Tesofensine vs Follistatin
Side-by-side comparison of key properties, dosing, and research.
Fat Loss & Metabolic
TesofensineAnabolic & IGF
Follistatin- Summary
- Tesofensine is a triple monoamine reuptake inhibitor (TMRI) that blocks reuptake of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Originally developed for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, it was repurposed as a potent weight loss agent after clinical trials demonstrated substantial fat loss via appetite suppression and increased energy expenditure.
- Follistatin is an endogenous glycoprotein that acts as a potent inhibitor of myostatin and activin, two proteins that limit muscle growth. By binding and neutralizing myostatin, follistatin removes the primary brake on skeletal muscle hypertrophy, enabling significant muscle growth beyond normal physiological limits. It is distinct from its isoforms Follistatin 315 and Follistatin 344 in tissue distribution and binding affinity.
- Half-Life
- 8-10 days (exceptionally long; accumulates over weeks)
- ~3–5 hours (endogenous form)
- Admin Route
- Oral
- IM, SubQ
- Research
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- Typical Dose
- 0.25-0.5 mg per day
- 50–100 mcg per injection site
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Every other day or 2–3x per week
- Key Benefits
- Potent appetite suppression via triple monoamine reuptake inhibition
- Significant weight loss (8-12% body weight in phase II trials at 0.5 mg)
- Increases basal metabolic rate and energy expenditure
- Reduces fat mass preferentially over lean mass
- Potential cognitive benefit via dopaminergic and noradrenergic enhancement
- Longer half-life than sibutramine allows once-daily dosing
- Potent myostatin inhibition enabling supraphysiological muscle growth
- Increases skeletal muscle mass and fiber size
- May accelerate recovery from muscle injury
- Potential benefits in muscular dystrophy and sarcopenia
- Synergistic with IGF-1 and growth hormone in anabolic protocols
- Animal studies show dramatic increases in muscle mass
- Reduces muscle fibrosis in dystrophic models
- Side Effects
- Elevated heart rate and blood pressure (sympathomimetic)
- Dry mouth
- Insomnia and sleep disturbances
- Nausea
- +4 more
- Potential for excessive muscle growth if doses are not controlled
- FSH suppression with implications for fertility in women
- Theoretical risk of cardiac hypertrophy with prolonged high-dose use
- Limited human safety data available
- +1 more
- Stacks With
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