AOD-9604: research, side effects and dosage in studies
In short
AOD-9604 is a 16-amino-acid peptide derived from the tail end of growth hormone, developed as a drug for obesity [5]. In humans, only a safety summary of six randomised trials has been published [16]A. No results on weight-loss efficacy in humans have been published, and the evidence of an effect comes from mice, rats and rabbits [1, 4, 7]C.
- In humans, a safety summary of six randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials has been published (2013, in a journal that is not in PubMed) [16]A. We know of no published results on weight-loss efficacy in humans. The rest of the published research consists of animal studies, cell and doping-analysis studies and reviews.
- In obese mice, AOD-9604 reduced weight gain and increased fat oxidation [1]C.
- Unlike growth hormone, AOD-9604 did not raise blood glucose in mice [1]C.
- The substance does not show up in WADA's growth hormone test [2]D, but it is banned in sport at all times (WADA S2.2.3) [14]regulator. It has been found in seized preparations [3]D.
- In Finland, AOD-9604 is in Annex 1 A of Fimea's medicines list, so it is controlled as a medicine [15]regulator. There is no approved dosage, and all published doses are animal doses.
What is AOD-9604?
AOD-9604 is a 16-amino-acid peptide derived from the tail end of growth hormone: it contains amino acids 177-191 of growth hormone with a tyrosine added at the start [8]D. It is also called hGH 176-191 [14]regulator.
It was developed as a drug for obesity, and a development profile was published in 2004 [5]. The safety results of six randomised trials with AOD-9604 were published as a summary in 2013 [16]A. No results on weight-loss efficacy have been published in peer-reviewed form, and development did not lead to a marketing authorisation in the EU or the United States.
AOD-9604 is neither growth hormone nor a growth hormone releaser. It is a fragment of the hormone, and in a laboratory test it did not bind the growth hormone receptor [1]D. Reviews class it among the unregulated substances marketed as "research compounds" that act on the growth hormone and IGF-1 axis, together with sermorelin, tesamorelin, CJC-1295, GHRP-2, GHRP-6, hexarelin and IGF-1 LR3, among others [6].
This site has pages on several substances acting on the same axis: sermorelin, tesamorelin, CJC-1295, GHRP-6, GHRP-2 and hexarelin.
Evidence at a glance
Each cell gives the kind of study and its source. The letter is the evidence level, not the result.
| Claimed effect | Humans | Animals | Cells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight loss | No efficacy results published | Weight gain fell in obese mice [1, 9]C and rats [4]C | - |
| Fat breakdown and oxidation | No efficacy results published | Fat oxidation and plasma glycerol rose in mice [1]C | - |
| No effect on blood glucose | - | Did not raise blood glucose in mice, unlike growth hormone [1]C; did not impair insulin sensitivity in rats [4]C | - |
| Growth hormone receptor | - | - | Did not bind the growth hormone receptor or increase cell division [1]D |
| Osteoarthritis | - | Injection into the joint in rabbits [7]C | - |
| Detection in doping tests | Does not show up in WADA's growth hormone test [2]D | - | Breakdown in blood and urine described [8]D |
| Safety | Six randomised trials: no effect on IGF-1 or glucose tolerance, safety as with placebo [16]A; harms of the group in a review [6] | - | - |
"-" = no such study is known.
What is AOD-9604 studied for?
AOD-9604 has been studied as a drug for obesity, but the published results on weight-loss efficacy are from animals only. It has no approved use.
- Obesity: in mouse and rat studies it reduced weight gain [1, 4, 9]C. A development profile was published in 2004 [5].
- Osteoarthritis: injections into the joint were studied in rabbits [7]C.
- Doping control: several laboratories have developed methods to find the substance in urine [8, 11]D.
How does AOD-9604 work?
AOD-9604 is thought to mimic the fat-breaking effect of growth hormone. The background: growth hormone has several different effects, and the effect linked to fat breakdown was thought to sit at the tail end of the hormone. Isolating that piece would in theory give the fat-burning effect without growth hormone's other effects. This was called the lipolytic domain, and AOD-9604 is a synthetic version of it [4]C.
