What it is
AOD-9604 is a modified fragment of human growth hormone, corresponding to amino acids 177 to 191 of the full hormone. It is studied for its effects on fat metabolism without the growth-promoting effects associated with full human growth hormone (HGH).
In the PeptidesAI encyclopedia it is categorized under weight management, alongside compounds such as semaglutide and MOTS-c, though its studied mechanism and evidence base differ substantially from those medicines.
How it's thought to work
AOD-9604 is studied for mimicking the lipolytic region of HGH, the portion of the hormone associated with breaking down fat, while inhibiting lipogenesis (fat formation), without affecting blood sugar or growth rate the way full HGH does. Isolating this fragment is the proposed reason it can be studied for fat metabolism separately from HGH's broader growth-promoting effects.
What the research says
Laboratory research (Heffernan et al., 2001) describes AOD-9604 reproducing growth hormone's fat-breakdown effect in animal models. In people, early studies reported modest fat loss, but clinical development did not lead to an approved product, and published human data is mostly limited to safety and tolerability (Stier et al., 2013).
Reported side effects
Reported side effects include injection site irritation, headache, and mild nausea.
Reconstitution
AOD-9604 is supplied as a lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder and is typically reconstituted with bacteriostatic (BAC) water before use. It commonly comes in 5 mg vials. The amount of peptide in the vial is fixed; the water added only changes how concentrated the solution is.
Worked example. A 5 mg vial is 5,000 mcg. Reconstituted with 2.5 mL of BAC water, that works out to 5,000 mcg ÷ 2.5 mL = 2,000 mcg/mL. On a U-100 insulin syringe, where each unit is 0.01 mL, each unit holds 2,000 × 0.01 = 20 mcg. Use the peptide reconstitution calculator to work out the concentration and units for any vial size and water volume.
Important notes
AOD-9604 is not approved by the FDA for any use. Reported results are described as varying significantly between individuals, and the available clinical data remains limited.
Sources
- The effects of human GH and its lipolytic fragment (AOD9604) on lipid metabolism following chronic treatment in obese mice and beta(3)-AR knock-out mice. Heffernan M et al. Endocrinology, 2001. Preclinical
- Safety and Tolerability of the Hexadecapeptide AOD9604 in Humans. Stier et al. Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2013. Human trial
Frequently asked questions
These questions cover the same ground as the sections above, in a shorter format.
What is AOD-9604?
A modified fragment of human growth hormone (amino acids 177-191) studied for fat metabolism effects without HGH's growth-promoting activity.
How is AOD-9604 thought to work?
It is studied for mimicking the fat-breakdown region of HGH while inhibiting fat formation, without affecting blood sugar or growth rate.
What does the research on AOD-9604 say?
Human data is limited. Early studies reported modest fat loss, but development did not lead to an approved product; published human data mostly covers safety and tolerability.
What are the reported side effects of AOD-9604?
Reported side effects include injection site irritation, headache, and mild nausea.
How much is one unit from a 5 mg AOD-9604 vial?
With 2.5 mL of BAC water, a 5 mg vial is 2,000 mcg/mL, so one unit on a U-100 syringe (0.01 mL) holds 20 mcg.
The full entry, plus the calculator
The PeptidesAI app has the complete encyclopedia entry for AOD-9604 — one of 70 compounds covered — plus the reconstitution calculator, a dose log and reminders. Free to download on iPhone.
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