DRUG
Tesamorelin
Tesamorelin WR 1.28 mg given subcutaneously daily
Status
Recruiting
Phase
Phase 2
Enrollment
100
Locations
2
Results
Not posted
Publications
1
Study summary
People with HIV experience earlier impairments in physical function compared to people in the general population. They also exhibit an earlier presentation and more rapid development of frailty, a multisystemic syndrome of aging characterized by reduced activity, fatigue, slowness, weakness, and weight loss. While exercise can improve physical function in people with HIV, it is less effective in doing so than in the general population and is difficult to sustain in the long-term. The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether the medication tesamorelin will improve physical function and muscle health in adults with HIV when combined with exercise. Tesamorelin is a growth hormone-releasing hormone analogue that is FDA-approved to treat abdominal fat accumulation in people with HIV. While tesamorelin has also been shown to increase muscle mass and improve measures of muscle health, its effects on physical performance and muscle strength have not yet been evaluated. During a 24-week intervention phase, half of participants will be randomly assigned to receive tesamorelin and half of participants will be randomly assigned to receive placebo (a look-alike substance that contains no drug). All participants also will engage in a home-based exercise intervention supervised by an exercise coach. During a subsequent 24-week extension phase, individuals will be monitored off study drug and supervised exercise, and be encouraged to continue to exercise independently. The investigators will investigate effects of tesamorelin on physical function, muscle mass and quality, quality of life, and exercise adherence and self-efficacy. They also will evaluate whether effects of tesamorelin are maintained following treatment cessation. This study may identify an important strategy to improve how individuals aging with HIV function and feel with potential applications to other patient populations.
Interventions
DRUG
Tesamorelin WR 1.28 mg given subcutaneously daily
DRUG
Identical placebo injection given subcutaneously daily
BEHAVIORAL
Home-based semi-supervised exercise program
Timeline
First posted
Aug 15, 2024
Study start
Jul 10, 2025
Primary completion
Jun 16, 2028
Study completion
Dec 1, 2028
Results posted
Not reported
Registry updated
May 19, 2026
Outcomes
Change in Repeated Chair Stand Time
Time frame · Baseline to Week 24
Time to complete 10 repeated chair stands
Change in Standard and Modified Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB)
Time frame · Baseline to Week 24
Objective assessment of physical function that includes measures of balance, gait, and strength
Change in 1-Repetition Maximum Leg Press
Time frame · Baseline to Week 24
Maximal weight that can be lifted by lower extremities once using correct form through full range of motion
Change in 400-Meter Walk Time
Time frame · Baseline to Week 24
Time to walk 400 meters at the fastest pace possible
Change in Appendicular Lean Tissue Mass
Time frame · Baseline to Week 24
Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) lean tissue mass in all four extremities
Change in Cross-Sectional Area of Trunk and Thigh Muscles
Time frame · Baseline to Week 24
Computed tomography (CT) cross-sectional area of trunk and thigh muscles
Change in Frailty Phenotype
Time frame · Baseline to Week 24
Fried Frailty Phenotype score, scored from 0 to 5 with higher indicating worse
Change in Quality of Life
Time frame · Baseline to Week 24
36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), scored from 0 to 100 with higher indicating better
Change in Exercise Self-Efficacy
Time frame · Baseline to Week 24
Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale, scored from 0 to 100 with higher indicating better
Change in Exercise Adherence
Time frame · Baseline to Week 24
FitBit (step count heart rate time), exercise log (movement type, repetitions, load, rate of perceived exertion)
Change in Tissue Density of Trunk and Thigh Muscles
Time frame · Baseline to Week 24
Computed tomography (CT) attenuation of trunk and thigh muscles
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Men and women, 50-80 years old 2. Documented HIV infection on suppressive antiretroviral therapy for at least 1 year with HIV-1 RNA \<200 copies/mL and CD4+ T cell count \>200/µL 3 3. Sedentary lifestyle, defined as self-reported physical activity that breaks a sweat \<3 days/week with no regular resistance exercise in the past 3 months 4. ≥1 Fried frailty criterion (weakness, slow gait speed, exhaustion, decreased physical activity, or unintentional weight loss as defined by specific thresholds) 5. Excess abdominal adiposity as indicated by at least one of the following elevated anthropometric measures assessed at Screen: (1) waist circumference ≥102 cm in non-Asian males (≥90 cm in Asian males) or ≥88 cm in non-Asian females (≥80 cm in Asian females); (2) waist-to-hip ratio ≥0.9 in males or ≥0.85 in females; (3) waist-to-height ratio ≥0.5 in males and females 6. Normal mammogram within 2 years (females ≤74 years old) or prostate specific antigen \<4 ng/mL (males ≤70 years old) per U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) age-appropriate cancer screening guidelines 7. For females, postmenopausal defined as no menses for ≥12 months and anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) \<20 pg/mL or history of bilateral oophorectomy at least 3 months ago 8. Provider approval to participate Exclusion Criteria: 1. Use of tesamorelin or other growth hormone (GH)-based therapy within 6 months 2. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) z-score \>2.0 3. HbA1c \>8% 4. Active or suspected malignancy (with the exception of non-melanoma skin cancer) within 24 months 5. Supraphysiologic testosterone or corticosteroid exposure, or change in exogenous testosterone or corticosteroid dose within 3 months 6. Change in glucose-lowering medication (e.g., glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) within 3 months 7. Active or unstable coronary artery disease, chest pain suspicious for angina, or serious arrythmia 8. History of hypopituitarism, head irradiation, or other conditions known to affect the GH/IGF-1 axis 9. Known hypersensitivity to tesamorelin or mannitol 10. Acute or chronic illness judged by the investigator to represent a contraindication to study participation
Study locations
United States. Showing up to 24 locations stored in the fast local snapshot.
University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus
Aurora, Colorado, United States
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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