Tesamorelin is a synthetic stabilized analog of human growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH): the full 44-residue GHRH sequence with an N-terminal trans-3-hexenoyl modification for stability. It acts on the GHRH receptor. It is handled here strictly as a laboratory research compound.

How is Tesamorelin different from CJC-1295?

Both are GHRH-receptor analogs, but they are distinct molecules. Tesamorelin is the full 44-residue GHRH sequence with a trans-3-hexenoyl N-terminal modification, while CJC-1295 is a shorter modified GHRH(1-29) fragment with four substitutions plus an albumin-binding DAC. They differ in length, structure, and persistence.

What receptor does Tesamorelin act on?

Tesamorelin acts on the GHRH receptor in the anterior pituitary, the same receptor family as CJC-1295. That is different from Ipamorelin, which acts on the ghrelin / GHS receptor.

Compound Profile3 min readUpdated May 27, 2026

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What is Tesamorelin?
What does the research literature study?
How it relates to CJC-1295
Handling and storage
Sources and further reading

Tesamorelin: Compound Profile

Tesamorelin is the longer of the two GHRH analogs in the growth-hormone secretagogue class. This profile stays deliberately limited to molecular identity and receptor mechanism, as laboratory-research context. For its place in the class, see the GH secretagogues overview.

What is Tesamorelin?#

Tesamorelin is a synthetic analog of human growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH, also called GRF). Structurally it is the full 44-amino-acid GHRH sequence with a trans-3-hexenoic acid group attached at the N-terminus, a modification that improves resistance to enzymatic breakdown relative to native GHRH. It acts on the GHRH receptor, which places it in the same mechanism family as CJC-1295, though it is a distinct and larger molecule.

Attribute	Value
Common name	Tesamorelin
Class	Stabilized GHRH (GRF) analog
Structure	Full 44-residue human GHRH + N-terminal trans-3-hexenoyl group
Molecular formula	C₂₂₁H₃₆₆N₇₂O₆₇S (free base)
Molecular weight	≈ 5135.9 g/mol (free base; ~5579 as the acetate)
CAS number	218949-48-5
Receptor target	GHRH receptor

Tesamorelin molecular identity, as reported in chemical databases and regulatory documentation.

Two-dimensional structure of Tesamorelin, a 44-residue GHRH analog with N-terminal trans-3-hexenoyl modification. Surgical-green heteroatoms (N, O) over a white skeleton on a dark background. — Tesamorelin · 44-residue GHRH analog with N-terminal trans-3-hexenoyl modification · structure rendered from PubChem CID 16137828 via RDKit.

What does the research literature study?#

As a GHRH-receptor analog, tesamorelin is studied for its engagement of the GHRH receptor on the anterior pituitary and the resulting GH-axis signaling. Structured pharmacology references such as DrugBank (DB08869) and the NIH NCBI Bookshelf entry document its identity and mechanism as a GHRH analog. This profile addresses mechanism and chemistry only.

How it relates to CJC-1295#

Tesamorelin and CJC-1295 are both GHRH-receptor analogs, while Ipamorelin acts on the separate ghrelin / GHS receptor. The distinction between the two mechanism families is set out in the GH secretagogues cornerstone. The closest sibling compound, also a GHRH analog, is cataloged as CJC-1295 (DAC); see also the Ipamorelin profile for the contrasting ghrelin-receptor mechanism.

Handling and storage#

Tesamorelin is supplied as a lyophilized powder and dissolved before use. The reconstitution primer covers solvent selection, and the cold-chain article covers how storage stability changes once the material is reconstituted.

Nexara catalogs Tesamorelin (10mg) at ≥99% purity for laboratory research. Independent third-party COA delivery is paused during the transition to a new testing laboratory; see research compliance.

Frequently asked

What is Tesamorelin?: Tesamorelin is a synthetic stabilized analog of human growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH): the full 44-residue GHRH sequence with an N-terminal trans-3-hexenoyl modification for stability. It acts on the GHRH receptor. It is handled here strictly as a laboratory research compound.
How is Tesamorelin different from CJC-1295?: Both are GHRH-receptor analogs, but they are distinct molecules. Tesamorelin is the full 44-residue GHRH sequence with a trans-3-hexenoyl N-terminal modification, while CJC-1295 is a shorter modified GHRH(1-29) fragment with four substitutions plus an albumin-binding DAC. They differ in length, structure, and persistence.
What receptor does Tesamorelin act on?: Tesamorelin acts on the GHRH receptor in the anterior pituitary, the same receptor family as CJC-1295. That is different from Ipamorelin, which acts on the ghrelin / GHS receptor.

Sources and further reading#

Tesamorelin — DrugBank DB08869: structured pharmacology entry (mechanism, target, chemistry) for the GHRH analog tesamorelin.
Tesamorelin — NCBI Bookshelf / LiverTox (NBK548730): NIH reference covering tesamorelin as a GHRH analog.

For research use only. Not for human consumption, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of any disease. All products are intended solely for laboratory research purposes.

Last updated: 2026-05-27