Tesamorelin Acetate
(EGRIFTA)

1996-2000

The Hidden Cost of Survival

When the Cure Changed Your Body

In 1996, the AIDS crisis turned a corner. New combination drug therapies — the famous 'cocktails' — were saving lives. People who had been planning their funerals were suddenly planning their futures.

But the drugs came with a price. Within months of starting treatment, many patients noticed something strange. Fat was disappearing from their faces, arms, and legs, but piling up around their bellies. Their cheeks became hollow. Their limbs looked skeletal. But their abdomens swelled.

Doctors called it lipodystrophy — a fancy word for 'fat in the wrong places.' Patients called it something worse: 'Crix belly,' named after Crixivan, one of the drugs that seemed to cause it. They had survived AIDS only to look like they were still dying.

1995-2005

The Montreal Solution

A Company Takes On the Challenge

In Montreal, Canada, a small pharmaceutical company called Theratechnologies was working on growth hormone problems. Their scientists had created a modified version of GHRH — the hormone that tells your pituitary gland to release growth hormone.

Natural GHRH breaks down in minutes. Theratechnologies' version, tesamorelin, lasted much longer. It was like putting a better battery in the body's growth hormone system.

When reports of HIV lipodystrophy emerged, the company saw a connection. Growth hormone was known to reduce visceral fat — the dangerous fat that wraps around your organs. Maybe tesamorelin could help HIV patients burn off their belly fat while their faces and limbs recovered.

2005-2008

The Trials

Proving It Worked

Clinical trials began across the United States and Canada. Over 800 HIV patients with lipodystrophy received either tesamorelin or placebo injections daily for six months.

The results were clear. Patients on tesamorelin lost an average of 18% of their visceral fat — the dangerous belly fat. Their waists shrank. Their cholesterol improved. And unlike many weight loss drugs, tesamorelin didn't cause patients to lose muscle.

But there was a catch. When patients stopped taking the drug, the fat came back. Tesamorelin wasn't a cure — it was a treatment. Patients would need to continue injections indefinitely to maintain the benefits.

2008-2010

The Approval Battle

Convincing the FDA

Theratechnologies faced a unique challenge. The FDA had never approved a drug specifically for HIV lipodystrophy. Some regulators questioned whether it was even a real medical condition or just a cosmetic concern.

Patient advocates fought back. They testified at FDA hearings about the psychological toll of lipodystrophy — the depression, the stigma, the feeling that their bodies were betraying them even as they fought to survive. They brought data showing that visceral fat increased cardiovascular risk.

The FDA listened. On November 10, 2010, tesamorelin became the first and only drug approved specifically for reducing excess abdominal fat in HIV patients with lipodystrophy. A small Canadian company had solved a problem the pharmaceutical giants had ignored.

2011-Present

Beyond HIV

New Horizons

With FDA approval secured, researchers began asking bigger questions. Could tesamorelin help people without HIV? Early studies suggest it might reduce liver fat in people with fatty liver disease — a condition affecting tens of millions worldwide.

In 2025, the FDA approved an improved version called EGRIFTA WR — a room-temperature stable formulation that doesn't need refrigeration. For patients in developing countries without reliable electricity, this could be transformative.

Researchers are also studying tesamorelin for cognitive function. Growth hormone affects the brain, and early data suggests the peptide might improve memory and focus. What started as a treatment for a disfiguring condition might someday help healthy aging.