What Is AOD-9604?

Overview

AOD-9604 is a synthetic peptide built from the C-terminal region of human growth hormone (hGH), specifically residues 176–191, with an extra tyrosine added to the N-terminus. The design goal was to isolate the part of the growth-hormone molecule associated with fat breakdown while discarding the segments responsible for growth signalling, glucose disturbance and IGF-1 elevation. The result is a 16-amino-acid peptide (sequence Tyr-LRIVQCRSVEGSCGF, with a disulfide bridge between its two cysteine residues) that is studied almost exclusively for its proposed effects on lipid metabolism rather than tissue growth.

How AOD-9604 Works

In pre-clinical models, AOD-9604 has been described as acting on fat tissue through three proposed routes: promoting lipolysis (the release of stored fat), dampening lipogenesis (the formation of new fat), and increasing the oxidation of fatty acids. Importantly, the receptor-level pathway it engages has never been fully pinned down — the published work characterises its metabolic effects without establishing a single definitive mechanism. A recurring caveat in the literature is that results from rodent studies have not translated cleanly into human outcomes, because animal dosing, animal metabolism and human obesity trials do not map onto one another. The compound's appeal in research is that, unlike intact growth hormone, it does not appear to raise blood glucose or stimulate IGF-1 in the same way.

What the Research Explores

• Lipolysis and the mobilisation of stored triglycerides in adipose tissue.
• Suppression of lipogenesis and shifts in nutrient partitioning.
• Fat oxidation and broader energy-metabolism models.
• Obesity and body-composition endpoints, including controlled human trials that examined oral dosing.
• Separation of growth hormone's metabolic activity from its growth-promoting and glucose effects.

Forms & Handling

For laboratory work, AOD-9604 is typically supplied as a lyophilized powder, with a 10 mg vial being a common research format. It is reconstituted with bacteriostatic water — adding 2.0 mL to a 10 mg vial gives a working concentration of 5 mg/mL (5,000 mcg/mL), which keeps the microgram-level math straightforward on a U-100 insulin syringe. The sealed powder is kept frozen (around −20 °C, dark and sealed); once in solution it is stored upright under refrigeration. Because the compound is dosed in micrograms rather than milligrams, the reconstitution and titration figures are laid out in the dosing protocol linked below.

Safety & Research Notes

AOD-9604 is an investigational research compound with no approved drug label and no approved dosage for fat loss, obesity or wellness. It is worth noting that its largest published obesity trials were not decisive: a Phase 2b study did not demonstrate a statistically significant weight-loss advantage over placebo at its primary endpoint. There is no established human or veterinary safety profile, and the substance appears on regulatory watch lists in several jurisdictions. Everything described here is mechanistic background drawn from the laboratory literature, not a usage recommendation.

References

Related Protocols