In the laboratory, AOD-9604 did not bind the growth hormone receptor or increase cell division, unlike growth hormone [1]D. In mice it increased the expression of the beta-3 receptor of fat cells, but according to the authors its fat-breaking effect did not run directly through that receptor [9]C.
These findings come from animals and cells. The fat-breakdown mechanism has not been shown in humans. In the human safety trials, AOD-9604 had no effect on serum IGF-1 levels [16]A.
Has AOD-9604 been studied in humans?
Yes, but only safety data has been published. AOD-9604 was tested in six randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials, and their safety results were published as a summary in 2013 [16]A. We know of no published results on weight-loss efficacy in humans. The rest of the published research consists of animal studies, cell and doping-analysis studies and reviews.
What the publications are
- Human safety trials: a summary of six randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials (Stier, Vos and Kenley 2013) [16]A. According to the summary, AOD-9604 had no effect on serum IGF-1 levels and did not impair glucose tolerance as growth hormone does, no antibodies were detected, and no withdrawal or serious adverse event related to the substance occurred in any study. The journal (Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism) is not in PubMed.
- Animal studies: two mouse studies from 2001 [1, 9]C, a rat study from 2000 [4]C and a rabbit osteoarthritis model from 2015 [7]C.
- Cell and analytical studies: a study of the substance's breakdown and detection [8]D and several method studies for doping control [2, 11]D.
- Reviews: a drug development profile [5], a review of doping-control methods [12] and two 2026 reviews, on performance-enhancing peptides [6] and on peptide treatments for musculoskeletal injuries [10].
- Seizure analysis: the substance was identified in unknown medicinal preparations seized by Belgian authorities [3]D.
The substance was developed as a drug for obesity, and in February 2002 its developer Metabolic had phase IIa clinical trials under way [5]. A safety summary of six trials has been published [16]A, but no results on weight-loss efficacy have been published in peer-reviewed form, and development did not lead to a marketing authorisation in the EU or the United States. A development programme existing is not the same thing as a published efficacy result.
Promising, but only in animal and cell studies
These findings come from animals and have not been shown in humans. Results from animal studies cannot be transferred directly to humans.
-
Fat breakdown without a rise in blood glucose no human studies
Obese ob/ob mice and lean C57BL/6J mice were treated for 14 days with growth hormone, AOD-9604 or saline using osmotic mini-pumps. Both growth hormone and AOD-9604 significantly reduced weight gain in obese mice, and at the same time fat oxidation and plasma glycerol rose, which reflects fat breakdown. Unlike growth hormone, AOD-9604 did not raise blood glucose [1]C. In obese rats, AOD-9604 given by mouth reduced weight gain by more than half in 19 days and did not impair insulin sensitivity [4]C.
If it held in humans: the substance could offer fat breakdown without growth hormone's blood glucose drawback.
Why it might not translate: the ob/ob mouse is an inherited obesity model and does not match human obesity. In the mouse study the substance was given as a continuous infusion by pump, not as injections, and animal doses cannot be converted to human doses by body weight. Also, 14-19 days is short for weight management [1, 4]C.
Evidence now: four animal studies: two mouse studies from 2001 [1, 9]C, a rat study from 2000 [4]C and a rabbit study from 2015 [7]C. No results on weight-loss efficacy in humans have been published.
Who studies AOD-9604?
The animal studies of AOD-9604 were done in the early 2000s by Australian research groups [1, 4]C. Since then the substance has mainly been studied by doping laboratories in Germany and the United States [2, 8, 11]D and by the Belgian authorities' laboratory analysing seized preparations [3]D.
Who wrote this page: the editorial team
This page was written by the Molecular Recovery editorial team. The draft was made with the help of AI, and the claims were checked against the sources (AI policy). The page has not been medically reviewed. How we work: About us.
What are the side effects of AOD-9604?
