HomePeptide dosagesTesamorelin
Tesamorelin dosage: chart, reported range and vial math
Tesamorelin is injected under the skin of the abdomen once a day. The label dose depends on the product: 2 mg for the original Egrifta, 1.4 mg for Egrifta SV and 1.28 mg for Egrifta WR. It is approved in the US for one use, excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV.
Tesamorelin dosage chart
Reported range, not a label dosePick your vial size. Each row shows the dose in milligrams or micrograms, the volume to draw and the mark on a U-100 syringe.
| Source | Dose | Volume | Syringe units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reported low end | 1 mg | 0.50 mL | 50 units |
| Egrifta WR label | 1.28 mg | 0.64 mL | 64 units |
| Egrifta SV label | 1.4 mg | 0.70 mL | 70 units |
| Original Egrifta label | 2 mg | 1.00 mL | 100 units |
Source Label doses are for the Egrifta products as supplied, which are not interchangeable. The 1 mg row is reported use, not a label dose. Vial math is arithmetic.
Which syringe fits each dose
For the 2 mg vial at 2 mg/mL.
| Dose | Volume | Units | 0.3 mL syringe | 0.5 mL syringe | 1 mL syringe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mg | 0.50 mL | 50 units | No | Yes | Yes |
| 1.28 mg | 0.64 mL | 64 units | No | No | Yes |
| 1.4 mg | 0.70 mL | 70 units | No | No | Yes |
| 2 mg | 1.00 mL | 100 units | No | No | Yes |
How long a vial lasts
Whole doses in one vial. The row for the size picked above is marked.
| Vial | 1 mg | 1.28 mg | 1.4 mg | 2 mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 mg vial | 2 doses | 1 dose | 1 dose | 1 dose |
| 5 mg vial | 5 doses | 3 doses | 3 doses | 2 doses |
| 10 mg vial | 10 doses | 7 doses | 7 doses | 5 doses |
How to mix a Tesamorelin vial
These steps are for the 2 mg vial picked in the chart. Change the size there and the amounts here change with it.
- Wash your hands. Wipe the stopper of the peptide vial and the water vial with an alcohol swab.
- Draw 1 mL of bacteriostatic water into a syringe.
- Push the needle through the stopper of the peptide vial and let the water run slowly down the glass, not straight onto the powder.
- Swirl the vial gently until the powder is gone. Do not shake it.
- Write the date and 2 mg/mL on the vial, then put it in the fridge.
| Vial | Bacteriostatic water | Concentration |
|---|---|---|
| 2 mg vial | 1 mL | 2 mg/mL |
| 5 mg vial | 2.5 mL | 2 mg/mL |
| 10 mg vial | 2.5 mL | 4 mg/mL |
What Tesamorelin is
Tesamorelin is a synthetic analog of human growth hormone-releasing factor: the full 44 amino acid sequence with a hexenoyl group attached to the first amino acid. It makes the pituitary release growth hormone. [1]
Other names: TH9507, tesamorelin acetate, Egrifta, Egrifta SV, Egrifta WR.
How it has been given to people: injection under the skin of the abdomen, once daily.
What to know before reading a dose
- Approved for one use only: excess abdominal fat in HIV-infected adults with lipodystrophy. The label says it is not for weight loss and has a weight neutral effect.
- The three US products are dosed differently (2 mg original, 1.4 mg Egrifta SV, 1.28 mg Egrifta WR) because the formulations differ. The labels say the blood levels are similar and that Egrifta WR and Egrifta SV are not substitutable. A dose in mg only makes sense with the product named.
- The effect lasts only while treatment continues: visceral fat returned quickly in patients switched to placebo [7].
- Contraindicated in pregnancy, in active cancer and in people with a disrupted hypothalamic-pituitary axis.
- The label warns of raised IGF-1, glucose intolerance and diabetes, fluid retention and injection site reactions, and says long-term cardiovascular safety has not been established.
- Not currently marketed in Canada: both Egrifta DINs are cancelled in the Drug Product Database [5].
- Health Canada has listed tesamorelin among unauthorized injectable peptide drugs seized from an online seller [13]. Those products are not Egrifta.
