AOD-9604Weight Loss / GLP-1
HGH fragment studied for fat metabolism.
- Status
- Research / not approved
- Developer
- Metabolic Pharmaceuticals (Monash University, Australia)
- Receptors / target
- C-terminal hGH(177-191) fragment with an added tyrosine; proposed to stimulate lipolysis/fat oxidation without activating the GH receptor or raising IGF-1
- FDA-approved?
- NO
- Prescription available?
- NO
- Studied for
- obesity / fat metabolismlipolysiscartilage / osteoarthritis repairmetabolic syndrome
Overview
AOD-9604 is a synthetic 16-amino-acid peptide corresponding to the C-terminal fragment of human growth hormone (residues 177-191) with an added N-terminal tyrosine, developed by Metabolic Pharmaceuticals as an oral anti-obesity candidate. The premise was to isolate growth hormone's fat-reducing ("lipolytic") activity while avoiding its growth-promoting and glucose-disrupting effects. Despite encouraging animal data, it failed to demonstrate clinically meaningful weight loss in its pivotal human trial and was discontinued for obesity around 2007. It is not an FDA-approved drug and is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency; this is research-use-only content.
Mechanism
AOD-9604 is proposed to stimulate lipolysis and fat oxidation in adipose tissue while, unlike full-length growth hormone, not activating the GH receptor or raising IGF-1. In obese rodents it reduced body-weight gain, increased fat oxidation and raised plasma glycerol (a lipolysis marker) without harming insulin sensitivity, and human trials likewise found no IGF-1 elevation and no impairment of glucose tolerance. The frequently cited downstream pathway remains proposed rather than definitively established, and no human pharmacokinetic data have been identified.
Clinical evidence
AOD-9604 advanced through several human trials, but the headline efficacy finding is negative: an early 12-week study suggested a modest edge over placebo (~2.6 kg vs ~0.8 kg), but the effect was not dose-dependent, and the pivotal 24-week phase 2b trial in 536 adults failed to produce statistically significant weight loss versus placebo, leading to discontinuation of obesity development (review: Valentino et al., 2010). The supportive animal evidence was positive, but the controlled human evidence did not support the marketed fat-loss claim.
Safety profile
Across six randomized, placebo-controlled trials involving roughly 900 adults, AOD-9604 was well tolerated, with tolerability comparable to placebo, no IGF-1 elevation, no impaired glucose tolerance and no serious treatment-related adverse events reported (Stier et al., 2013). The honest caveat is not a safety signal but an efficacy one: it appeared safe but ineffective for its intended weight-loss use. It is not FDA-approved and is on the WADA Prohibited List as a growth- hormone fragment. Research use only; nothing here is therapeutic or dosing guidance.
- Weeks 12–24
Human obesity trials ran 12–24 weeks; the pivotal study found NO significant weight loss versus placebo. It was well tolerated but ineffective for fat loss.
Reported in published literature and user reports. Not a complete list, and not medical advice.
- Generally well tolerated in trials
- Headache
- Injection-site reactions
- Mild fatigue
If severe or unexpected symptoms occur, contact a qualified medical professional. PEPTIDES·INDEX does not provide medical advice.
- No approved human contraindication labeling exists because AOD-9604 is unapproved and was discontinued; the trial record showed no specific safety contraindication but also no proven benefit.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding — no human safety data; investigational compounds are generally avoided.
- Known hypersensitivity to the peptide or excipients.
- No clinically documented drug interactionsTrials reported no IGF-1 elevation or glucose-tolerance change, but a formal human interaction profile was not established (research use only).
Compare
- vs Tesamorelin
Approved growth-hormone-axis peptide with demonstrated fat-reduction data
FAQ
Does AOD-9604 actually cause weight loss?
The controlled human evidence says no. An early 12-week study suggested a modest edge over placebo, but the effect was not dose-dependent, and the pivotal 24-week phase 2b trial in 536 adults failed to produce statistically significant weight loss versus placebo, leading to discontinuation of obesity development around 2007.
Is AOD-9604 FDA-approved?
No. It is not an FDA-approved drug. It is research-use-only and is also on the WADA Prohibited List as a growth-hormone fragment, so it is banned in sport.
Was it safe in trials?
Across roughly six randomized, placebo-controlled trials in about 900 adults it was generally well tolerated, with tolerability comparable to placebo, no IGF-1 elevation and no impaired glucose tolerance. The honest caveat is an efficacy problem, not a safety signal — it appeared safe but ineffective for fat loss.
What is AOD-9604 and how is it supposed to work?
It is a synthetic 16-amino-acid peptide based on the C-terminal fragment of human growth hormone (residues 177-191) with an added tyrosine. It was proposed to stimulate fat breakdown (lipolysis) and fat oxidation without activating the GH receptor or raising IGF-1. That downstream pathway remains proposed rather than definitively established, and no human pharmacokinetic data have been identified.
Why is it banned in sport if it failed as a weight-loss drug?
WADA prohibits AOD-9604 as a growth-hormone fragment, a class restriction that applies regardless of whether the compound was ever proven effective. So it is prohibited for athletes even though its obesity development was discontinued for lack of efficacy.
How does it compare with tesamorelin?
Tesamorelin is an approved growth-hormone-axis peptide with demonstrated fat-reduction data, whereas AOD-9604 is an unapproved, discontinued fragment that failed to show significant weight loss in its pivotal human trial. Both relate to the GH axis, but only tesamorelin has approved-drug efficacy evidence.
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Starting references for the library summary. These are not dosing instructions or medical advice.
For research-use educational context only. Not medical advice and not a recommendation to use any compound. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before any health decision.