Tesofensine
PMID 18950853 reports that three tesofensine groups had 4.5, 9.2, and 10.6 percentage points more mean weight loss than diet plus placebo after 24 weeks (checked: 2026-08-26). The phase 2 trial randomized 203 adults with obesity. NeuroSearch A/S funded the trial. The Lancet later attached an Expression of Concern, PMID 23561987, to that paper (checked: 2026-08-26).
Tesofensine is a triple monoamine reuptake inhibitor. It is not a peptide.
Is tesofensine a peptide?
No. This drug blocks the reuptake of three brain messengers (PMID 18950853; checked: 2026-08-26). They are noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin.
The register calls it a triple monoamine reuptake inhibitor. Its listed alias is NS 2330.
| Identity field | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Tesofensine | GSRS |
| Alias | NS-2330; NS2330 | GSRS |
| UNII | BLH9UKX9V1 | GSRS |
| CAS | 195875-84-4 | GSRS |
The GSRS record supplies these fields (checked: 2026-08-26). A UNII is an identity code. It does not mean a drug can be sold.
What did the phase 2 obesity trial report?
PMID 18950853 took place at five Danish centers (checked: 2026-08-26). Chance was used to assign the groups. Both the staff and the people in the trial were kept blind. The NCT00394667 record names NeuroSearch A/S as the sponsor.
All groups followed a calorie-cut diet. The main test was change in body weight after 24 weeks.
The paper names NeuroSearch A/S as funder.
| Finding in PMID 18950853 | Result |
|---|---|
| People randomized | 203 |
| People who completed | 161/203 (79%) |
| Mean loss with diet plus placebo | 2.0% |
| Additional mean loss across three tesofensine groups | 4.5%, 9.2%, and 10.6% |
| Comparison with placebo | p<0.0001 for each group |
The active figures are above diet plus placebo. They are not what each person lost.
The trial lasted 24 weeks. It does not show how much weight stayed off later.
What safety findings did the trial record?
The most common events in PMID 18950853 were dry mouth, nausea, and constipation (checked: 2026-08-26). Hard stools, diarrhea, and insomnia were also on the list. NeuroSearch A/S funded the trial.
The 0.5 mg study group had a heart-rate rise of 7.4 beats per minute versus placebo (PMID 18950853; checked: 2026-08-26). The reported p value was 0.0001.
At 0.25 mg and 0.5 mg, the paper found no clear rise in blood pressure versus placebo. This was true for both systolic and diastolic pressure.
These are the events named in the abstract. The paper also has a journal notice. This page does not call the list complete.
Why does the main paper carry a journal notice?
The Lancet added an Expression of Concern to PMID 18950853 in 2013 (PMID 23561987; checked: 2026-08-26). PubMed still links the notice to the trial paper.
The researchers later wrote a letter. Its title was Under-reporting of adverse effects of tesofensine (PMID 23849924; checked: 2026-08-26).
The paper still reports the weight result. The notice stays with its record.
What did a separate mechanism study measure?
PMID 20479765 was a second trial with 32 men (checked: 2026-08-26). They had overweight or moderate obesity. The test lasted two weeks. NeuroSearch A/S funded the study.
| Finding in PMID 20479765 | Result |
|---|---|
| Weight change above placebo | 1.8 kg |
| Total 24-hour energy expenditure | No significant difference from placebo |
| Night energy expenditure | 4.6% higher after adjustment for body-composition change |
| 24-hour fat oxidation | 18 g higher than placebo |
The drug group also gave higher fullness scores. This was a short test in men only.
What are the evidence and regulatory status?
Evidence tier: B (checked: 2026-08-26). Human trial results are in print. The main obesity paper has an Expression of Concern.
EU register status: unclear (checked: 2026-08-26). The register does not prove a current national or central EU marketing authorization.
A trial result and a sale approval are not the same thing.
What does grey-market vial testing show?
The 2026 vial-study text names fourteen compounds (checked: 2026-08-26). Tesofensine is not one of them.
That paper gives no result for this drug. It did not test its identity, amount, purity, endotoxin, or sterility.
This gap only applies to that paper. It says nothing about all products in the market.
When was Tesofensine first observed outside research?
The register has no sound first grey-market month (checked: 2026-08-26). The field is first_observed: null. No date is made up.
What do users report?
The original Tesofensine/AOD9604 Reddit thread was opened on 2026-08-26. These reports are self-reported. The sample is self-selected. The comments are free of anyone's money.
One user wrote:
Tesofensine helped break a Mounjaro stall for me. It also helps me focus. I love this stuff. I've been on AOD for a month or so. I haven't noticed much of a difference, but I am also taking CGC-1295/ipamorelin and was taking Tesmorelin at the time. I have dropped Tess for Semorelin. I am also taking 5 Amino 1mq too.
Another user in the same thread wrote:
I've used them both and got basically nothing out of them. Keep in mind I was training weights and cardio 5-6 days a week and eating in a slight caloric deficit (tracking macros and cals). I'm male, 6'3" and about 255lbs. It's possible they would both work on someone morbidly obese but I consider them ineffective for my purposes.
These two accounts disagree. They do not establish how common either experience is.