The main trials enrolled adults who had both HIV and excess belly fat.
A dummy injection, also called a placebo, was used for comparison. It had no active tesamorelin. Keep that comparison in view when reading a result.
Read the trial result and its limits
Falutz and colleagues’ 2007 paper reports on 412 adults followed for 26 weeks.
Deep belly fat fell by 15.2% with tesamorelin and rose by 5.0% with the dummy injection.
Their 2010 trial followed 404 adults for about six months. In the tesamorelin group, deep belly fat dropped by 10.9%; the dummy-injection group had a 0.6% drop.
Earlier trial
Later trial
Read what the result does not promise
The main trials found little change in body weight.
After 26 weeks, researchers replaced tesamorelin with the dummy injection for some people. Deep belly fat returned in that group during the next 26 weeks.
The label says the effects on blood vessels and the heart over the long term have not been established.
Ask how the study group compares with you and which result matches your goal.
Use the right source for the question
For the approved use and cautions, read the medicine label. For a trial result, open the paper. For a licence, go to the relevant board.
For the earlier trial, the label uses a mathematical model, a way of estimating results, to calculate its percentages. Its figures differ from the paper’s numbers above. Both show deep belly fat falling with tesamorelin and rising with the dummy injection.
These are results for groups of people. Ask the doctor what they can tell you about your own care.
Read the source notes
Source-check dates: September 28, 2026.
- DailyMed: the tesamorelin (EGRIFTA WR) label
- DailyMed: the tesamorelin (EGRIFTA SV) label
- PubMed: the earlier main trial, by Falutz and colleagues
- PubMed: the later main trial, by Falutz and colleagues
- FDA: tesamorelin approval and licence record
- FDA: questions and answers on compounding
- Look up your state’s medical board
- FDA: find your state pharmacy licence search
Ask for confirmation of the current product, rules and costs before deciding on care.