AOD-9604
A modified piece of growth hormone designed to break down fat. It reached human obesity trials but didn't beat placebo.
- Evidence
- Limited human research
- Half-life
- Not known
- Sources
- 3 cited
Is AOD-9604 FDA-approved?
Not approved by the FDA. Products sold online as "research chemicals" aren't checked for purity, sterility or dose.
Is AOD-9604 banned in sport?
Banned in sport by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Overview
AOD-9604 is the tail end of human growth hormone (amino acids 177–191) with one extra amino acid. In rats and mice it boosted fat breakdown without the blood sugar effects of full growth hormone. Human trials in the early 2000s found it well tolerated, but it didn't produce meaningful weight loss, and development for obesity stopped.
How it works
In lab and animal studies it seems to copy growth hormone's fat-burning effect without acting on the growth hormone receptor, so it doesn't raise IGF-1.
How long does AOD-9604 stay in the body?
Not well established in people.
What it's studied for
- Obesity (development stopped)
- Cartilage and joint repair (animal studies)
Related: Bimagrumab, HGH Fragment 176-191, Setmelanotide, 5-Amino-1MQ.
Sources
The studies and prescribing labels this page is written from.
- Metabolic studies of a synthetic lipolytic domain (AOD9604) of human growth hormone. Horm Res, 2000 PubMed
- The effects of human GH and its lipolytic fragment (AOD9604) on lipid metabolism in obese mice. Endocrinology, 2001 PubMed
- Safety and Efficacy of Approved and Unapproved Peptide Therapies for Musculoskeletal Injuries and Athletic Performance. Sports Med, 2026 PubMed
