, fat distribution models, and lipodystrophy research designs.

Liver fat and metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease research

The Stanley JAMA 2014 trial and the Stanley Lancet HIV 2019 trial provide the published basis for tesamorelin research applications in liver fat biology and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (now reclassified as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, MASLD).

Lipid metabolism research

Published trial data documents tesamorelin effects on triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL, and the total cholesterol to HDL ratio. Investigators use these published endpoints as benchmarks when designing tesamorelin-related lipid research protocols.

A research peptide pen is a factory-sealed, pre-filled delivery device supplied ready to use at a fixed concentration, with no reconstitution or mixing step at the point of use. The format originated in clinical injection devices, including the original Egrifta presentation, and has been adapted for research handler use where dose consistency across experiments matters more than per-experiment flexibility.

The pen format differs from the lyophilised vial format in three practical ways. Pens arrive ready to use with no reconstitution step. The seal limits airborne contamination during repeated draws. The graduated dose mechanism provides volume consistency that is difficult to match with a manual draw from a stoppered vial.

A pen fixes the concentration set at manufacture, which suits a single-concentration study or a series of replicates at the same dose and reduces handler variance. For in vitro assays that call for a range of working concentrations, researchers derive those from the fixed-concentration stock in the laboratory.

Storage follows a straightforward cold-chain protocol: refrigerated storage at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius before and after first use, with the stability window documented on the Certificate of Analysis. Cold-chain integrity from supplier through delivery is a precondition for any subsequent stability claim.

The Baseline tesamorelin peptide pen is supplied at a fixed concentration with batch-specific HPLC purity and mass spectrometry confirmation on the CoA. The research pen is distinct from the FDA-approved Egrifta clinical product.

The quality of tesamorelin is defined by the documentation that accompanies it. A peptide with a published synthesis route but no batch-specific Certificate of Analysis is not a research material; it is an unknown. Researchers procuring tesamorelin in the UAE or anywhere else should expect the following at minimum.

• HPLC purity greater than 98 percent, ideally above 99 percent for sensitive research applications.
• Mass spectrometry confirmation of the 44-amino-acid tesamorelin sequence and the trans-3-hexenoic acid N-terminal modification.
• Batch-specific Certificate of Analysis from an independent third-party lab, not just an in-house result.
• Endotoxin testing where the material is intended for cell culture or animal research.
• Documented cold-chain handling from synthesis through shipping, with temperature logs available on request.

For Baseline tesamorelin, the per-batch lab report is published at /uae/peptides/tesamorelin-32. The CoA documents HPLC purity, mass spectrometry confirmation of the 44-amino-acid tesamorelin sequence with the trans-3-hexenoic acid modification, and the in-house concentration assay. Independent third-party reports are available on request.

If there is no CoA, there is no peptide. Only powder.

Tesamorelin in the FDA-approved Egrifta formulation is a regulated medicine in the United States and a controlled product in the jurisdictions where its registration has been recognised. The Egrifta product is not the same as the research peptide supplied by Baseline.

Research peptides are not classified as pharmaceuticals under UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2024 and are not regulated as medicines. Tesamorelin is not an approved medicine in this format and is not a substitute for the Egrifta clinical product. It is only ever considered after a consultation. Your consultant reviews your history first, and you are monitored throughout.

Cold-chain handling matters more in the Gulf than almost anywhere else. Summer ambient temperatures routinely exceed the stability window for these compounds, so where a program is running the chain from storage to delivery is our responsibility rather than a courier’s. See the dedicated reference at peptide delivery and GCC cold chain for the operational considerations.

For the full UAE regulatory context covering research peptide procurement, see Is it legal to buy peptides in Dubai and the UAE.

The questions below cover the most common queries from UAE-based researchers and procurement teams. Each answer is independently sourced and can be cross-referenced against the linked product pages and lab results.

Tesamorelin is one of several compounds Baseline consultants work with, each documented the same way. The references below provide background on adjacent research compounds frequently studied alongside tesamorelin.

Compare it against the other compounds a program may include in the UAE.