Tesamorelin dosage calculator
Enter a vial and a dose and this returns the concentration, the volume and the syringe units. Underneath it, the same arithmetic worked out in advance for common vials, and the doses published studies of Tesamorelin actually used, every one quoted and cited. It converts numbers. It does not suggest what to take.
Work out concentration and what to draw
Two divisions, both shown. Concentration = mass in the vial ÷ diluent volume. Volume to draw = mass you want ÷ that concentration. Syringe units are that volume × the units per millilitre on your syringe's own scale.
Worked example: 5 mg in 2 mL is 2,500 mcg/mL, so 250 mcg is 0.1 mL, which is 10 units on a U-100 syringe and 4 units on a U-40. The scale is printed on the barrel; reading a U-40 syringe as if it were U-100 is a two-and-a-half-fold error.
Tesamorelin reconstitution chart
Units on a standard U-100 insulin syringe, where 100 units is 1 mL. The rows are the absolute doses quoted in studies of Tesamorelin, from 1 mg to 13 mg, so this chart is specific to this compound rather than a generic ladder. More diluent means more units for the same dose, which is easier to measure accurately and empties the vial no faster.
| Dose | 1 mL diluent (2,000 mcg/mL) | 2 mL diluent (1,000 mcg/mL) | 3 mL diluent (667 mcg/mL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mg | 50 | 100 | 150 >1 mL |
| 2 mg | 100 | 200 >1 mL | 300 >1 mL |
| 9 mg | 450 >1 mL | 900 >1 mL | 1,350 >1 mL |
| 13 mg | 650 >1 mL | 1,300 >1 mL | 1,950 >1 mL |
| Dose | 1 mL diluent (5,000 mcg/mL) | 2 mL diluent (2,500 mcg/mL) | 3 mL diluent (1,667 mcg/mL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mg | 20 | 40 | 60 |
| 2 mg | 40 | 80 | 120 >1 mL |
| 9 mg | 180 >1 mL | 360 >1 mL | 540 >1 mL |
| 13 mg | 260 >1 mL | 520 >1 mL | 780 >1 mL |
| Dose | 1 mL diluent (10,000 mcg/mL) | 2 mL diluent (5,000 mcg/mL) | 3 mL diluent (3,333 mcg/mL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mg | 10 | 20 | 30 |
| 2 mg | 20 | 40 | 60 |
| 9 mg | 90 | 180 >1 mL | 270 >1 mL |
| 13 mg | 130 >1 mL | 260 >1 mL | 390 >1 mL |
Read a figure off this chart only if it matches the vial in front of you. A vial labelled a different strength, or reconstituted with a different volume, gives a different number for the same dose, and that is the single most common way these calculations go wrong.
Doses in published studies of Tesamorelin
Each row is quoted from a paper in this compound's source ledger and carries the kind of evidence it came from. 6 of 6 come from human studies; the rest are animal or laboratory work.
| Evidence | Dose as the paper states it | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Human clinical trial | Clinical trial, humans, n=22, 2026: doses stated in the abstract: 1 mg. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial, we assessed 22 subjects with baseline cognition ranging from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment before and after 10 weeks of treatment with low-dose tesamorelin (1 mg; GHRH analog) or placebo. | pmid-42382101 |
| Human clinical trial | Randomized controlled trial, humans, n=38, 2024: doses stated in the abstract: 2 mg once daily. We leveraged a randomized double-blind trial of 61 PWH and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tesamorelin 2 mg once daily vs. identical placebo among participants on INSTI-based… | pmid-38905488 |
| Human clinical trial | Randomized controlled trial, humans, n=61, 2019: doses stated in the abstract: 2 mg once daily; 2 mg daily. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either tesamorelin 2 mg once daily or placebo once daily for 12 months, followed by a 6-month open-label phase during which all participants received tesamorelin 2 mg daily. | pmid-31611038 |
| Human clinical trial | Randomized controlled trial, humans, 2017: doses stated in the abstract: 2mg. Methods 50 HIV-infected men and women with increased abdominal adiposity participated in this randomized, placebo-controlled trial of tesamorelin, 2mg vs. identical placebo daily for six months. | pmid-29031905 |
| Human clinical trial | Randomized controlled trial, humans, n=53, 2017: doses stated in the abstract: 2 mg. Total cholesterol (-0.3±0.6 mmol/L) and non-HDL cholesterol (-0.3±0.5 mmol/L) significantly decreased from baseline to Week 12 in the tesamorelin 2 mg group (p Conclusions Treatment of type 2 diabetic patients with tesamorelin for 12 weeks did not alter… | pmid-28617838 |
| Human clinical trial | Randomized controlled trial, humans, n=28, 2014: doses stated in the abstract: 2 mg; 9 mg/d; 5-13 mg/d. Participants were randomized to receive tesamorelin, 2 mg (n=28), or placebo (n=22), subcutaneously daily for 6 months. | pmid-25038357 |
How long studies ran, and how far a vial goes
A vial lasts for a number of draws, not a number of weeks: divide the mass in the vial by the mass per draw and round down, which the vial planner does. How long that represents depends on frequency. For context, these are the durations studies of Tesamorelin actually ran for.
