AOD-9604

Overview

AOD-9604 is a 16-amino-acid synthetic peptide corresponding to the C-terminal fragment of human growth hormone (residues 177-191) with an additional N-terminal tyrosine. Developed by Metabolic Pharmaceuticals (Australia) to isolate a purported 'lipolytic' activity of GH without GH-receptor-mediated growth or diabetogenic effects. AOD-9604 is NOT FDA-approved for any indication; controlled human trials for obesity did not demonstrate clinically meaningful weight loss, and obesity development was terminated in 2007.

Mechanism of Action

The original preclinical hypothesis was that hGH(177-191) retains a lipolytic activity via a non-GH-receptor pathway, with some rodent data implicating β3-adrenoceptor expression and cAMP signaling in adipocytes. This mechanism is disputed and has not been robustly reproduced in controlled human studies — Phase 2 trials showed no significant effect on body weight versus placebo. AOD-9604 does not measurably raise serum IGF-1 and does not impair glucose tolerance in human safety studies, which is consistent with lack of GH-receptor agonism but does not establish clinical lipolytic efficacy.

Research Summary

Clinical: AOD-9604 went through six randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1/2 trials across approximately 900 subjects (Stier et al., J Endocrinol Metab 2013). These established a safety profile indistinguishable from placebo — no effect on IGF-1, no impairment of glucose tolerance, no anti-AOD-9604 antibodies — but did NOT demonstrate clinically meaningful weight loss. A 24-week Phase 2b trial (~536 obese subjects) failed its primary efficacy endpoint and Metabolic Pharmaceuticals / Calzada terminated obesity development in 2007. Preclinical: Heffernan et al. (Int J Obes 2001, PMID 11673763; Endocrinology 2001, PMID 11713213) reported reduced body-weight gain and increased fat oxidation in obese mice and showed the lipolytic action did not require direct β3-AR agonism (β3-knock-out animals still responded). Ng et al. (Horm Res 2000, PMID 11146367) reported metabolic effects in obese Zucker rats without insulin-sensitivity impairment. Osteoarthritis exploration is limited to preclinical animal work — Kwon & Park (Ann Clin Lab Sci 2015, PMID 26275694) reported intra-articular AOD-9604 plus hyaluronic acid was superior to either alone in a collagenase-induced rabbit OA model; no adequately powered human OA trial has been published. Regulatory: NOT FDA-approved; widely-cited 'FDA GRAS' status has not been confirmed in the FDA GRAS Notice Inventory. PCAC voted AGAINST including AOD-9604 on the 503A Bulks List on December 4, 2024.

Vendors selling AOD-9604

Scored vendors carrying AOD-9604, ranked by trust grade. Grades are computed from indexed Certificates of Analysis. Full $/mg pricing is on the comparison page.

Prescribers who offer AOD-9604

84 prescribers in our directory work with AOD-9604, each confirmed from their own website. Peptides like AOD-9604 require a prescription from a licensed provider — telehealth options are available.

Reported Side Effects

• Injection site reactions — redness, soreness
• Headache
• Overall adverse-event rate in Phase 1/2 trials was indistinguishable from placebo
• Long-term safety in chronic non-clinical use is unknown

Research Guides

• Cheapest verified AOD-9604: live prices, vendors & COA data

Compare AOD-9604 with Others

Research References

• The effects of human GH and its lipolytic fragment (AOD9604) on lipid metabolism following chronic treatment in obese mice and β(3)-AR knock-out mice (Heffernan et al., Endocrinology) (2001)
• Metabolic studies of a synthetic lipolytic domain (AOD9604) of human growth hormone (Ng et al., Hormone Research) (2000)
• Increase of fat oxidation and weight loss in obese mice caused by chronic treatment with human growth hormone or a modified C-terminal fragment (Heffernan et al., Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord) (2001)
• Effect of Intra-articular Injection of AOD9604 with or without Hyaluronic Acid in Rabbit Osteoarthritis Model (Kwon & Park, Ann Clin Lab Sci) (2015)
• AOD9604 — Wikipedia (development history, terminated Phase 2b obesity program, and regulatory background) (2024)

Frequently asked questions

Has AOD-9604 been independently lab-tested?

Disclosed Labs has collected 103 Certificates of Analysis (COA) for AOD-9604 from 16 independent testing labs. 36 vendors have submitted material for testing. Products average 99.5% tested purity across the corpus. Full testing data is available at https://www.disclosedlabs.com/peptides/aod-9604/testing.

What is the average purity of AOD-9604 on the market?

Based on 103 COAs analyzed by Disclosed Labs, AOD-9604 products average 99.5% (±0.4%) tested purity. Individual vendor results vary; see per-vendor COA data at https://www.disclosedlabs.com/peptides/aod-9604/coas.

Which labs have tested AOD-9604?

Independent labs that have tested AOD-9604 include: ILS Labs (Grade A), Ethos Analytics (Grade B). Full lab credibility grades and profiles are at https://www.disclosedlabs.com/labs.

Where can researchers source AOD-9604?

8 vendors with Disclosed Labs trust grades currently list AOD-9604, including Glacier Aminos, Voltera Sciences, Peptide Partners. Compare live prices and lab-verified COAs at https://www.disclosedlabs.com/prices/aod-9604.

Which prescribers offer AOD-9604 with a prescription?

84 prescribers in the Disclosed Labs directory work with AOD-9604, each confirmed from their own website, with telehealth options available. AOD-9604 requires a prescription from a licensed provider. Browse them at https://www.disclosedlabs.com/prescribers?peptide=AOD-9604.

How does AOD-9604 work?

The original preclinical hypothesis was that hGH(177-191) retains a lipolytic activity via a non-GH-receptor pathway, with some rodent data implicating β3-adrenoceptor expression and cAMP signaling in adipocytes. This mechanism is disputed and has not been robustly reproduced in controlled human studies — Phase 2 trials showed no significant effect on body weight versus placebo. AOD-9604 does not measurably raise serum IGF-1 and does not impair glucose tolerance in human safety studies, which is consistent with lack of GH-receptor agonism but does not establish clinical lipolytic efficacy.

What does the research say about AOD-9604?

Clinical: AOD-9604 went through six randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1/2 trials across approximately 900 subjects (Stier et al., J Endocrinol Metab 2013). These established a safety profile indistinguishable from placebo — no effect on IGF-1, no impairment of glucose tolerance, no anti-AOD-9604 antibodies — but did NOT demonstrate clinically meaningful weight loss. A 24-week Phase 2b trial (~536 obese subjects) failed its primary efficacy endpoint and Metabolic Pharmaceuticals / Calzada terminated obesity development in 2007. Preclinical: Heffernan et al. (Int J Obes 2001, PMID 11673763; Endocrinology 2001, PMID 11713213) reported reduced body-weight gain and increased fat oxidation in obese mice and showed the lipolytic action did not require direct β3-AR agonism (β3-knock-out animals still responded). Ng et al. (Horm Res 2000, PMID 11146367) reported metabolic effects in obese Zucker rats without insulin-sensitivity impairment. Osteoarthritis exploration is limited to preclinical animal work — Kwon & Park (Ann Clin Lab Sci 2015, PMID 26275694) reported intra-articular AOD-9604 plus hyaluronic acid was superior to either alone in a collagenase-induced rabbit OA model; no adequately powered human OA trial has been published. Regulatory: NOT FDA-approved; widely-cited 'FDA GRAS' status has not been confirmed in the FDA GRAS Notice Inventory. PCAC voted AGAINST including AOD-9604 on the 503A Bulks List on December 4, 2024.