One safety summary has been published on harms in humans: in six randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials, the safety and tolerability of AOD-9604 did not differ from placebo, and no withdrawal or serious adverse event related to the substance occurred in any study [16]A. The details are as given in the abstract of the publication.
What users report. In the Reddit accounts we compiled (not research), 12 of 41 people (29%) reported some harm, most often: injection site pain or reaction (6, 15%), anxiety or restlessness (1, 2%) and fatigue (1, 2%). People tend to post when something goes wrong, so this share does not tell how common harms are. There are only 41 people, just above the publication threshold (40), so the shares are uncertain. 32 of 41 people (78%) used other substances at the same time, most often ipamorelin (11), tirzepatide (10) and CJC-1295 (9). So the reported fat loss cannot be attributed to AOD-9604. The harms in detail: AOD-9604 user experiences.
Harms reported for the group
Among peptides marketed as "research compounds" that act on the growth hormone and IGF-1 axis, reported problems include hormonal and metabolic disturbances such as rises in prolactin and cortisol, appetite changes and blood glucose disturbances, as well as fluid retention, muscle and joint pain and injection-site reactions [6]. These are observations about several substances together, not measured with AOD-9604.
Product quality
AOD-9604 was identified in unknown medicinal preparations seized by Belgian authorities, that is, preparations whose contents were not declared [3]D. In the United States it has been found in seized vials [8]D. This shows what kind of distribution the substance moves in. Peptide harms in general: side effects in studies.
Interactions and who has no data
There are no published research data on interactions with other medicines. There are no published data on pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Evidence against and what is unknown
The evidence does not support any effect seen in humans, because no results on weight-loss efficacy in humans have been published.
Evidence against
- In mice lacking the beta-3 receptor of fat cells, long-term AOD-9604 treatment did not change body weight or increase fat breakdown [9]C. The effect is therefore not as straightforward as the "fat burning without harms" idea suggests.
- The efficacy results of the development programme that went on to clinical trials [5] have not been published in peer-reviewed form; only a safety summary has been published [16]A.
What the evidence does not support
- "AOD-9604 gives the benefits of growth hormone without the harms": the idea rests on the lipolytic domain hypothesis and on animal studies in which blood glucose did not rise [1, 4]C. Its effect on weight has not been shown in humans.
- Dosing instructions: this page gives no human doses, and none has a basis in efficacy studies.
- "AOD-9604 is an approved medicine": it was developed as a drug for obesity [5], but it has no marketing authorisation in Finland.
- "AOD-9604 is allowed in sport because it does not show up in the growth hormone test": it is on WADA's Prohibited List [14]regulator, and dedicated tests have been developed for it [8, 11]D.
AOD-9604 dosage in studies
AOD-9604 has no approved dosage. This page gives no human doses, because the abstract of the human safety summary [16]A does not state the doses used. The doses below are animal doses.
| Study | Who | Dose and route | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mouse study 2001, animal dose | obese ob/ob and lean C57BL/6J mice | AOD-9604, growth hormone or saline by mini-pump as a continuous infusion; dose not reported | 14 days [1]C |
| Mouse study 2001, animal dose | obese mice and mice lacking the beta-3 receptor | AOD-9604 or growth hormone into the abdominal cavity; dose not reported | 14 days [9]C |
| Rat study 2000, animal dose | obese Zucker rats | 500 µg/kg per day by mouth | 19 days [4]C |
| Rabbit study 2015, animal dose | 32 rabbits, osteoarthritis model | AOD-9604 injected into the joint with or without hyaluronic acid; dose not reported | weekly injections [7]C |
What the numbers do not tell you. These are animal doses, and they are not converted to human doses by body weight. In the mouse study the substance was given as a continuous infusion by pump, a very different exposure from an injection [1]C. As the weight-loss effect in humans has not been shown, no effective human dose is known. This page gives no human doses, so there is no dose page and no calculator preset. Doses of other substances: Dosing.
AOD-9604 and tesamorelin: what is the difference?
AOD-9604 and tesamorelin act on the growth hormone system at different points, and their regulatory status is completely different.
