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 HGH Fragment 176-191 and Tesofensine — mechanism, side effects, legal status, and pricing.
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.
Tesofensine is a small-molecule triple monoamine reuptake inhibitor (serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine) — NOT a peptide. Originally developed by NeuroSearch for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease (which it failed to benefit) and repositioned for obesity by Saniona. Not FDA-approved in the US.
HGH Fragment 176-191
Tesofensine
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Side Effects
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HGH Fragment 176-191
No pricing data yet.
Check HGH Fragment 176-191 prices →Tesofensine
COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
HGH Fragment 176-191
1
COAs
99.2%
Avg purity
1
Labs
Tesofensine
15
COAs
99.4%
Avg purity
6
Labs
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.
Key references
Pivotal Phase 2 (Astrup et al., Lancet 2008, n=203, 24 weeks, Denmark) showed placebo-subtracted weight loss of 4.5%, 9.2%, and 10.6% at 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/day — roughly twice orlistat at 0.5 mg. (The Lancet issued an expression of concern about that trial in 2013.) Saniona's Mexico partner Medix ran a Phase 3 registration study that met its primary endpoint; Medix filed with COFEPRIS in May 2023 with supplemental data submitted in 2024. As of April 2026 a final Mexican approval decision is still pending — the commonly repeated '2022 Mexico approval' claim is inaccurate. Tesomet (tesofensine + metoprolol, intended to blunt cardiovascular signal) is in development for hypothalamic obesity and Prader-Willi syndrome.
HGH Fragment 176-191 and Tesofensine 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.
Contraindications
Lab Testing
Key references
Disclosed Labs