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 NAD+ — 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.
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme present in all living cells, not a peptide. It is classified here alongside peptides for user convenience in the anti-aging / metabolic category. NAD+ plays a central role in cellular energy metabolism and redox reactions and is studied for its involvement in mitochondrial function, DNA-damage signaling via sirtuins and PARPs, and age-associated metabolic decline. IV NAD+ is not FDA-approved for any clinical indication; it is administered off-label through compounding pharmacies and functional-medicine clinics with limited rigorous outcome data.
AOD-9604
NAD+
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Dose Range
Route
COA-verified vendors · trust score ≥70 required · single-vial price — bulk/bundle deals may be lower
AOD-9604
NAD+
COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
AOD-9604
97
COAs
99.5%
Avg purity
16
Labs
NAD+
146
COAs
99.4%
Avg purity
15
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
The strongest human evidence for raising circulating NAD+ comes from oral-precursor trials. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of nicotinamide riboside combined with pterostilbene (NRPT) showed sustained dose-dependent increases in whole-blood NAD+ over 8 weeks in healthy adults (Dellinger et al., npj Aging and Mechanisms of Disease, 2017). A Yoshino/Baur/Imai review summarizes the biology and emerging therapeutic potential of NR and NMN, including preclinical healthspan data in aged mice (Cell Metabolism, 2018). Direct IV NAD+ has only small pilot pharmacokinetic data: Grant et al. infused 750 mg over 6 hours in 8 healthy men and documented altered plasma and urine NAD+ metabolome without clinical-outcome endpoints (Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 2019). No adequately powered RCTs support IV or SubQ NAD+ for anti-aging, cognition, addiction, or Parkinson's disease; clinic marketing claims outrun the published outcome evidence.
AOD-9604 and NAD+ 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.
Cheapest verified AOD-9604: live prices, vendors & COA data
The cheapest verified AOD-9604 by price-per-mg — a live board of in-stock vendors with COAs on file. Lab data from 16 labs across 96 COAs.
Cheapest verified NAD+: live prices, vendors & COA data
The cheapest verified NAD+ by price-per-mg — a live board of in-stock vendors with COAs on file. Lab data from 15 labs across 158 COAs.
This platform provides informational tools only, not medical advice. This comparison is for educational purposes only. Consult a licensed provider.
Frequency
Dosing Notes
Half-life
Side Effects
Contraindications
Lab Testing
Key references
Disclosed Labs