Tesamorelin is an analogue of growth hormone releasing hormone, so it makes the body produce its own growth hormone [14]regulator. AOD-9604 is a fragment of growth hormone that did not bind the growth hormone receptor in a laboratory test [1]D. A review lists both among substances acting on the same axis, but in different subgroups [6].
The decisive difference: tesamorelin is an approved medicine in the United States (not in the EU), while AOD-9604 is not an approved medicine. Tesamorelin has its own page: tesamorelin. No study comparing the two directly has been published, because AOD-9604's efficacy in humans has not been published. There is no published study of the combination in humans or animals.
Is AOD-9604 legal in Finland?
AOD-9604 has no marketing authorisation in Finland, so it may not be sold or marketed as a medicine. It is in Annex 1 A of Fimea's medicines list, so in Finland it is controlled as a medicine and always treated like a prescription-only medicine [15]regulator.
- Medicines list. Annex 1 A of Fimea's decision 230/2025 names "AOD9604" and "HGH frag 176-191". Substances in Annex 1 A are always treated, by their effect, like prescription-only medicines [15]regulator.
- Fimea's warning. Fimea has specifically warned against using injectable peptides bought online [13]regulator.
- The label "research use only" is a classification label, not a permit for human use.
Overview of the law: peptides and the law in Finland. Bringing them from abroad: Travelling with peptides.
This is not legal advice. Disclaimer.
Is AOD-9604 doping?
Yes. WADA's 2026 Prohibited List names AOD-9604 as an example of growth hormone fragments, together with hGH 176-191 (S2.2.3). Substances in class S2 are banned at all times, in and out of competition [14]regulator.
A 2013 study found that AOD-9604 does not affect WADA's growth hormone isoform assay [2]D. So it does not show up in the test used to look for growth hormone use. That is why dedicated methods have been developed: urine can be screened for the substance and a stable breakdown product [8]D, and screening for peptides under 2 kilodaltons has been simplified by direct urine injection [11]D. Methods have also been collected in a review [12].
How to assess an AOD-9604 product
There is no certainty about the contents of an AOD-9604 product without analysis. The substance has been found in preparations whose contents were not declared at all [3]D.
On a certificate of analysis (COA), check the test method and that the batch number matches the vial. Liquid chromatography (HPLC) shows purity; mass spectrometry (MS) identifies the molecule. How to read one: how to read a COA.
AOD-9604 is a short peptide of 16 amino acids, and in doping analysis it falls in the group under 2 kilodaltons [11]D. A short peptide is easier to make than a long one, but that does not mean what was made is the right thing. On handling: mixing and storage.
FAQ
What is the AOD-9604 peptide?
AOD-9604 is a 16-amino-acid peptide derived from the tail end of growth hormone, developed as a drug for obesity [5] [8]D. In humans, only a safety summary has been published [16]A, and it has no marketing authorisation in Finland.
What is the AOD-9604 dosage per week?
This page gives no human dose, because the weight-loss effect in humans has not been shown. The published doses are animal doses, and in the mouse study the substance was given as a continuous infusion by pump, not as weekly injections [1]C.
What are the benefits of AOD-9604?
There is no published evidence of weight-loss efficacy in humans. In obese mice, weight gain fell and fat oxidation increased [1]C.
AOD-9604 or tesamorelin?
There is no direct comparison. Tesamorelin makes the body produce its own growth hormone and is an approved medicine in the United States, not in the EU; AOD-9604 is a fragment of growth hormone and has not been approved [5] [6].
Can AOD-9604 be used together with tesamorelin?
Not known. There is no published study of the combination in humans or animals.
Does AOD-9604 show up in a doping test?
Not in the growth hormone isoform test [2]D, but dedicated tests have been developed for it [8, 11]D. It is on WADA's Prohibited List and banned at all times [14]regulator.
AOD-9604 experiences: what do studies say?
Individual accounts are not research results. In humans, only a safety summary has been published [16]A, and the evidence on effects comes from mice and rats [1, 4]C.
