AOD-9604
Advanced Obesity Drug 9604 (hGH Fragment 177-191)
Also called AOD9604, hGH fragment 176-191, growth hormone fragment
A growth hormone fragment that did not beat placebo
AOD-9604 is a small piece cut out of the growth hormone molecule, chosen because it was thought to handle fat burning without the rest of growth hormone's effects. It is one of the few fat-loss peptides that got a proper human trial. It did not beat placebo, and development stopped.
AOD-9604 is a fragment cut out of growth hormone, specifically the piece thought to handle fat burning, with the rest of the molecule left behind. The idea was elegant: get the fat-loss effect without the blood-sugar and growth effects of the whole hormone. It is also one of the few peptides in this space that was put through randomised human trials, and in the obesity trials it did not beat placebo. Development for weight loss stopped there.
- Half-life
- No published human figure
- Status
- Not FDA-approved
Human trials published, with more underway
What AOD-9604 has been studied for
The reasons people look it up, roughly in order of how often, and what research exists for each. Interest in a use is not evidence that it works; the evidence is stated under each one.
- Fat loss
- What it is marketed for. It went through randomised human trials in obesity, and the weight difference against placebo was not meaningful. Most peptides never get tested this well; this one did and came up short.
- Joints and cartilage
- Studied after the obesity work stopped, mostly in preclinical cartilage models. The evidence here is thinner than the fat-loss evidence.
Mechanism of Action
How AOD-9604 works
A good idea that did not survive testing.
- The design. Growth hormone is a long molecule and different stretches of it do different jobs. This is the tail end, the section linked to breaking down fat. Take that piece on its own and, in theory, you get fat loss without growth hormone's other effects.
- What it does in the laboratory. It nudges fat cells toward releasing their stores and away from building new ones. That part is real, and it is why the compound got funded.
- What happened in people. The trial ran, and the weight difference between drug and placebo was not meaningful. Most peptides sold today have never faced that test. This one did.
- Why it is still marketed. It has a growth-hormone story attached, and side effects in the trials were close to placebo, which is easy to mistake for a gentle effect rather than little effect.
AOD-9604 side effects: what studies reported
Across the trials the side-effect picture was close to placebo.
Most commonly reported
- Injection-site redness with injected use
- Occasional headache
Worth knowing
- It does not raise IGF-1 the way growth hormone does
Source: Phase 2 obesity trials, mid-2000s. This is a summary of published findings, not a complete safety profile and not medical advice. Questions about AOD-9604 belong with a licensed clinician who knows your history.
Your Genetics & AOD-9604
The genes involved in how AOD-9604 works
AOD-9604 works through the receptors these genes build, and the genes vary from person to person. Researchers have linked some of that variation to differences in how people respond. A DNA report tells you which versions you carry.
GHR · ••
The exon 3 deletion produces a shorter growth hormone receptor that some studies associated with greater growth hormone sensitivity. AOD-9604 is a growth hormone fragment; any link is untested.
PPARG · ••
The Pro12Ala variant has been associated with fat-cell formation and insulin sensitivity in human studies. Pathway context only.
ADRB3 · ••
The Trp64Arg variant in the beta-3 adrenergic receptor has been studied for association with fat metabolism and body weight, with mixed results. Not studied with AOD-9604.
FTO · ••
FTO risk alleles are among the best-replicated common genetic factors for obesity in population studies. No study has tested whether FTO genotype changes response to AOD-9604.
The dots after each gene are where your own result goes. Your report fills them in with the two letters you carry at that position.
Which of these variants do you carry?
Your report reads the DNA file you already have against this research.
Access
Access and legal status
AOD-9604 is not an FDA-approved drug. Products sold online as “research chemicals” are labelled not for human use, and FDA treats them as unapproved drugs when they are marketed for people. We don't link to any seller, and nothing on this page is a recommendation to obtain or use it.
Your DNA and AOD-9604: see which of the variants studied alongside it you carry, and what that research does and does not show. Read my DNA, $99 →
Educational information only, not medical advice. Most peptides are not FDA-approved. Do not start, stop or change any medication or peptide because of this page; talk to a licensed clinician.
Worth knowing about AOD-9604
Interactions and situations where there is a specific reason to be careful. Where the honest answer is that nobody has studied something, it says so and says what that leaves open.
- It failed the test most peptides never take
- The obesity trials did not show meaningful weight loss against placebo. Marketing it as a fat burner leaves that out.
- Not an approved medicine
- It is not approved as a drug for any use, and products sold under the name are unregulated.
Last updated
Frequently Asked Questions
Does AOD-9604 work for fat loss?
In randomised human trials in obesity in the 2000s, it did not produce meaningful weight loss compared with placebo, and development for that use stopped. In the laboratory it affects how fat cells release and store fat, without raising IGF-1.
Do genes affect AOD-9604 response?
No study has tested whether any genotype changes response to AOD-9604. ADRB3, GHR, PPARG and FTO variants have been associated with fat metabolism or body weight in human studies. A DNA report can show which versions you carry and what that research does and does not show.
Is AOD-9604 the same as HGH?
No. AOD-9604 is a small fragment (amino acids 177-191) of growth hormone with a tyrosine modification, designed to keep only the fat-metabolising activity. Unlike full growth hormone, it does not raise IGF-1 or promote tissue growth.
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What clinicians and researchers say about AOD-9604
Learn more about AOD-9604
Your DNA and AOD-9604
What the research says about your variants.
The report
Which AOD-9604 variants do you carry?
Your report reads the DNA file you already have against the published research on 31 peptides, marker by marker, and says what that research does and does not show.
Read my DNA, $99