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 Meldonium — mechanism, dosing, 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.
Meldonium (Mildronate) is a small-molecule carnitine-biosynthesis inhibitor and anti-ischemic metabolic modulator — not a peptide. It is an approved prescription drug for cardiovascular indications in several ex-Soviet states but is not FDA- or EMA-approved, and it is WADA-prohibited (added January 2016, of Sharapova notoriety). It is also sold as a gray-market research chemical.
AOD-9604
Meldonium
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Dose Range
Route
Frequency
COA-verified vendors · trust score ≥70 required · single-vial price — bulk/bundle deals may be lower
AOD-9604
Meldonium
No pricing data yet.
Check Meldonium prices →COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
AOD-9604
97
COAs
99.5%
Avg purity
16
Labs
Meldonium
2
COAs
99.9%
Avg purity
2
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
In rat ischemia-reperfusion models, meldonium (100–200 mg/kg) reduced myocardial infarct size ~30% and protected liver, brain, and endothelial function. In humans it is used clinically (in approving markets) for chronic heart failure and angina at 500 mg twice daily, but there is no FDA/EMA-registered pivotal efficacy trial. Urinary detection persists for weeks-to-months, central to doping cases. Not FDA/EMA-approved; not a peptide.
AOD-9604 and Meldonium 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.
Dosing Notes
Half-life
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Lab Testing
Disclosed Labs