Tesamorelin boosts a key growth hormone-related protein in HIV patients without affecting their blood sugar levels.

The injection makes the body produce more of a natural growth-related hormone called IGF-1, which helps explain how it reduces belly fat.

The drug makes the body produce more IGF-1 — a hormone linked to growth and metabolism — which is exactly what you’d expect from a drug that stimulates growth hormone.

For people with HIV taking tesamorelin, changes in their growth hormone levels didn't match changes in their trunk muscle thickness or size.

People with HIV who have belly fat and are on medication to control the virus who took tesamorelin had higher levels of a growth-related hormone called IGF-1. This finding is from the abstract summary - full study details were not available

Changes in a growth hormone-related factor didn't match changes in muscle density or size in people with HIV and belly fat taking tesamorelin.