# Tesamorelin vs sermorelin

- Canonical: https://residue.info/vs/tesamorelin-vs-sermorelin/
- Compounds: Tesamorelin (https://residue.info/c/tesamorelin/), Sermorelin (https://residue.info/c/sermorelin/)
- Updated: 2026-10-19 · Reviewed by: Residue Editorial Team

Both are synthetic analogs of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) that prompt the pituitary to release growth hormone [1][2]. Tesamorelin is FDA-approved as Egrifta to reduce excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV and lipodystrophy [2]. Sermorelin was approved as Geref, now listed as discontinued, and its clinical data come mainly from children with growth hormone deficiency [3][4].

## Side by side
| | Tesamorelin | Sermorelin |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Synthetic GHRH analog [2] | GHRH(1-29)-NH2, 29 amino acids [1] |
| FDA status | Approved: Egrifta [5] | Geref approved, now discontinued [3] |
| Approved use | Excess abdominal fat in HIV lipodystrophy; not for weight loss [2] | Pediatric GH deficiency (historic) [4] |
| Key result | Visceral fat −15.4% vs placebo at 26 wk (pooled phase 3) [6] | Height velocity 9.2–9.3 vs 14.6 cm/yr on GH [4] |
| Pharmacology | IGF-1 +108 ng/mL vs −7 on placebo (pooled phase 3) [6] | Rapidly eliminated; GH raised ~3 h after IV dose [7] |
| Adverse events | Arthralgia, myalgia, paresthesia, injection-site reactions [8] | Anti-GHRH antibodies in most treated children [4] |
| Evidence grade | A | A (historic approval) |

## How do their records differ?

Sermorelin is GHRH(1-29)-NH2 — the shortest synthetic peptide with the full biological activity of GHRH — and stimulates growth hormone secretion from the anterior pituitary [1]. Tesamorelin is also a GHRH analog [2]; PubChem's record gives it 44 residues, the first 29 matching sermorelin's [9][10]. Working through the pituitary, it raised mean IGF-1 by 108 ng/mL versus a fall of 7 ng/mL on placebo in pooled phase 3 data [6]. The difference is in what each was tested for and what FDA approved.

## What is the evidence for tesamorelin?

Tesamorelin's approval rests on two phase 3 trials in people with HIV and abdominal fat accumulation. Pooled, visceral adipose tissue fell by 24 cm² versus a 2 cm² rise on placebo at 26 weeks (a treatment effect of −15.4%), without significant change in subcutaneous fat [6]. The reduction was maintained at about −18% over 52 weeks, but visceral fat reaccumulated after stopping [11]. In a randomized trial of 61 people with HIV and fatty liver disease, hepatic fat fraction fell by an absolute 4.1% versus placebo [12]. A 2026 meta-analysis of five RCTs reported arthralgia, myalgia, paresthesia and injection-site reactions [8].

## What is the evidence for sermorelin?

Sermorelin's human data are older and pediatric. A 1999 review describes a single 1 µg/kg intravenous dose as a rapid, relatively specific diagnostic test for GH deficiency, and limited data suggesting daily subcutaneous use promoted growth in some prepubertal children [1]. In a 1987 study of 18 GH-deficient children, height velocity rose in 12 [13]. In a randomized study of 60 children, mean height velocity at 6 months was 9.2 and 9.3 cm/year on two GHRH doses versus 14.6 cm/year on growth hormone itself [4]. After an intravenous dose sermorelin is rapidly eliminated, though GH stays elevated for about 3 hours, and intranasal bioavailability was only 3–5% [7]. Most treated children developed anti-GHRH antibodies, without apparent effect on growth [4][13].

Neither compound has published randomized evidence for anti-aging or general adult use in the sources we fetched.

## Are they FDA-approved?

Egrifta (tesamorelin) is an active FDA application [5], and its label notes long-term cardiovascular safety has not been established [2]. Both Geref (sermorelin) applications appear in Drugs@FDA as discontinued [3][14].

## Frequently asked questions
**Are tesamorelin and sermorelin the same?**
No. Both act like GHRH, but sermorelin is the 29-amino-acid fragment GHRH(1-29)-NH2 [1], while tesamorelin is a separately developed GHRH analog with its own approval and label [2].

**Is either approved for weight loss?**
No. The Egrifta SV label states tesamorelin is not indicated for weight-loss management [2]. Sermorelin's approval was for children with growth hormone deficiency, and Geref is discontinued [3].

**What happens when tesamorelin is stopped?**
Visceral fat reaccumulated after discontinuation in the phase 3 extension [11].

**Can you take tesamorelin and sermorelin together?**
No published trial among the sources we cite tested them together. Tesamorelin (Egrifta) is labeled for a specific HIV-lipodystrophy indication [2]; sermorelin's former Geref approval was discontinued [3].

**Is tesamorelin better than sermorelin for fat loss?**
Tesamorelin reduced visceral fat by about 15% versus placebo in pooled phase 3 HIV-lipodystrophy trials [6]. Sermorelin's published record is diagnostic and short-term GH stimulation, not a fat-loss outcomes program [1].


## Sources
[1] Sermorelin: a review of its use in the diagnosis and treatment of children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency. Prakash A & Goa KL BioDrugs. 1999. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18031173/
[2] EGRIFTA SV prescribing information: Indications and Usage. FDA-approved labeling via openFDA/DailyMed, version effective 2026-07-29. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=3d783378-b02d-4f19-99dd-0fc91a042224
[3] Drugs@FDA: GEREF (NDA019863). EMD SERONO; original approval 1990-12-28; Discontinued. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf/index.cfm?event=overview.process&ApplNo=019863
[4] A comparative study of growth hormone (GH) and GH-releasing hormone(1-29)-NH2 for stimulation of growth in children with GH deficiency. Chen RG et al. Acta Paediatr Suppl. 1993. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8329830/
[5] Drugs@FDA: EGRIFTA (BLA022505). THERATECHNOLOGIES; original approval 2010-11-10; Prescription. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf/index.cfm?event=overview.process&ApplNo=022505
[6] Effects of tesamorelin (TH9507), a growth hormone-releasing factor analog, in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with excess abdominal fat: a pooled analysis of two multicenter, double-blind placebo-controlled phase 3 trials with safety extension data. Falutz J et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20554713/
[7] Pharmacokinetics of growth hormone-releasing hormone(1-29)-NH2 and stimulation of growth hormone secretion in healthy subjects after intravenous or intranasal administration. Wilton P et al. Acta Paediatr Suppl. 1993. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8329825/
[8] 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. Obes Res Clin Pract. 2026. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41545261/
[9] PubChem compound record: Tesamorelin. C221H366N72O67S · MW 5136 g/mol. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/16137828
[10] PubChem compound record: Sermorelin. C149H246N44O42S · MW 3357.9 g/mol. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/16132413
[11] Long-term safety and effects of tesamorelin, a growth hormone-releasing factor analogue, in HIV patients with abdominal fat accumulation. Falutz J et al. AIDS. 2008. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18690162/
[12] Effects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIV: a randomised, double-blind, multicentre trial. Stanley TL et al. Lancet HIV. 2019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31611038/
[13] Treatment of growth-hormone deficiency with growth-hormone-releasing hormone. Ross RJ et al. Lancet. 1987. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2879138/
[14] Drugs@FDA: GEREF (NDA020443). EMD SERONO INC; original approval 1997-09-26; Discontinued. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf/index.cfm?event=overview.process&ApplNo=020443

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