Peptide LibraryTerlipressin dosage in published studies and labels
These are the doses used for Terlipressin in FDA labelling and published clinical studies, reported as each source states them, one row per regimen. They describe what was studied or approved for a specific population. They are not a recommendation, and none of them is a dose for any individual.
Research and educational reference only. This is not medical advice, and no figure on this page is a dosing recommendation.
Last checked against primary sources:
Studied regimens and sources
Terlipressin has an FDA-approved human dosage as Terlivaz, to improve kidney function in adults with hepatorenal syndrome with rapid reduction in kidney function. The label gives 0.85 mg every 6 hours by slow intravenous bolus on days 1 to 3; on day 4 the dose stays the same, rises to 1.7 mg every 6 hours, or stops, depending on serum creatinine, for up to 14 days. The label carries a boxed warning for serious or fatal respiratory failure.
| Human dosing established | Yes |
|---|---|
| Studied dose range | 0.85–1.7 mg every 6 hours by intravenous bolus |
| Route | Intravenous |
| Frequency | Every 6 hours, by intravenous bolus over 2 minutes |
| Duration studied | Until 24 hours after two serum creatinine values of 1.5 mg/dL or less at least 2 hours apart, or a maximum of 14 days |
| Titration | Day 4: if serum creatinine has fallen by at least 30% from baseline, continue 0.85 mg every 6 hours; if it has fallen by less than 30%, the dose may be raised to 1.7 mg every 6 hours; if it is at or above baseline, stop. |
| Half-life | Terminal half-life of 0.9 hours for terlipressin and 3.0 hours for its active metabolite lysine-vasopressin (Terlivaz label) |
| Evidence level | FDA Approved |
| Last reviewed | 2026-11-07 |
Research-reported dosing
Doses as studied, one row per regimen. Different trials used different regimens; they are listed separately rather than averaged.
| Study / context | Population | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Outcome studied | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FDA label — Terlivaz, hepatorenal syndromeFDA-approved label · FDA prescribing information | Adults with hepatorenal syndrome with rapid reduction in kidney function | 0.85 mg (one vial) on days 1 to 3; from day 4, 0.85 mg or 1.7 mg depending on the change in serum creatinine | Intravenous bolus over 2 minutes, through a peripheral or central line | Every 6 hours | Up to 14 days | Improved kidney function; studied in the CONFIRM trial, 300 adults randomised 2:1 to terlipressin or placebo, both with albumin | TERLIVAZ (terlipressin) for injection — FDA prescribing information, DailyMed |
Where sources disagree
- Boxed warning: Terlivaz may cause serious or fatal respiratory failure, with higher risk in people with volume overload or grade 3 acute-on-chronic liver failure. Oxygen saturation is checked before starting and monitored continuously, and treatment is not started, or is stopped, if it falls below 90%. In CONFIRM, serious or fatal respiratory failure occurred in 14% on Terlivaz against 5% on placebo.
- The label also warns of ischaemic events (heart, limbs or gut), adverse reactions that may make a patient ineligible for liver transplant, and harm to a fetus. It says people with a serum creatinine above 5 mg/dL are unlikely to benefit.
- Terlivaz 0.85 mg is equivalent to 1 mg of terlipressin acetate, the figure used in the trial; doses quoted in mg of terlipressin acetate are about 18% larger by number. It is a hospital medicine supplied as a 0.85 mg powder vial that is reconstituted with 5 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride.