Verified July 2026 · Cited to primary sources
AOD-9604: Evidence Grade F. Tested in humans and failed.
The honest verdict
AOD-9604 is the cautionary tale of the fat-loss peptide world. It sounds elegant on paper, it has clean human safety data, and it completely failed the 24-week Phase 2b obesity trial it was designed to win. It is not FDA approved, it is banned in sport, and no amount of clinic marketing changes the fact that the pivotal human study did not beat placebo. If your goal is weight loss, the GLP-1 class has real outcome data; AOD-9604 does not.
AOD-9604 at a glance
- Class
- Growth hormone C-terminal fragment analog
- Mechanism
- AOD-9604 is a synthetic analog of the C-terminal region (amino acids 176-191) of human growth hormone, with a tyrosine added at the N-terminus. In rodent and in-vitro work it was reported to stimulate lipolysis (fat breakdown) and inhibit lipogenesis by acting on beta-3 adrenergic pathways in fat tissue, apparently without the blood-sugar-raising or growth-promoting effects of full-length HGH. That mechanism never translated into meaningful human fat loss.
- Also known as
- AOD9604, Anti-Obesity Drug 9604, HGH Fragment 176-191 (modified), Tyr-hGH 177-191
- Research applications
- Obesity and fat loss (human trials, failed)
- Osteoarthritis and cartilage repair (early-stage, unproven)
- Dyslipidemia / metabolic markers
- Forms
- Subcutaneous injection (research), Oral tablet (used in the failed clinical program), Topical / cosmetic blends
- Legal status
- Research-only
- WADA (anti-doping)
- Prohibited at all times (S0, non-approved substances). WADA issued a formal clarification in 2013 confirming AOD-9604 is banned in sport after public confusion suggested otherwise.
- Evidence grade
- Grade FTested in humans and failed
How we grade evidence
Every grade comes from a fixed A to F rubric: human-trial strength, not hype or affiliate status. Last verified July 6, 2026.
What is AOD-9604?
A modified fragment of human growth hormone that was supposed to melt fat without the side effects. It got a real Phase 2b obesity trial in humans and flat-out failed to beat placebo, which is why no regulator has ever approved it.
AOD-9604 is a synthetic analog of the C-terminal region (amino acids 176-191) of human growth hormone, with a tyrosine added at the N-terminus. In rodent and in-vitro work it was reported to stimulate lipolysis (fat breakdown) and inhibit lipogenesis by acting on beta-3 adrenergic pathways in fat tissue, apparently without the blood-sugar-raising or growth-promoting effects of full-length HGH. That mechanism never translated into meaningful human fat loss.
How strong is the evidence for AOD-9604?
This is the rare peptide that was actually taken into a large, adequately-powered human efficacy trial and lost. Metabolic Pharmaceuticals ran a 24-week Phase 2b study (METAOD006) in roughly 500 obese adults across multiple oral doses versus placebo, and it did not produce a statistically significant weight-loss difference over placebo on the primary endpoint. Development was terminated in 2007. Earlier short (12-week) data hinted at a tiny effect (about 2.6 kg vs 0.8 kg placebo) that did not hold up when properly tested for longer in more people. Human safety data is reassuring but efficacy was disproven, which is the definition of a grade F: tested in humans, failed.
Primary sources (2)
- Stier et al. 2013, J Endocrinol Metab - Safety and Tolerability of the Hexadecapeptide AOD9604 in Humans (pooled analysis of six randomized placebo-controlled trials, ~900 participants; confirms good tolerability but is a safety, not efficacy, paper)
- BioSpace 2007 - Metabolic Pharmaceuticals Obesity Trial Update on the Phase 2b AOD9604 program (documents the 24-week Phase 2b design and dosing that ultimately failed the primary weight-loss endpoint)
Is AOD-9604 legal? (Status July 2026)
No legal supervised US route.
What is AOD-9604 used for?
AOD-9604 is marketed for the goals below. See how it ranks against other peptides in each, by evidence, not hype.
What does AOD-9604 cost, and how do you access it legally?
Typical cost
$40 to $90 per 5 mg vial from research suppliers
Priced like a mid-tier research peptide, but you are paying for a compound whose headline benefit (fat loss) failed a real human obesity trial. Cost is not the issue here, the missing efficacy is.
No legal supervised access route right now.
AOD-9604 has no compliant US route today. Vials sold "for research use only" are a gray-market fig-leaf, not a legal loophole, so we don't link them. If you pursue AOD-9604, do it with a licensed clinician, and re-check its legal status first.
Trying to lose weight?
For weight loss, an approved GLP-1 beats this peptide.
No research peptide here has proven, legally-available weight-loss data that beats an approved GLP-1. Our sister site compares the options that actually work.
Is AOD-9604safe? Side effects & risks
Human trials found AOD-9604 well tolerated, with no clinically significant adverse events, no anti-drug antibodies, and no negative effect on carbohydrate metabolism, even at oral doses far above what people inject. The honest concern is not toxicity, it is that the efficacy claim failed in the one large trial that mattered, so anything sold today is unapproved, unregulated, and marketed on a benefit that adequately-powered human data did not confirm. Purity and dosing of research-grade material are unverified.
Medical disclaimer: This page is independent editorial information, not medical advice, and Best Peptide For That is not a medical provider. We do not provide dosing. Talk to a licensed clinician before starting, stopping, or changing any peptide or medication. Full medical disclaimer.
FAQ
AOD-9604 FAQ
Does AOD-9604 actually cause weight loss?
Not in the trial that counted. A 24-week Phase 2b study in about 500 obese adults did not show statistically significant weight loss versus placebo, and development was stopped in 2007. Short early data hinted at a small effect that did not hold up.
Is AOD-9604 FDA approved?
No. It has never been approved by the FDA, EMA, or TGA as a drug. After the failed obesity program it has only been marketed as a research chemical or nutraceutical ingredient.
Is AOD-9604 safe?
Human trials found it well tolerated with no serious adverse events and no effect on blood sugar. The bigger problem is not safety, it is that it does not appear to work for its intended purpose, and research-grade product is unregulated.
Is AOD-9604 banned in sport?
Yes. WADA prohibits it at all times as a non-approved substance, and confirmed this in a 2013 clarification. It is detectable in anti-doping urine testing.
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