AOD-9604
Aliases: Anti-Obesity Drug 9604 · hGH Fragment 177-191 (mod)
Last verified: 2026-09-23
The short version
AOD-9604 is an hGH fragment that went through a genuine development program: it passed phases I and IIa for weight loss without significant safety signals, but phase IIb showed it did not beat placebo in reducing body weight — the program was abandoned. It is a instructive example: 'safe' is not the same as 'works'. It remains on the gray market as a 'lipolytic fragment', even though its best data are neutral on efficacy.
Identity & type
- Molecular type
- fragment
- Sequence / structure
- Fragment hGH(177–191), 15 aa
- Molecular weight
- ~1816 Da
- Origin
- C-terminal fragment of human growth hormone (region 177–191) that does not act via the IGF-1 pathway.
Mechanism of action
Stimulates lipolysis and inhibits lipogenesis in adipose tissue (mechanism not fully understood; does not activate the GH receptor).
not confirmed in humans
Dosing & routes
Official / clinical context
Development was abandoned; no active regulatory document exists. There are no official indications.
Regulator-approved labeling and published study designs — never a recommendation.
Community-reported practice
Trials used 1–30 mg/day orally; gray-market use 250–500 mcg SC in the morning. Fat-loss effects are modest and inconsistent; some report slight abdominal-fat reduction with diet, others nothing. Today it is more often used in joint creams.
Unverified self-reports. Not medical advice. Not endorsement.
Expected effects (community)
Fat-loss effects are modest and inconsistent; some report slight abdominal-fat reduction with diet, others nothing. Today it is more often used in joint creams.
Protocol — official vs community
Official / label
No approved product. Trials tested oral and SC up to 1 mg/day for obesity — failed efficacy endpoints.
- 01Flat daily dosing in trials
Duration: Trial-defined.
The hGH fragment failed as an obesity drug; it persists as a supplement-adjacent peptide.
Community (anecdotal)
300 mcg SC daily, or 500 mcg oral, 30 min pre-cardio in 'fat-loss protocol' listings.
- Cycle:
- 8–12 weeks.
- Break:
- 4 weeks.
Community use outlived failed trials — the difference between marketing and efficacy.
Human evidence
Multiple phase I/II trials (~500 subjects) — well tolerated, but no proven efficacy on adipose tissue.
Preclinical evidence
Metabolic Pharmaceuticals: Phase IIb (536 subjects) — non-significant weight loss vs placebo; obesity development stopped in 2007. GRAS status as a food ingredient in the US.
Known risks
- Mild injection-site reactionscharacterized
- Risk of false efficacy expectationscharacterized
Teal: characterized in clinical/labeling contexts. Amber: theoretical or reported outside controlled settings.
Unknowns & evidence gaps
- Whether any subgroup responds
Frequently asked questions
References
- Kwon D.R. et al., early clinical studies of AOD-9604 (obesity trials)