Doses on record for Tesamorelin
Every dose below was given in a human study or printed on an approved label, and each links to its source. Doses set by body weight are left that way.
| From | Where it was used | Dose | How often | For how long | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Label | Egrifta SV (US) prescribing information, 2 mg/vial formulation | 1.4 mg (0.35 mL of the reconstituted solution) | once daily | no fixed length on the label; it says to weigh the risk and benefit of continuing in patients whose visceral fat has not fallen | [1] |
| Label | Egrifta WR (US) prescribing information, 11.6 mg/vial formulation | 1.28 mg (0.16 mL of the reconstituted solution) | once daily | no fixed length on the label; it says to weigh the risk and benefit of continuing in patients whose visceral fat has not fallen | [2] |
| Label | Egrifta (US) original approval label of November 2010, 1 mg/vial formulation | 2 mg | once a day | no fixed length on the label | [3] |
| Human study | Phase 3 trial (NCT00123253), the first of the two trials behind the approval | 2 mg | once daily | 26 weeks | [6] |
| Human study | Second of the two placebo-controlled trials behind the approval (NCT00435136 per PubMed and the FDA label), with a 6-month extension | 2 mg | once daily | 6 months, then 6 more months on tesamorelin or switched to placebo | [7] |
| Human study | Placebo-controlled dose-ranging trial (phase not stated in the abstract) | 1 mg | once daily | 12 weeks | [8] |
| Human study | Placebo-controlled dose-ranging trial (phase not stated in the abstract) | 2 mg | once daily | 12 weeks | [8] |
| Human study | Randomized placebo-controlled trial of visceral and liver fat (NCT01263717; the registry lists no phase) | 2 mg | once daily | 6 months | [9] |
| Human study | Randomized placebo-controlled trial in HIV with fatty liver (NCT02196831; the registry lists no phase) | 2 mg | once daily | 12 months, then a 6-month open-label phase | [10] |
| Human study | Phase 2 randomized placebo-controlled safety trial in type 2 diabetes (NCT01264497) | 1 mg | not stated in the abstract | 12 weeks | [11] |
| Human study | Phase 2 randomized placebo-controlled safety trial in type 2 diabetes (NCT01264497) | 2 mg | not stated in the abstract | 12 weeks | [11] |
| Human study | Phase 2 randomized placebo-controlled trial of cognition (NCT00257712), self-injection under the skin | 1 mg | once daily, 30 minutes before bedtime | 20 weeks | [12] |
What the evidence shows
Each finding is tagged by the kind of study it comes from. Human trials are listed first.
Randomized human trial
In the first Phase 3 trial, visceral fat on CT fell 15.2% over 26 weeks on 2 mg daily and rose 5.0% on placebo. [6]
Randomized human trial
IGF-I rose 81% on tesamorelin in that trial and fell 5% on placebo. [6]
Randomized human trial
In the second Phase 3 trial, visceral fat fell 10.9% over 6 months on 2 mg daily against 0.6% on placebo. [7]
Randomized human trial
The fat came back when treatment stopped: patients switched to placebo after 6 months quickly lost the improvement. [7]
Randomized human trial
In the 12-week dose-ranging trial, 2 mg lowered trunk fat against placebo; the fall in visceral fat on 2 mg (15.7%) was not statistically significant against placebo in that small trial, and on 1 mg the fall (3.6%) was smaller than on placebo (5.4%). [8]
Randomized human trial
In HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation, 6 months of 2 mg daily reduced visceral fat and modestly reduced liver fat. [9]
Randomized human trial
In people with HIV and fatty liver, 35% of those on tesamorelin and 4% of those on placebo had liver fat below 5% after 12 months. [10]
Randomized human trial
In patients with type 2 diabetes, 12 weeks of 1 mg or 2 mg did not change insulin response or blood sugar control. [11]
Randomized human trial
In adults aged 55 to 87 without HIV, 20 weeks of 1 mg nightly had a favourable effect on cognitive test scores against placebo. This is not an approved use. [12]
Randomized human trial
The label states that tesamorelin does not change body weight and is not a weight loss treatment. [1]
Small human study
