UK regulatory landscape
Tesamorelin in the UK: regulatory status
Oliver Mackman · Editorial director · Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937)
Last updated 2026-06-04
Editorial with affiliate links. We earn from purchases via outbound retailer / clinic links. How we are funded.
AI-friendly summary · Tesamorelin in the UK
Tesamorelin is a growth hormone releasing hormone analogue. Outside the UK it holds an FDA-approved indication (EGRIFTA) for reducing excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. In the UK it does not currently hold an MHRA marketing authorisation and the NHS does not commission it. The only route within the UK clinical landscape is a private prescription for that narrow indication, supplied by a UK-licensed pharmacy on a named-patient or special basis. This page is editorial commentary on that regulatory status, not a recommendation.
UK status
No MHRA authorisation
Tesamorelin holds no UK marketing authorisation for any indication. Any UK supply is therefore outside the standard licensed-medicine pathway and falls under the unlicensed-medicines framework (named patient, special, or MHRA import).
Indication
HIV-associated lipodystrophy only
The internationally licensed indication is narrowly scoped to adults living with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Use in any other population is off-label and outside the licensed indication, and is a clinical decision for a prescriber working within a recognised speciality setting.
Sport regulation
WADA prohibited list
Tesamorelin is on the WADA prohibited list (S2 peptide hormones, growth factors and related substances). Athletes subject to anti-doping testing should treat this as a regulatory consideration in addition to the medical one.
Filter by compound
Tesamorelin prices across UK retailers
Snapshot 2026-05-20. Verify on retailer site.
No products catalogued for this compound yet. UK retailers may stock it under different naming. Browse the full UK retailer directory or contact us if you spot a listing we should add.
Regulatory context for readers
- · Tesamorelin holds no UK marketing authorisation. It is not stocked by mainstream UK retail pharmacies on the licensed-medicines pathway.
- · Any UK clinical use is via private prescription on a named-patient or special basis, for the narrow HIV-associated lipodystrophy indication, written by a UK-registered prescriber.
- · "Research peptide" tesamorelin sold under "research use only, not for human or animal consumption" framing is a separate regulatory category. PeptideClear's research peptide section documents this market editorially. We do not publish dosing protocols and do not endorse human use.
- · Off-label use of tesamorelin in non-HIV populations is not UK-sanctioned and sits outside any licensed clinical pathway.
Encyclopedia entry: Tesamorelin reference hub.
Important: POM, your UK-licensed prescriber decides
Tesamorelin, where supplied clinically, is a prescription-only medicine in the UK. PeptideClear is an editorial publication, not a pharmacy, not a clinic, and not a prescriber. We do not sell, dispense, or recommend tesamorelin for any individual. We publish this page as a UK regulatory and dispensing-landscape reference. Whether tesamorelin is appropriate for you within its narrow licensed indication is a decision for a UK-licensed prescriber working in a recognised speciality setting.
Frequently asked questions
Is tesamorelin licensed in the UK?
No. Tesamorelin holds no MHRA marketing authorisation for any indication in the UK. Internationally it holds an FDA-approved indication (EGRIFTA, EGRIFTA WR) for reducing excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy, but that does not apply within the UK licensed-medicines pathway.
How can tesamorelin be supplied in the UK?
The only clinical route is a private prescription, on a named-patient or special basis, written by a UK-registered prescriber for the narrow HIV-associated lipodystrophy indication and supplied by a UK-licensed pharmacy. The NHS does not commission it, and use in other populations is off-label.
Is "research peptide" tesamorelin the same thing?
No. Research-tier tesamorelin sold under "research use only, not for human or animal consumption" framing is a separate regulatory category from any clinical supply. We document that market editorially, publish no dosing protocols, and do not endorse human use.
Is tesamorelin banned in sport?
Yes. Tesamorelin is on the WADA prohibited list (S2 peptide hormones, growth factors and related substances). Athletes subject to anti-doping testing should treat that as a regulatory consideration alongside the medical one.