Tesofensine: Doses Studied, Trial Results & Status
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Tesofensine: doses studied, trial results and status

Doses studied · Approval status · Half-life notes

What is tesofensine?

Tesofensine (NS2330) is a small-molecule pill that blocks the reuptake of three brain chemicals: noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin. It was studied for Alzheimer's disease and then for weight loss. It is not a peptide and is not FDA approved.

Also known as: NS2330, NS-2330, Tesomet (with metoprolol).

Doses studied

There is no FDA-approved product. The phase 2 weight-loss trial gave 0.25, 0.5 or 1 mg once a day for 24 weeks, with a reduced-calorie diet (Astrup 2008). A small trial in hypothalamic obesity used 0.5 mg tesofensine combined with 50 mg metoprolol (Tesomet) once a day (Huynh 2022). These are trial protocols, not personalized advice; confirm any dosing with your prescriber.

Approval status and how it is used

Tesofensine is not FDA approved; we found no tesofensine product in FDA's Drugs@FDA database. It is on the WADA 2026 Prohibited List as a stimulant (S6), banned in competition. A 2026 anti-doping study (Krug) notes it has been sold online as a dietary supplement.

In the phase 2 trial (Astrup 2008; 203 adults with obesity, 24 weeks), average weight loss was 4.5%, 9.2% and 10.6% on 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg, versus 2.0% on diet and placebo. The most common side effects were dry mouth, nausea, constipation, diarrhea and insomnia, and heart rate rose by 7.4 beats a minute on 0.5 mg. In 2013 The Lancet published an expression of concern about this paper, and the authors replied in a letter titled "Under-reporting of adverse effects of tesofensine."

In a study in recreational stimulant users (Schoedel 2010), the effects of one dose of tesofensine on abuse-related measures were not significantly different from placebo and were lower than amphetamine. In the Tesomet trial (Huynh 2022; 21 adults), sleep problems, dry mouth and headache were more common than on placebo, and one person stopped because of worse anxiety.

Tesofensine half-life and time to peak

  • Half-lifeNot listed
  • Time to peak (Tmax)Not listed

Pharmacokinetic studies describe tesofensine as a drug with a long elimination half-life (Lehr 2010), but the summaries we read give no single number, so we do not list one. In a 2026 study (Krug), peak urine levels came 4 to 46 hours after one dose, and it could be detected for up to 500 hours.

How to track tesofensine in Dose Track

  1. Add tesofensine as a custom compound. Start typing its name and Dose Track fills in the details from its research library for you to check, and it sits next to everything else you take.
  2. Log each tablet when you take it, including split or fractional tablets, so your history shows exactly what you took and when.
  3. Set reminders on your own schedule, whether that is daily, weekly or every few days.
  4. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

How Dose Track handles peptides · Reconstitution calculator · Half-life calculator

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Frequently asked questions

What is the half-life of tesofensine?+
Pharmacokinetic studies describe tesofensine as a drug with a long elimination half-life (Lehr 2010), but the summaries we read give no single number, so we do not list one. In a 2026 study (Krug), peak urine levels came 4 to 46 hours after one dose, and it could be detected for up to 500 hours.
Is tesofensine approved?+
Not in the US. We found no tesofensine product in FDA's Drugs@FDA database. Its largest published weight-loss trial is a phase 2 trial from 2008, which The Lancet later flagged with an expression of concern.
Is tesofensine a GLP-1?+
No. Tesofensine acts in the brain by blocking the reuptake of noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin. GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide copy a gut hormone.
Can I track tesofensine in Dose Track?+
Yes. Tesofensine is in Dose Track's research library, so when you add it as a custom compound its details are filled in for you to check. You can then log each tablet next to your other compounds, set reminders on your own schedule, and see your history next to your lab results. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

Sources

  1. Lehr T, et al. Semi-mechanistic population pharmacokinetic drug-drug interaction modelling of a long half-life substrate and itraconazole. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2010;49(1):53-66.
  2. Krug O, Thomas A, Thevis M. Investigations into the metabolism and elimination of tesofensine in human urine. Drug Test Anal. 2026;18(9):1163-1173.
  3. Astrup A, et al. Effect of tesofensine on bodyweight loss, body composition, and quality of life in obese patients: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2008;372(9653):1906-1913.
  4. The Lancet. Expression of concern: effect of tesofensine on bodyweight loss, body composition, and quality of life in obese patients. Lancet. 2013;381(9873):1167.
  5. Astrup A, et al. Under-reporting of adverse effects of tesofensine. Lancet. 2013;382(9887):127.
  6. Schoedel KA, et al. Subjective and objective effects of the novel triple reuptake inhibitor tesofensine in recreational stimulant users. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2010;88(1):69-78.
  7. Huynh K, et al. Randomized controlled trial of Tesomet for weight loss in hypothalamic obesity. Eur J Endocrinol. 2022;186(6):687-700.
  8. World Anti-Doping Agency. 2026 Prohibited List (S1.2 other anabolic agents; S2.2.1; S4.4.1 metabolic modulators; S6 stimulants).

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