Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Head-to-head comparison of AOD-9604 and HGH Fragment 176-191 — mechanism, side effects, legal status, and pricing.
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.
HGH Fragment 176-191 is a synthetic 16-residue disulfide-cyclized peptide corresponding to the C-terminal region (residues 176–191) of human growth hormone. It is classified as a lipolytic/GH-fragment peptide, not a full growth hormone. The compound is prohibited at all times under WADA Section S2 (Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics). Not FDA-approved for any indication; clinical development of the related analogue AOD9604 was discontinued in 2007 after a pivotal Phase IIb obesity trial failed its primary efficacy endpoint.
AOD-9604
HGH Fragment 176-191
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Half-life
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AOD-9604
HGH Fragment 176-191
No pricing data yet.
Check HGH Fragment 176-191 prices →COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
AOD-9604
97
COAs
99.5%
Avg purity
16
Labs
HGH Fragment 176-191
1
COAs
99.2%
Avg purity
1
Labs
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.
Key references
No human data were found for the native peptide (CAS 66004-57-7, Phe176) itself. All identified human clinical work was conducted on AOD9604, a distinct N-terminal Tyr-substituted analogue: six sponsor-run, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials (Phase I–IIb, 2001–2006, ~900 total subjects, including a ~502-subject 24-week Phase IIb obesity trial) assessed safety and later weight-loss efficacy. Reported: good tolerability, no serious adverse events, no IGF-1 elevation—but the pivotal Phase IIb trial did not meet its primary weight-loss endpoint versus placebo and Metabolic Pharmaceuticals discontinued development in 2007. In obese Zucker rats, oral AOD9604 (500 µg/kg/day × 19 days) reduced body-weight gain by >50% and increased adipose lipolytic activity without impairing insulin sensitivity. In obese and lean mice, both hGH and AOD9604 reduced weight gain and increased fat oxidation and plasma glycerol; unlike hGH, AOD9604 caused no hyperglycemia and did not compete for the hGH receptor. In β3-AR knockout mice, chronic lipolytic/weight effects were lost while acute energy-expenditure increases persisted. Intra-articular AOD9604 combined with hyaluronic acid outperformed either agent alone in a rabbit collagenase-induced knee osteoarthritis model.
AOD-9604 and HGH Fragment 176-191 are both in the Metabolic category and may have overlapping mechanisms. Researchers should review both profiles carefully, understand the mechanisms of action, and monitor the relevant biomarkers when combining compounds in the same class. As always, consult a licensed healthcare provider before making any decisions about combining research compounds.
This platform provides informational tools only, not medical advice. This comparison is for educational purposes only. Consult a licensed provider.
Side Effects
Contraindications
Lab Testing
Key references
Disclosed Labs