- Clinical trial, humans, n=22, 2026: durations stated: 10 weeks. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial, we assessed 22 subjects with baseline cognition ranging from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment before and after 10 weeks of treatment with low-dose tesamorelin (1 mg; GHRH analog) or placebo. pmid-42382101
- Randomized controlled trial, humans, n=61, 2019: durations stated: 12 months; 6 month. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either tesamorelin 2 mg once daily or placebo once daily for 12 months, followed by a 6-month open-label phase during which all participants received tesamorelin 2 mg daily. pmid-31611038
- Randomized controlled trial, humans, n=193, 2019: durations stated: 26 weeks. Differences between muscle area and density before and after 26 weeks of tesamorelin or placebo treatment were compared and linear regression models were adjusted for baseline and treatment arm. pmid-31237318
- Randomized controlled trial, humans, n=53, 2017: durations stated: 12 week; 12 weeks. No significant differences were observed between groups in relative insulin response over the 12-week treatment period. pmid-28617838
- Randomized controlled trial, humans, n=28, 2014: durations stated: 6 months; 2 weeks. Participants were randomized to receive tesamorelin, 2 mg (n=28), or placebo (n=22), subcutaneously daily for 6 months. pmid-25038357
Storage and stability, as published
Reconstitution starts a clock. These are the storage and stability conditions stated in papers in this ledger. They describe what the study did, which is not the same as a shelf life for a vial in your fridge.
- Randomized controlled trial, humans, n=53, 2017: The objective of this study was to determine whether tesamorelin, a stabilized growth hormone-releasing hormone analogue, would alter insulin sensitivity or control of diabetes. pmid-28617838
- Randomized controlled trial, humans, n=152, 2012: Participants self-administered daily subcutaneous injections of tesamorelin (Theratechnologies Inc),a stabilized analog of human GHRH (1 mg/d), or placebo 30 minutes before bedtime for 20 weeks. pmid-22869065
How Tesamorelin was given
The route changes what a dose means. The same number given intravenously and subcutaneously is not the same exposure.
- Phase 1 clinical trial, humans, n=41, 2015: administration by subcutaneous route reported. A total of 41 subjects in Phase I trials receiving subcutaneous daily doses of 1 or 2 mg of tesamorelin during 14 consecutive days were included in this analysis. pmid-25895899
- Randomized controlled trial, humans, 2015: administration by subcutaneous route reported. A total of 38 HIV-infected patients and healthy subjects receiving subcutaneous tesamorelin doses of 1 or 2 mg administered daily during 14 consecutive days were included in the analysis. pmid-25358450
- Randomized controlled trial, humans, n=28, 2014: administration by subcutaneous route reported. Participants were randomized to receive tesamorelin, 2 mg (n=28), or placebo (n=22), subcutaneously daily for 6 months. pmid-25038357
- Randomized controlled trial, humans, n=152, 2012: administration by subcutaneous route reported. Participants self-administered daily subcutaneous injections of tesamorelin (Theratechnologies Inc),a stabilized analog of human GHRH (1 mg/d), or placebo 30 minutes before bedtime for 20 weeks. pmid-22869065
- Randomized controlled trial, humans, 2012: administration by subcutaneous route reported. IGF-I increased (86 ± 21 vs. -6 ± 8 μg/liter; 92 (+52, +132) μg/liter; P Conclusion Among obese subjects with relative reductions in GH, tesamorelin selectively reduces VAT without significant effects on sc adipose tissue and improves… pmid-23015655
- Randomized controlled trial, humans, n=273, 2011: administration by subcutaneous route reported. Design and methods Four hundred and ten HIV-infected patients with abdominal adiposity were randomized to 2 mg tesamorelin (n = 273) or placebo (n = 137) subcutaneously daily for 26 weeks. pmid-21516030
Questions people ask
- How many units is 1 mg of Tesamorelin?
- It depends entirely on how the vial was reconstituted. In a 5 mg vial with 2 mL of diluent it is 40 units on a U-100 syringe; with 1 mL it is 20. The chart above gives the rest.
- Does adding more diluent waste the peptide?
- No. The mass in the vial does not change. More diluent spreads the same mass through more liquid, so each dose is a larger, easier-to-measure volume and the vial yields exactly as many doses as before.
- Why does this page not recommend a dose?
- Because a dose is a clinical decision rather than a division. It depends on why someone is taking something, what else they take and how their kidneys and liver are working, none of which is knowable from a number typed into a box.
- Where do the doses in the table come from?
- Each is quoted from a specific paper indexed in Europe PMC, linked in the source column, and labelled with the kind of study it came from. The full evidence is on the Tesamorelin record.
What this calculator will not do
It will not take a body weight and return a milligram figure, and it will not tell you how often to draw. The table above is the published record, not a menu. A dose that appeared in a trial appeared under supervision, with monitoring, in people selected for that trial.
Other calculators
- Generic reconstitution calculatorThe same arithmetic, without a compound attached
- Unit convertermg, mcg, ng and syringe units
- Vial plannerDraws per vial and how long it lasts
- All compound calculatorsEvery compound with published dose figures