Tesamorelin vs sermorelin
Both are analogues of growth hormone-releasing hormone, so mechanically they belong to the same family. The difference that matters is regulatory: tesamorelin is an approved medicine in the United States with a specific licensed indication, and sermorelin is not currently marketed as one.
That single distinction shapes everything downstream — how each is obtained, what evidence sits behind it, and what a clinician can tell you about it.
- TesamorelinGHRH analogue
- SermorelinGHRH analogue
- Tesamorelin statusFDA-approved, specific indication
- Sermorelin statusCompounded
The regulatory difference
Tesamorelin is approved in the United States under the brand Egrifta for a specific, narrow population: reduction of excess visceral abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. That is the licensed indication, and it is the population the approval evidence covers.
Sermorelin held US approval historically and was withdrawn from the market as a branded product. It is now obtained through compounding pharmacies on a prescriber's order.
| Tesamorelin | Sermorelin | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | GHRH analogue | GHRH analogue |
| US approval | Approved (Egrifta) | Withdrawn as branded product |
| Licensed indication | HIV-associated lipodystrophy | None currently marketed |
| How obtained | Prescription, branded | Prescription, compounded |
| Sport status | WADA-prohibited | WADA-prohibited |
What 'approved for something else' does and does not mean
An approval is specific. Tesamorelin being approved does not make it appropriate for goals outside its licensed indication, and it does not mean the approval evidence transfers to a different population. Clinicians do prescribe outside licensed indications, but that is an explicit decision with its own reasoning, not an extension of the approval.
Equally, sermorelin not being marketed as an approved product does not automatically make it unsafe. It means the evidence base and the manufacturing oversight look different, and you should understand how before agreeing to anything.
Cost factors
We publish no figures. An approved branded medicine and a compounded preparation are priced through completely different mechanisms — one through pharmacy benefit and formulary, the other as a compounding pharmacy's preparation fee, usually alongside consultation and laboratory costs.
Coverage for either outside a licensed indication is uncommon. Ask directly rather than assuming.
Where to take this
If you are being offered either, ask which one, why that one rather than the other, what will be measured before and during, and what the pharmacy source is. A clinician working properly in this area will have ready answers.
Dosing is determined by a licensed provider.
Questions
Tesamorelin vs sermorelin: common questions
- Is tesamorelin approved for anti-ageing or body composition generally?
- No. Its US approval covers reduction of excess visceral abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Use outside that is prescribing outside the licensed indication.
- Why was sermorelin withdrawn?
- It was discontinued as a marketed branded product in the United States. Withdrawal of a brand is a commercial and regulatory event and is not by itself a safety finding.
- Which has more evidence behind it?
- Tesamorelin carries an approval dossier for its licensed indication, which is a substantially different evidence position from a compounded preparation. That does not automatically make it right for a different goal.
- Are both banned in sport?
- Both fall within the WADA prohibited list covering peptide hormones and growth factors.
Talk to a licensed provider
Both of these are prescriber territory, and the right question is what is actually going on before anything is prescribed. We connect you with licensed providers who investigate first.
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