Less than 4% of a dose injected under the skin reaches the bloodstream. [1]
Small human study
The three US products use different doses because the formulations differ, not because the intended exposure differs: 1.4 mg of Egrifta SV gives blood levels similar to 2 mg of the original Egrifta. [1]
Small human study
Likewise 1.28 mg of Egrifta WR gives blood levels similar to 2 mg of the original Egrifta. [2]
Side effects and warnings
Reported in human studies or on a label:
- Most common adverse reactions on the label (more than 5% of patients): joint pain, injection site redness and itching, pain in an arm or leg, swelling of the limbs, and muscle pain. [1]
- Injection site reactions occurred in 25% of treated patients and 14% of placebo patients in the first 26 weeks of the trials. [1]
- Hypersensitivity reactions (itching, redness, flushing, hives, rash) occurred in 4% of treated patients. [1]
- IGF-1 rose above the normal range in many patients: after 26 weeks 47% were more than 2 standard deviation scores above the mean and 36% more than 3. [1]
- More patients developed diabetes-range HbA1c on tesamorelin than on placebo: 5% against 1%, hazard ratio 3.3. [1]
- Fluid retention can occur, showing up as swelling, joint pain or carpal tunnel syndrome. [1]
- In the first Phase 3 trial, overall adverse event rates were similar to placebo, but more patients on tesamorelin dropped out because of an adverse event. [6]
- In the 20-week trial in older adults, mild adverse events were reported by 68% on tesamorelin and 36% on placebo. [12]
From the label
- Do not use in patients whose hypothalamic-pituitary axis is disrupted, for example by pituitary removal, hypopituitarism, pituitary tumour or surgery, head irradiation or head trauma. [1]
- Do not use in patients with active cancer; any earlier cancer should be inactive and its treatment finished first. [1]
- Do not use in pregnancy. [1]
- Do not use in patients with known hypersensitivity to tesamorelin or the other ingredients. [1]
- Increased risk of neoplasms: stop treatment if there is any sign of a cancer returning. [1]
- Raised IGF-1: the long-term effects are unknown, and IGF-1 should be monitored during treatment. [1]
- Glucose intolerance or diabetes may develop; glucose should be checked before and during treatment. [1]
- Acute critical illness: growth hormone in pharmacologic amounts has been linked to increased mortality in critically ill patients, so stopping should be considered. [1]
- Not for children: in children whose growth plates are open it may cause excessive growth. [1]
- Long-term cardiovascular safety has not been established. [1]
- Drugs cleared by cytochrome P450 liver enzymes (for example corticosteroids, sex steroids, anticonvulsants, cyclosporine): growth hormone may change their clearance, so patients should be monitored. [1]
- Glucocorticoid replacement: patients on it for diagnosed hypoadrenalism may need a higher maintenance or stress dose after starting. [1]
- Egrifta WR and Egrifta SV cannot be swapped for each other dose for dose. [2]
Storage
Egrifta SV: store the unmixed 2 mg vials at room temperature (20 to 25 C per the label), in the original box away from light. Use straight after mixing; do not freeze or refrigerate the mixed solution. [1]
Egrifta SV after mixing: use at once and throw away what is left. [1]
Egrifta WR: store the vial at room temperature (20 to 25 C per the label) in the original box. One mixed vial covers 7 daily doses and is kept at room temperature; discard what is left 7 days after mixing; do not freeze. [2]
Original Egrifta 1 mg vials (2010 label): unmixed vials had to be kept in the refrigerator (2 to 8 C per the label) and protected from light. [3]
Tesamorelin dosage questions
How many units is 1.28 mg of Tesamorelin from a 2 mg vial?
Mixed with 1 mL of bacteriostatic water, a 2 mg vial is 2 mg/mL. 1.28 mg is 0.64 mL, which is 64 units on a U-100 syringe.
How much water goes in a 2 mg Tesamorelin vial?
1 mL gives 2 mg/mL. At that strength the doses in the chart sit at 50, 64, 70, 100 units on a U-100 syringe.
How many doses are in a 2 mg vial?
Whole doses in one vial: 2 at 1 mg, 1 at 1.28 mg, 1 at 1.4 mg, 1 at 2 mg.
Is Tesamorelin approved in the US?
