AOD-9604_Dosage, benefits & legal status
Also known as AOD9604, Anti-Obesity Drug 9604
A growth-hormone fragment marketed for fat loss, with weak proof it works.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is AOD-9604?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
It was built to trigger growth hormone's fat-burning effect, without the muscle or blood-sugar effects. The human proof that it works is weak.
AOD-9604 is a modified fragment of growth hormone (the 176-191 tail) with an added amino acid.
What it's used for
People use it hoping to burn fat without the muscle or blood-sugar effects of full growth hormone. The human proof that it works is weak.
How does AOD-9604 work?
What it does in the body, and where.AOD-9604 is the tail end of the growth hormone molecule, the fragment linked to fat breakdown, with one amino acid added for stability. The idea was to keep one effect and discard the rest.
- 01It copies growth hormone's fat-releasing signalSpecifically the part of the molecule that tells fat cells to release stored fat.
- 02It leaves IGF-1 aloneThe muscle-building and blood-sugar effects of full growth hormone run through IGF-1, which this fragment does not raise. That is the whole point of using a fragment.
- 03Human trials did not show the weight lossIt performed well in animals. Clinical trials in people failed to produce meaningful fat loss, which is why it never reached approval.
A schematic of the compound's mechanism, not a diagnostic image.
What else is it used for?
Each use below carries its own evidence level. Approved means regulators have cleared it for that purpose. Investigational means it is in trials. Early research means it is being studied and is not established.
- Fat loss without the other effects of growth hormone, which is the main claimResearch only
- Cartilage and joint repairEarly research
The published record
Papers and trials about AOD-9604
Searched: AOD-9604, AOD9604, Anti-Obesity Drug 9604.
18 papers tagged human · 9 not reviews or lab · 0 clinical trial publications
Furthest stage reached: No clinical trial on record
Compare this against the whole library →
Nominated but withdrawn; previously category 2RegulatorsCounted from Europe PMC indexing, not read by a person; a human tag can land on reviews, commentary or lab papers; clinical trial publications is the narrower count.
At a glance
Four things to know about AOD-9604
Evidence
Category
Weight loss and metabolic
Common vial
5 mg
Half-life
About 3 minutes in animals
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.0.3 mg per day, daily. Studied as daily dosing for up to 12 weeks Trial dose
The obesity trials gave it daily for up to 12 weeks with no cycling. Worth knowing that those trials did not show weight loss over placebo, so the schedule question is somewhat academic.
About 3 minutes in animalsAnimal study
An intravenous figure from rat, primate and pig work. Around 900 people took part in six human trials, including a 502-person phase 2b that missed its primary endpoint, but none of them published a human half-life.
Not yet traced to a primary source.
You can compare this against the whole library to see where it sits.
How do I dose and price it?
Enter your vial and your dose. Pick a mix. We show the draw and the cost.The vial holds a fixed amount of drug. Adding more water does not make more drug, it just spreads it thinner, so you draw a bigger number on the syringe for the same dose.
Choose your mix
Measuring the water1 mL = one full 100-unit syringe.
AOD-9604 starts at $6.00 across 144 vendors, typically $6.51 – $15.36 per mg.
198 listings, last read Oct 24, 2026. Shipping and card fees are not included.
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Dry powder in the freezer or fridge. Once mixed, fridge, and use within about a month.
Unmixed lyophilized AOD-9604 keeps for a long time cold. Once you add water the clock starts: most reconstituted vials hold up for roughly 28 to 30 days at fridge temperature. Keep it out of light, and do not freeze it after mixing.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.Solubility, computed: 31% charged residues, 44% hydrophobic. Water usually sufficient.
A first-pass rule from peptide manufacturers' guidance. It does not account for disulfide bridges, salt form or how the powder was dried, and it predicts what should be easy rather than what will happen in your vial.
Who should avoid it
- No formal contraindications established
- Pregnancy
Stop and get help
- Signs of an allergic reaction
Common effects
- Well tolerated across six human trials involving more than 900 people
- It did not raise IGF-1, unlike growth hormone itself
- Development stopped in 2007 because it did not produce meaningful weight loss, not because of safety
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is AOD-9604 approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.No. AOD-9604 is not approved for any use, anywhere. It is sold labeled for laboratory research only, and there is no legal route to buy it for human use.
- Approval statusResearch only
- RouteUnder the skin (subcutaneous)
- Checked22 July 2026
- DoseFrom community reports. No regulator or trial established this dose.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- SourcesNone traced yet.
What has happened recently
We have not yet written a full regulatory note for this compound. The status above is current as of the date shown.
What regulators say
From official documentsNominated but withdrawn; previously category 2
FDA has identified serious adverse events that may be associated with AOD-9604; causality not clear
Checked 11 September 2026FDA: Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks (category 2 and withdrawn nominations), current as of April 22, 2026Prohibited at all times, in and out of competition. S2.2.3 growth hormone fragments, e.g. AOD-9604 and hGH 176-191. Non-Specified.
Checked 12 September 2026WADA: The 2026 Prohibited List (in force 1 January 2026)
You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.
If you're weighing AOD-9604, it's worth reading SLU-PP-332, GHRP-6, and L-Carnitine (Levocarnitine) in the same class.
A growth-hormone fragment marketed for fat loss, with weak proof it works.
- Dose
- 0.3 mg per day
- How often
- Daily
An experimental 'exercise in a molecule,' very early and unproven in people.
- Dose
- Research only
- How often
- Cycled
A growth-hormone shot that also triggers strong hunger, used for bulking.
- Dose
- 0.1 up to 0.3 mg per dose (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- 1-3x daily
An approved drug for a rare deficiency, sold as a fat-loss injection.
- Dose
- Varies widely by route and purpose
- How often
- Daily by mouth, or two to three times a week by injection
Guides for this compound
- How to Reconstitute a Peptide
Mix peptide powder with bacteriostatic water, step by step.
- How to Read an Insulin Syringe
Read the units, convert to millilitres, and draw the exact dose.
- mcg vs mg: The Peptide Dosing Mistake to Avoid
Your vial says mg and your protocol says mcg. Here is the conversion and how to check it.
- How to Read a Peptide COA
What the purity number does and does not tell you, and how to spot an edited report.
- How to Vet a Peptide Vendor
Independent COAs, HPLC purity, and the red flags that mean walk away.
Sources
No primary source has been traced for this compound yet. Treat everything on this page as unverified until one is. How we grade evidence
Beyond these, 26 records are indexed. Browse the records