Tesamorelin is the active drug in Egrifta, an FDA-approved prescription for one use: reducing excess belly fat in adults with HIV and lipodystrophy [1]. Two versions carry current labels, Egrifta SV and Egrifta WR, and both are room-temperature products [1] [2]. If a page tells you to keep tesamorelin in the fridge, it may refer to the older 1 mg formulation or an unapproved preparation. For what tesamorelin is and how it is approved, see the tesamorelin overview.
Short answer: room temperature, not the fridge
Both current labels give the same storage range for unmixed vials: 68 to 77°F (20 to 25°C), kept in the original box to protect them from light [1] [2]. Short trips outside that range, between 59 and 86°F (15 to 30°C), are allowed. After mixing, both labels say not to refrigerate or freeze the solution.
The products differ in what happens after mixing. That is one important difference between the formulations, and it is covered in how tesamorelin is taken. This page covers storage only.
| Item | Egrifta SV | Egrifta WR | Where the label says it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unmixed vials | Room temperature, 68 to 77°F (20 to 25°C); excursions 59 to 86°F allowed; in the original box, away from light | Room temperature, 68 to 77°F (20 to 25°C); excursions 59 to 86°F allowed; in the original box, away from light; do not freeze | Section 16 [1] [2] |
| Box of supplies (water, syringes, needles) | Room temperature, 68 to 77°F | Room temperature, 68 to 77°F | Section 16 |
| After mixing | Use right away; do not store, refrigerate or freeze | Keep at room temperature in the medication box; do not refrigerate or freeze | Section 2, section 16, patient instructions |
| How long a mixed vial lasts | Not stored: discard what isn't used | Thrown away 7 days after mixing | Section 2, section 16 |
| Routine labeled storage | Room temperature; ask the pharmacist about an accidental excursion | Room temperature; ask the pharmacist about an accidental excursion | Patient instructions |
Both labels on DailyMed, versions effective July 2026.
The Egrifta SV label: room temperature, and use it right after mixing
The Egrifta SV label says to store the vials at room temperature, 68 to 77°F, in the original box until it's time to use one [1]. The water, syringes and needles come in a separate box that is also kept at room temperature.
Do not store, freeze or refrigerate EGRIFTA SV after it has been mixed with the Sterile Water.[1]
In other words, Egrifta SV isn't kept once it's mixed. The label says to discard any mixed solution that isn't used immediately.
The Egrifta WR label: room temperature for 7 days after mixing
Egrifta WR is the newer version, approved in March 2025 [4]. One mixed vial covers several days, so its label has a rule Egrifta SV doesn't need. After mixing, the vial goes back in the medication box at room temperature, 68 to 77°F, and is thrown away 7 days after it was mixed [2].
Do not freeze or refrigerate EGRIFTA WR after it has been mixed with the Bacteriostatic Water for Injection.[2]
The unmixed vials follow the same room-temperature range and are kept out of the light. The label adds "do not freeze" for unmixed vials too.
Why some pages still say "refrigerate": the original 1 mg vial
Egrifta was first approved in November 2010 as a 1 mg vial [3]. That label said the unmixed vials "must be stored at refrigerated temperature," 36 to 46°F (2 to 8°C) [3]. Consumer leaflets written for that product, and pages copied from them, still give the refrigerator instruction.
The current Egrifta SV label points out that the 1 mg and 2 mg formulations differ in dosage, mixing and storage requirements, and sends 1 mg users to that product's own label [1]. So the storage rule depends on the vial in your hand. Read the carton, or ask the pharmacy which product it dispensed.
How long can tesamorelin be out of the fridge?
For Egrifta SV and Egrifta WR, the question doesn't apply: both are meant to stay out of the fridge. What matters is keeping the vials within the label's temperature range and using them before the expiration date on the carton. For a mixed Egrifta WR vial, the limit is 7 days after mixing [2].
Neither label says what to do if a vial got too hot or froze. That is a question for the dispensing pharmacist, who can tell you whether to replace it.
Compounded or "research" tesamorelin comes with no reviewed storage rules
Since March 23, 2020, FDA has regulated tesamorelin as a biologic, and biologics can't be made under the compounding exemptions [5] [6]. A commercially marketed vial labeled compounded or "for research use" is not thereby covered by those exemptions or by an FDA-reviewed product label. The Egrifta instructions cannot establish the stability of that different preparation.
That is one more reason the status matters. The details are on whether tesamorelin is FDA-approved, and the risks of an unlabeled vial are covered in is tesamorelin safe.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Which product is this: Egrifta SV, Egrifta WR, or the 1 mg Egrifta vial? The storage rule depends on the answer.
- What should I do if a vial got hotter than 86°F or froze in transit? The labels give a range, not a remedy.
- Where do used needles go? Both patient instructions say to put them in an FDA-cleared sharps container right after use [1] [2].
Storage is one small part of the picture. For what the drug does in trials, see does tesamorelin work. For how long it stays in the body, see how long tesamorelin stays in your system. How these pages pick their sources is on how we check.