FDA approved (BLA 022505, first approved November 10, 2010) for one use only: reducing excess abdominal fat in HIV-infected adults with lipodystrophy.
Is Tesamorelin authorized in Canada?
Not currently marketed in Canada: Egrifta DIN 02438712 (1 mg/vial) is Cancelled Post Market as of 2022-09-30 and DIN 02423677 (2 mg/vial) is Cancelled Pre Market as of 2023-07-13.
What is the half-life of Tesamorelin?
About 8 minutes in healthy adults after one 1.4 mg dose of Egrifta SV under the skin. Other labels give other figures for other formulations and conditions (see also).
What does the Egrifta SV label say about dose?
1.4 mg (0.35 mL of the reconstituted solution) injected under the skin of the abdomen once daily; 2 mg single-dose vial
Sources
Each one was opened on 10 Oct 2026 and matched to the line it supports.
- EGRIFTA SV (tesamorelin) for injection: US prescribing information Theratechnologies Inc., via openFDA and DailyMed 2026-07-29. api.fda.gov.
- EGRIFTA WR (tesamorelin) for injection: US prescribing information Theratechnologies Inc., via openFDA and DailyMed 2026-07-29. api.fda.gov.
- EGRIFTA (tesamorelin for injection): original US approval label, BLA 022505 US Food and Drug Administration, Drugs@FDA 2010-11. accessdata.fda.gov.
- Drugs@FDA application record for EGRIFTA, BLA 022505 (via openFDA) US Food and Drug Administration. api.fda.gov.
- Health Canada Drug Product Database: EGRIFTA product and status records (DIN 02438712, DIN 02423677) Health Canada. health-products.canada.ca.
- Falutz J et al. Metabolic effects of a growth hormone-releasing factor in patients with HIV. N Engl J Med 2007. PubMed 18057338. Trial NCT00123253.
- Falutz J et al. Effects of tesamorelin, a growth hormone-releasing factor, in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation: a randomized placebo-controlled trial with a safety extension. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2010. PubMed 20101189. Trial NCT00435136.
- Falutz J et al. A placebo-controlled, dose-ranging study of a growth hormone releasing factor in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation. AIDS 2005. PubMed 16052083.
- Stanley TL 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. PubMed 25038357. Trial NCT01263717.
- Stanley TL et al. Effects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIV: a randomised, double-blind, multicentre trial. Lancet HIV 2019. PubMed 31611038. Trial NCT02196831.
- Clemmons DR et al. Safety and metabolic effects of tesamorelin, a growth hormone-releasing factor analogue, in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial. PLoS One 2017. PubMed 28617838. Trial NCT01264497.
- Baker LD et al. Effects of growth hormone-releasing hormone on cognitive function in adults with mild cognitive impairment and healthy older adults: results of a controlled trial. Arch Neurol 2012. PubMed 22869065. Trial NCT00257712.
- Unauthorized injectable peptide drugs seized and sold by Canada Peptide may pose serious health risks Health Canada 2025-08-01. recalls-rappels.canada.ca.
- The Prohibited List (2026 list as shown on the WADA website) World Anti-Doping Agency. wada-ama.org.
Looked for and not found
- The Canadian product monograph (Canadian indication and dose): not fetched. Only the Drug Product Database status records were read.
- Why the two Canadian DINs were cancelled: the database gives no reason.
- A current US label for the original 1 mg/vial Egrifta: not on DailyMed or openFDA. The 2 mg dose row for it is taken from the November 2010 approval label.
- Approval dates of the Egrifta SV and Egrifta WR formulations: not recorded here. Drugs@FDA shows them as supplements to BLA 022505 and the supplement history was not read in full.
- Missed-dose instructions: not looked up in the patient leaflet sections.
- The registry record of the second approval trial: ClinicalTrials.gov now redirects NCT00435136 to NCT00123253 (the first trial), so no separate record was read. Trial phases given here are from ClinicalTrials.gov records NCT00123253, NCT01264497 and NCT00257712.
- Any trial in healthy people measuring muscle gain, strength or athletic performance.
Change log
10 Oct 2026Page published. 14 sources checked. Vial math added for the 2 and 5 and 10 mg vials.
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