Real answers from the team who designed the protocol — no marketing hedge, no vague boilerplate. If something isn't covered here, tell us, and we'll add it.
Yes. Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide are legally prescribed in the United States by licensed physicians when clinically appropriate. They are compounded in state-licensed pharmacies that comply with USP standards.
Sermorelin is FDA-approved for clinical use and routinely prescribed by licensed physicians. Every Nuviven prescription is reviewed and issued by a board-certified physician licensed in your state.
Nuviven is a healthcare brand, not a medication. The FDA does not approve healthcare brands or services. The medications we work with vary in regulatory status:
Brand-name semaglutide and tirzepatide are FDA-approved. Sermorelin is FDA-approved. Compounded versions of semaglutide and tirzepatide are not FDA-approved as finished products. We disclose this clearly before any patient pays.
Most GLP-1 telehealth brands use the same protocol regardless of who you are: maximum dose, maximum appetite suppression, maximum weight loss. That works for someone who needs to lose 50+ pounds. It doesn't work for someone who lifts and wants to lose 10–25 pounds without losing the muscle they've built.
Nuviven uses microdose protocols specifically designed to preserve lean tissue, paired with sermorelin where clinically appropriate. We're built for body composition, not just weight loss.
Yes. Nuviven was founded by Dr. Anupam Pradhan, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, Chair of Orthopedics at Medical City Dallas, trained at Vanderbilt University and Duke Medical Center, and a six-time D Magazine Best Doctor. He still operates clinically.
Nuviven is the protocol he wanted to prescribe his own patients.
You are matched with a board-certified physician licensed in your state. The same physician reviews your intake, designs your protocol, and adjusts your dose at every monthly check-in. We do not rotate providers between visits.
If your assigned physician becomes unavailable for any reason, you will be notified and re-matched.
For most patients, no. Initial intake and monthly check-ins are asynchronous (secure messaging) for efficiency. You can request a synchronous video visit at any time at no additional cost.
Some states require a synchronous initial visit by law; if yours does, we'll schedule it.
Your intake is reviewed within 48 hours. If you qualify, your protocol is designed and your prescription is issued within that same window. Industry average from intake to prescription is around 26 days. We hold ourselves to under 48 hours.
Medication ships from a licensed pharmacy within 3–5 business days of prescription.
In discreet, temperature-controlled packaging from a state-licensed pharmacy. No external branding indicating contents. Shipped via overnight or two-day carrier depending on your location. Free shipping is included in your protocol price.
Most adults between 25 and 65 who are 10–25 pounds over their ideal body composition, train regularly, and have no contraindicating medical conditions will qualify for the Recomp Protocol. Final eligibility is determined by your physician based on your medical history, current medications, and goals.
Approximately 15–25% of applicants are not eligible — usually due to specific contraindications (history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, multiple endocrine neoplasia, current pregnancy, or active eating disorder). If you don't qualify, you are not charged.
Microdose protocols are designed specifically for patients who don't meet the standard BMI threshold for full-dose GLP-1 therapy. Many of our patients have BMIs in the 22–27 range and are training-focused rather than weight-loss-focused.
Your physician will evaluate whether the protocol is clinically appropriate for your specific body composition and goals.
Often yes, but it depends on the medication. Disclose all current medications and supplements during intake. Your physician will review for interactions and contraindications.
Common combinations (TRT, statins, SSRIs, thyroid medication) are generally compatible with microdose GLP-1 and sermorelin protocols, but every case is individual.
For most patients, lab work is recommended but not required to begin treatment. Your physician may order baseline labs based on your medical history.
Lab costs are not included in your protocol price unless you use one of our preferred providers — full pricing is disclosed at intake before any payment.
Standard-dose semaglutide and tirzepatide suppress appetite aggressively enough that most patients lose 25–40% of their weight from lean muscle. For someone whose goal is body composition rather than total weight loss, that's the opposite of what you want.
Microdose protocols preserve enough appetite to hit protein and training targets while still creating the deficit needed for fat loss. Lean mass loss is meaningfully reduced — under 10% in well-designed microdose protocols, based on dose-response data from published GLP-1 trials.
The most common side effects with microdose GLP-1 protocols are mild nausea (especially in the first 1–2 weeks), occasional fatigue, and reduced appetite. Microdose protocols are designed to minimize the more aggressive side effects associated with full-dose GLP-1 therapy (severe nausea, vomiting, gastrointestinal distress, "Ozempic face").
Sermorelin side effects are generally limited to occasional injection site reactions. All side effects are reviewed at every monthly check-in and your protocol is adjusted accordingly.
When you stop GLP-1 therapy, appetite gradually returns to baseline over several weeks. Without behavioral changes during treatment (better protein intake, consistent training, sleep), some weight regain is common across all patients on GLP-1 therapy.
The advantage of pairing GLP-1 with sermorelin and resistance training during treatment is that you finish the protocol with more lean tissue and better metabolic infrastructure than when you started — which makes weight maintenance easier than it would otherwise be. We design protocols with the off-ramp in mind, not just the active phase.
Sermorelin has been used clinically since the 1990s and has a well-established safety profile. It is a growth-hormone-releasing hormone analog that supports the body's natural production of growth hormone, rather than introducing exogenous growth hormone directly. This makes it meaningfully safer than direct HGH supplementation.
Side effects are uncommon and typically limited to mild injection site reactions. Your physician will monitor labs and symptoms at every check-in.
The Recomp Protocol is $249/month. The Recomp + Recovery Protocol (with sermorelin) is $379/month. Both include physician consultation, medication, monthly check-ins, and shipping.
There are no membership fees, no separate consultation fees, and no dose-based price increases. Final tier is confirmed at intake based on your physician's recommendation. You will see the full price before any payment is collected.
Yes. There are no long-term contracts. You can cancel before any monthly shipment ships. Refunds are not issued for medication that has already been compounded and shipped, but you can stop treatment at any time. We don't believe in subscription traps.
No. Nuviven is a cash-pay service. We do not accept insurance, and we do not bill insurance on your behalf. This is a deliberate choice: it lets us offer transparent pricing and avoid the prior-authorization friction that delays most insurance-based GLP-1 prescriptions by months.
Many patients find cash-pay through Nuviven costs less out-of-pocket than the deductible-and-copay route through traditional insurance, especially for compounded medications.
Yes. All Nuviven protocols are HSA- and FSA-eligible. We can provide receipts and documentation for reimbursement. We accept HSA and FSA cards directly at checkout.
You'll receive a confirmation email immediately. On May 18, 2026 — our launch date — you'll receive an intake link by email. The intake takes about four minutes. Your physician reviews your intake within 48 hours.
If you qualify, your protocol is designed and your medication ships within 3–5 business days of prescription. From waitlist email to first dose, expect approximately 7–10 days.
A real person will read it. Most replies inside one business day.