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PeptideHormone

AOD-9604

A growth-hormone fragment marketed for fat loss; weak human data.

Research peptideLimitedCompounding restricted

A fragment marketed far beyond its evidence. The underlying question — whether one region of GH carries its fat-handling alone — remains genuinely open, and largely unanswered in humans.

Identity

Class
Modified hGH(176-191) C-terminal fragment
Source
Synthetic fragment of human growth hormone
Receptor
No established receptor; a proposed lipolytic action separate from GH's growth effects

Key properties

Evidence floorCommunityREF1COMM1
Molecular weight
≈ 1,815 Da
REF
Half-life (native)
Minutes in plasma (effects outlast clearance)
COMMHalf-life is poorly characterized in humans. The figure is indicative of order-of-magnitude, not an established value.

Approximate values for the native hormone; engineered analogs are often deliberately larger and far longer-acting. Each figure carries its own provenance tier, and the floor is the weakest of them - the Standard.

Mechanism

AOD-9604 is a synthetic analog of growth hormone's C-terminal region (residues 176-191, plus an added tyrosine) — the fragment linked to GH's lipolytic activity but not its growth-promoting or glucose effects. The design aim was to isolate fat metabolism from the rest of GH biology, but controlled human obesity trials did not show a significant weight benefit.

Reference notes

  • It is the 'lipolytic fragment' of GH, engineered to separate fat metabolism from GH's growth and glucose actions.
  • Human obesity trials failed to demonstrate significant efficacy, and it was never approved as a weight-loss drug.
  • It persists in the research-peptide market on claims that outrun the controlled data.

Regulatory status

United States · reviewed September 2026
Compounding restrictedAOD-9604 is an unapproved substance the FDA has placed in Category 2 of its 503A bulk-substances list, citing significant safety risks, so it may not lawfully be compounded.
Basis
FDA 503A bulk-substances list, Category 2 (substances that may present significant safety risks), September 2023.

Status describes the molecule as a drug substance under US law and is an editorial reading of the public record — approvals, trial registrations, and the FDA 503A bulk-substances list. It is not legal advice and it changes; the review date above is the last time the table was checked. Other jurisdictions are noted only where they differ materially.

Common questions

What is AOD-9604?
A growth-hormone fragment marketed for fat loss; weak human data. Structurally it is Modified hGH(176-191) C-terminal fragment.
How does AOD-9604 work?
AOD-9604 is a synthetic analog of growth hormone's C-terminal region (residues 176-191, plus an added tyrosine) — the fragment linked to GH's lipolytic activity but not its growth-promoting or glucose effects. The design aim was to isolate fat metabolism from the rest of GH biology, but controlled human obesity trials did not show a significant weight benefit.
How strong is the evidence for AOD-9604?
PeptideHormone grades AOD-9604 at the "Limited" evidence tier — the evidence is sparse, older, or mostly community-reported. It is catalogued as a community research peptide outside the approved-drug system, and the tier is an editorial judgment about the public literature that can change as the science does.
What is the half-life of AOD-9604?
The reported circulating half-life of AOD-9604 is Minutes in plasma (effects outlast clearance).
Is AOD-9604 FDA-approved?
No — as of September 2026, AOD-9604 is an unapproved substance the FDA has placed in Category 2 of its 503A bulk-substances list, citing significant safety risks, so it may not lawfully be compounded. FDA 503A bulk-substances list, Category 2 (substances that may present significant safety risks), September 2023. Status is US-centric and can change; check the FDA record for the current position.

In the literature

Live registry counts · retrieved
Registered trialsREF
0
  • Ph 10
  • Ph 20
  • Ph 30
  • Ph 40
Open on ClinicalTrials.gov
PubMed recordsREF
11
Since 20222 · 18%
Open on PubMed

Searched as AOD-9604. Counts are search hits from the primary registries, not a curated set and not a grade – a measure of how much work exists on AOD-9604, not how it turned out.

Selected literature

Curated peer-reviewed reviews, sourced from PubMed. Selected for relevance, not exhaustive — open any entry on PubMed for the full record and its primary citations.

  1. 1.AOD-9604 Metabolic · Current opinion in investigational drugs (London, England : 2000), 2004 · PMID 15134286
  2. 2.Safety and Efficacy of Approved and Unapproved Peptide Therapies for Musculoskeletal Injuries and Athletic Performance · Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2026 · PMID 41966639
  3. 3.Obesity drugs in clinical development · Current opinion in investigational drugs (London, England : 2000), 2006 · PMID 16625817

External references

AOD-9604 in the public knowledge graph — the same entity resolved across the authoritative chemistry and protein databases.