The tesamorelin dosage used in the pivotal Phase 3 trials was 2 mg once daily, injected subcutaneously. The 2019 reformulation, Egrifta SV, is labeled at 1.4 mg once daily. Both numbers are right, and neither transfers cleanly to a research vial. We'll show you why.
Tesamorelin has two correct doses. The pivotal Phase 3 trials used 2 mg once daily by subcutaneous injection. The 2019 reformulation, Egrifta SV, is dosed at 1.4 mg once daily. Same molecule, new formulation, different number. It's also the one compound here with a real label.
Why does tesamorelin have two doses?
Tesamorelin has two doses because it has two formulations. Egrifta was approved in 2010 on two Falutz Phase 3 trials in HIV-associated lipodystrophy, dosed at 2 mg daily.
In 2019 the product was reformulated as Egrifta SV, with improved bioavailability, so the labeled dose came down to 1.4 mg daily for equivalent exposure. Neither number is wrong. They belong to different products.
Research-grade tesamorelin is neither formulation. It's lyophilized powder, and the bioavailability assumptions behind both labeled doses don't transfer to it.
| Context | Dose | Route and frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Falutz Phase 3 trials (2007) | 2 mg | Subcutaneous, once daily |
| Egrifta, original label (2010) | 2 mg | Subcutaneous, once daily |
| Egrifta SV, reformulated (2019) | 1.4 mg | Subcutaneous, once daily |
| Research-grade powder | No established equivalent — a different formulation with different assumptions | |
What did the tesamorelin dose produce?
Tesamorelin at 2 mg daily cut visceral adipose tissue by 15–18% at 26 weeks against placebo. That's the result the FDA approval rests on, and visceral fat reduction in HIV-associated lipodystrophy is the only labeled indication.
Later work added liver-fat and immune-activation findings. A 2025 trial in cognition failed, which you should weigh against how tesamorelin gets marketed.
Daily, not weekly. Tesamorelin is the outlier in a library full of once-weekly compounds. It's a GHRH analog with a short half-life, and the labeled regimen is once daily.
We'd treat any protocol that applies a weekly incretin rhythm to tesamorelin as borrowed from the wrong drug class.
Tesamorelin
The reference compound behind the Falutz trial literature. Research use only, supplied with a batch-matched certificate of analysis.
How do you turn a tesamorelin dose into a volume?
Turning a tesamorelin dose into a volume is two divisions: milligrams in the vial ÷ milliliters of diluent = concentration, then dose ÷ concentration = the volume you draw. The calculator shows the working.
Our note on reconstitution technique covers why a daily-use vial makes diluent choice matter more here than it does for a weekly compound.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard tesamorelin dose?
The Phase 3 trials and the original Egrifta label used 2 mg once daily, subcutaneously. The 2019 reformulation, Egrifta SV, is labeled at 1.4 mg once daily. It's a different formulation delivering equivalent exposure.
Why do some sources say 2 mg and others 1.4 mg?
Both are correct for their own formulation. 2 mg is original Egrifta and the pivotal trials. 1.4 mg is reformulated Egrifta SV, which has better bioavailability.
Is tesamorelin daily or weekly?
Daily. Tesamorelin is a GHRH analog with a short half-life, unlike the once-weekly incretins that dominate this category. Applying a weekly rhythm to it borrows from the wrong drug class.
What did tesamorelin achieve at that dose?
A 15–18% reduction in visceral adipose tissue at 26 weeks versus placebo, across the two pivotal trials. That's the basis of tesamorelin's FDA approval for HIV-associated lipodystrophy.
Does research-grade tesamorelin use the same dose?
No. The labeled doses belong to specific formulations with known bioavailability. Lyophilized research powder is neither, so those assumptions don't transfer and we can't give you a research equivalent.
Tesamorelin
Research-use-only material, sold by the vial with batch documentation. Check the certificate of analysis against the batch you receive.
What to know now
- Both numbers are right. 2 mg once daily came from the pivotal Phase 3 trials, given by subcutaneous injection.
- Egrifta SV is 1.4 mg once daily. The 2019 reformulation changed the number without changing the molecule.
- Tesamorelin has a real label. It is the one compound here where the dose is published fact rather than inference from a protocol.
- Reconstitution decides what you draw. Concentration depends on the water you add, so the arithmetic has to be done every time.
- A published dose is not a recommendation. Those numbers describe what trials and a label used, in a defined group under supervision.
References
- Falutz, J., Allas, S., Blot, K., et al. (2007). Metabolic effects of a growth hormone–releasing factor in patients with HIV. New England Journal of Medicine, 357(23), 2359–2370. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa072375
- Falutz, J., Allas, S., Mamputu, J. C., et al. (2008). Long-term safety and effects of tesamorelin, a growth hormone-releasing factor analogue, in HIV patients with abdominal fat accumulation. AIDS, 22(14), 1719–1728. https://doi.org/10.1097/qad.0b013e32830a5058
- Russo, S. C., Ockene, M. W., Arpante, A. K., et al. (2024). Efficacy and safety of tesamorelin in people with HIV on integrase inhibitors. AIDS, 38(12), 1758–1764. https://doi.org/10.1097/QAD.0000000000003965
- Sigalos, J. T., & Pastuszak, A. W. (2018). The safety and efficacy of growth hormone secretagogues. Sexual Medicine Reviews, 6(1), 45–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sxmr.2017.02.004