Tesamorelin

Tesamorelin (Egrifta) is FDA-approved for the reduction of excess abdominal fat in HIV-infected adults with lipodystrophy. It is the only FDA-approved GHRH analog. Off-label research interest includes visceral fat reduction, body composition improvement, and cognitive function in aging.

Both are GHRH analogs that stimulate pituitary GH release. Tesamorelin is a stabilized full-length GHRH(1-44) analog with FDA approval and robust clinical data. CJC-1295 is a modified GHRH(1-29) fragment available as a research chemical. Tesamorelin has more clinical validation; CJC-1295 (with DAC) has a much longer half-life (~8 days vs 26 minutes).

Tesamorelin has a plasma half-life of approximately 26 minutes, similar to native GHRH. This short half-life necessitates once-daily subcutaneous administration, which produces a physiological morning GH pulse pattern. The approved clinical dose is 2mg subcutaneously once daily.

Yes. Tesamorelin significantly increases IGF-1 levels by stimulating pulsatile GH secretion from the pituitary. In HIV lipodystrophy trials, IGF-1 increased by approximately 181 ng/mL from baseline. IGF-1 monitoring is recommended to assess response and avoid supraphysiological levels.

Research in non-HIV populations shows tesamorelin reduces visceral adipose tissue and improves body composition. Studies in older adults show significant visceral fat reduction and improvements in cognitive function. It is a research subject for metabolic syndrome, age-related body composition changes, and GH deficiency states.