- Is Tesamorelin for sale in Canada?
- Yes, in two very different forms. Egrifta, the approved tesamorelin product, is a prescription drug in Canada for HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Research-grade tesamorelin — which is not Egrifta and carries no DIN — is available from Canada Peptides, priced and shipped in CAD, strictly for laboratory and research use, not for human consumption.
- What is tesamorelin?
- Tesamorelin is a synthetic analogue of full-length growth hormone-releasing hormone with a trans-3-hexenoyl group on its N-terminus that protects it from enzymatic breakdown. It stimulates the pituitary to release growth hormone and was developed by Theratechnologies in Montréal.
- Is tesamorelin approved by Health Canada?
- The branded product Egrifta is approved by Health Canada and the FDA for the reduction of excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. No other use is approved, and the research-grade material sold here is not the approved product and has no authorisation of its own.
- What does the research on tesamorelin actually show?
- Two Phase 3 trials in more than 800 people with HIV and abdominal fat accumulation showed a roughly 15–18 % reduction in visceral fat over 26 weeks at 2 mg daily, reversing on withdrawal. Later trials reported reductions in liver fat, and one trial reported a cognitive benefit in older adults. There are no trials supporting fat loss in healthy adults.
- What is the half-life of tesamorelin?
- Short — 26 minutes in healthy adults and 38 minutes in people with HIV, according to the product monograph. The daily injection works by adding a GH pulse to the pituitary's own rhythm, not by maintaining a steady drug level.
- How was tesamorelin dosed in studies?
- The Phase 3 trials and the approved product use 2 mg subcutaneously once daily; the liver-fat trials used the same dose for 6 to 12 months, and the cognition trial used 1 mg daily. That is the labelled regimen of Egrifta in its approved population, not a recommendation for research-grade material, which has no validated dose and is for research use only.
- What side effects does tesamorelin research report?
- In the Phase 3 trials: injection-site reactions, joint pain, peripheral oedema, muscle pain and tingling, plus hypersensitivity reactions in a small minority. Some patients developed impaired glucose tolerance, and IGF-1 rose above the reference range in a meaningful minority. It is contraindicated in active malignancy, pregnancy and pituitary disruption.
- Tesamorelin vs ipamorelin — what is the difference?
- Tesamorelin is a GHRH analogue acting on the GHRH receptor with a full clinical trial record and an approved indication; ipamorelin is a ghrelin-receptor agonist with early-phase data only. They act on different receptors, so in applied research they are compared or combined rather than substituted.
