Research summary
Research HubTesamorelin
Clinical — 10 studies
Tesamorelin is a synthetic analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) that has been tested in randomised clinical trials. Most of that work involves people with HIV and excess abdominal or liver fat.
Updated
Being studied for
- HIV-associated lipodystrophy
- Visceral adipose tissue in HIV
- HIV-associated fatty liver disease
- Neurocognition in HIV
- Mitochondrial function markers
What the research shows
All ten citations are human research, published between 2011 and 2026. Eight are clinical studies: a phase 3 analysis of inflammatory markers, a phase 2 study of neurocognition, a phase 1 population pharmacokinetic analysis, a randomised, double-blind multicentre trial in HIV-associated fatty liver disease, a study of hepatic gene expression in the same condition, a randomised trial in people taking integrase inhibitors, an analysis of predictors of response, and a 12-month study of phosphocreatine recovery. Two 2026 meta-analyses pool randomised trials in HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Every study but one involved people with HIV; the exception enrolled obese adults with reduced growth hormone secretion.
One meta-analysis reported lower hepatic fat and higher lean body mass and IGF-1, along with wider changes in body composition, without serious adverse effects or disturbance of glucose. The integrase-inhibitor trial reported favourable body-composition effects with no worsening of glycaemic control. Baseline metabolic syndrome, raised triglycerides and white race predicted a reduction in visceral adipose tissue after six months. In fatty liver disease, changes in hepatic gene expression among treated participants correlated with a more favourable fibrosis-related gene score. In the phase 2 study, waist circumference fell, but cognitive outcomes did not differ significantly between groups. The phase 3 analysis found modest shifts in adiponectin and fibrinolytic markers that tracked changes in visceral fat. In the non-HIV study, rises in IGF-I over 12 months were associated with phosphocreatine recovery measures that the authors related to mitochondrial function. The pharmacokinetic analysis fitted a one-compartment model with first- and zero-order absorption and linear elimination.
The evidence comes almost entirely from one clinical setting, people with HIV and excess abdominal or liver fat, and does not speak to general body composition. The integrase-inhibitor trial covers a single population defined by its drug regimen. The second meta-analysis noted growth hormone-related side effects and more discontinuations than in comparison groups, and called for more research on long-term safety. The phase 2 authors acknowledged insufficient power and the absence of a placebo arm, and the fatty liver trial's authors called for longer studies of liver histology.
Published Research
Evidence profile
Human Phase 3 evidence
10 cited publications · 8 primary trials
Findings below belong to the studies that reported them. They describe the material and conditions those authors used, not this product, and not an outcome to expect.
Core evidence
The publications most central to understanding this compound.
Body composition, hepatic fat, metabolic, and safety outcomes of Tesamorelin, a GHRH analogue, in HIV-associated lipodystrophy: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Badran AS et al. · Obesity research & clinical practice · 2026
Population: People with HIV-associated lipodystrophy
Pools the randomised evidence for tesamorelin across body composition, hepatic fat, metabolic and safety outcomes.
Context: Conducted entirely in an HIV-associated lipodystrophy population; it does not describe use for general body composition.
Supporting evidence
Effects of Tesamorelin on Neurocognitive Impairment in Persons With HIV and Abdominal Obesity
Ellis RJ et al. · The Journal of infectious diseases · 2025
The study reportedWhile tesamorelin reduced WC, the cognitive benefits did not significantly differ between groups. Recognizing the limitations of insufficient power and no placebo arm, this study suggests no clear benefit of short-term AO reduction with tesamorelin on NCI.
Efficacy and safety of tesamorelin in people with HIV on integrase inhibitors
Russo SC et al. · AIDS (London, England) · 2024
Population: People with HIV receiving integrase inhibitors
A randomised trial of tesamorelin in people with HIV taking integrase inhibitor regimens.
Context: A single population defined by its antiretroviral regimen.
Effects of tesamorelin on hepatic transcriptomic signatures in HIV-associated NAFLD
Fourman LT et al. · JCI insight · 2020
The study reportedNotably, among tesamorelin-treated participants, these changes in hepatic expression correlated with improved fibrosis-related gene score. Our findings inform our knowledge of the biology of pulsatile growth hormone action and provide a mechanistic basis for the observed clinical effects of tesamorelin on the liver.
Effects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIV: a randomised, double-blind, multicentre trial
Stanley TL et al. · The lancet. HIV · 2019
The study reportedTesamorelin might be beneficial in people with HIV and NAFLD. Further studies are needed to determine the long-term effects of tesamorelin on liver histology.
Population pharmacokinetic analysis of tesamorelin in HIV-infected patients and healthy subjects
González-Sales M et al. · Clinical pharmacokinetics · 2015
The study reportedAn open one-compartment model with first and zero order absorption processes and linear elimination is suitable to characterize the pharmacokinetics of tesamorelin. The fraction of tesamorelin absorbed by a first-order process evolves with time.
Predictors of Treatment Response to Tesamorelin, a Growth Hormone-Releasing Factor Analog, in HIV-Infected Patients with Excess Abdominal Fat
Mangili A et al. · PloS one · 2015
The study reportedIndividuals with baseline MetS-NCEP, elevated triglyceride levels, or white race were most likely to experience reductions in VAT after 6 months of tesamorelin treatment. The odds of response of VAT <140 cm2 was 3.9 times greater for tesamorelin-treated patients than that of patients receiving placebo.
The effects of tesamorelin on phosphocreatine recovery in obese subjects with reduced GH
Makimura H et al. · The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2014
The study reportedIncreases in IGF-I from 12 months of treatment with tesamorelin were significantly associated with improvements in PCr recovery parameters in obese men and women with reduced GH secretion, suggestive of improvements in mitochondrial function.
Effects of tesamorelin on inflammatory markers in HIV patients with excess abdominal fat: relationship with visceral adipose reduction
Stanley TL et al. · AIDS (London, England) · 2011
The study reportedIn HIV patients with abdominal adiposity, tesamorelin may have a modest beneficial effect on adiponectin and fibrinolytic markers in association with changes in VAT. Further studies are needed to determine the clinical significance of these changes.
Efficacy and Safety of Tesamorelin in People Living With HIV (PLWH) With Lipodystrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Ditta AM et al. · Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care · 2026
The study reportedHowever, limited data on long-term safety, optimal dosing strategies, and durability of treatment effects warrant caution. Future research should evaluate extended treatment duration, dose-response relationships, and patient-reported outcomes to establish comprehensive clinical utility.
Published studies summarised here concern the specific investigational or pharmaceutical materials and study conditions described by their authors. Their findings are not performance claims for Cobalt Peptides material. Citations verified against PubMed on 2026-09-29.
The studies summarised here are research reports; nothing on this page is guidance on use in people or animals.
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