AOD-9604

Mechanism

AOD-9604 is a synthetic fragment of human growth hormone corresponding to residues 176–191 of the full hGH molecule. The fragment was originally developed as an anti-obesity drug candidate (Metabolic Pharmaceuticals, Australia, 2000s) on the hypothesis that the lipolytic activity of growth hormone could be separated from the growth-promoting and insulin-resistance effects.

The mechanistic claim is that AOD-9604 retains the fat-metabolism signaling of full HGH while not activating the IGF-1 axis or producing the insulin-resistance side effects associated with full HGH protocols. Phase 2 clinical trials in the early 2000s tested this thesis and showed a modest weight-loss signal — but not enough to support a successful drug-development pathway, and the compound did not advance to FDA approval.

Despite the failed drug-development trajectory, AOD-9604 continues to appear in research-peptide catalogs as a fat-loss-research compound.

Research dosing

The published Phase 2 trial used 250–500 mcg daily subcutaneous. Research-protocol literature typically follows the same range:

• 250 mcg daily as a lower-end protocol
• 500 mcg daily as the most-cited research dose
• Morning administration is standard, on an empty stomach where the protocol allows

Half-life is short (~30 minutes), but the lipolytic signaling is reported to persist for several hours after each dose.

Side-effect profile

The Phase 2 trial reported a side-effect profile broadly comparable to placebo at the studied doses. The compound was selected for development specifically because of its favorable side-effect profile relative to full HGH. Research-protocol literature reports:

• Minimal injection-site reactions at standard doses
• No reported insulin-resistance signal in published trial data
• No reported IGF-1 elevation — a structural feature, not a clinical surprise

What we cover

Public Janoshik testing data on AOD-9604 is currently limited — only one publicly-submitted test in our local mirror as of May 2026. The compound is structurally smaller and simpler than tesamorelin (16 amino acids vs 44), so synthesis quality across vendors tends to be more uniform. Vendor audits for AOD-9604 focus on identity confirmation; the more interesting question is usually whether the vendor's product is correctly labeled as the 176–191 fragment vs the full HGH molecule.