What do users themselves report about AOD-9604?
In the Reddit accounts of 41 people we compiled (not research), 25 (61%) reported some benefit and 12 (29%) some harm. The accounts are self-selected and prove neither that it works nor that it is safe: AOD-9604 user experiences.
Is AOD-9604 legal in Finland?
It has no marketing authorisation in Finland, and it is in Annex 1 A of Fimea's medicines list, so it is always treated like a prescription-only medicine [15]regulator. Fimea has warned against using injectable peptides bought online [13]regulator. This is not legal advice.
Read the research yourself: sources
Every source opens the original publication or the regulator's page. The level shows what the source itself reports.
- Heffernan MA, Thorburn AW, Fam B, et al. Increase of fat oxidation and weight loss in obese mice caused by chronic treatment with human growth hormone or a modified C-terminal fragment. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2001;25:1442-1449. PMID 11673763 C
- Orlovius AK, Thomas A, Schänzer W, Thevis M. AOD-9604 does not influence the WADA hGH isoform immunoassay. Drug Test Anal. 2013;5:850-852. PMID 24124033 D
- Vanhee C, Moens G, Deconinck E, De Beer JO. Identification and characterization of peptide drugs in unknown pharmaceutical preparations seized by the Belgian authorities: case report on AOD9604. Drug Test Anal. 2014;6:964-968. PMID 24976118 D
- Ng FM, Sun J, Sharma L, et al. Metabolic studies of a synthetic lipolytic domain (AOD9604) of human growth hormone. Horm Res. 2000;53:274-278. PMID 11146367 C
- Wilding J. AOD-9604 Metabolic. Curr Opin Investig Drugs. 2004;5:436-440. Drug development profile. PMID 15134286 (review)
- Dominikowski A, Rękoś Z, Olejarz M, et al. The emerging landscape of performance-enhancing peptides modulating GH-IGF1 axis: bridging the gap between clinical evidence and patient self-administration. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2026;17:1822475. PMID 42395176 (review)
- Kwon DR, Park GY. Effect of Intra-articular Injection of AOD9604 with or without Hyaluronic Acid in Rabbit Osteoarthritis Model. Ann Clin Lab Sci. 2015;45:426-432. PMID 26275694 C
- Cox HD, Smeal SJ, Hughes CM, et al. Detection and in vitro metabolism of AOD9604. Drug Test Anal. 2015;7:31-38. PMID 25208511 D
- Heffernan M, Summers RJ, Thorburn A, et al. 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. Endocrinology. 2001;142:5182-5189. PMID 11713213 C
- Mendias CL, Awan TM. Safety and Efficacy of Approved and Unapproved Peptide Therapies for Musculoskeletal Injuries and Athletic Performance. Sports Med. 2026;56:1921-1935. PMID 41966639 (review)
- Thomas A, Görgens C, Guddat S, et al. Simplifying and expanding the screening for peptides <2 kDa by direct urine injection, liquid chromatography, and ion mobility mass spectrometry. J Sep Sci. 2016;39:333-341. PMID 26578461 D
- Thevis M, Schänzer W. Analytical approaches for the detection of emerging therapeutics and non-approved drugs in human doping controls. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2014;101:66-83. PMID 24906629 (review)
- Fimea. Fimea warns: do not use injectable peptides purchased online (29 Jun 2026). Fimea regulator
- World Anti-Doping Agency. 2026 Prohibited List, section S2.2.3: "growth hormone fragments, e.g. AOD-9604 and hGH 176-191". WADA regulator
- Finland. Lääkeluettelo (Fimea medicines list), 230/2025, section 2 and annex 1 A ("AOD9604", "HGH frag 176-191"). Finlex regulator
- Stier H, Vos E, Kenley D. Safety and Tolerability of the Hexadecapeptide AOD9604 in Humans. J Endocrinol Metab. 2013;3(1-2):7-15. doi:10.4021/jem157w. Summary of the safety data of six randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. The journal is not in PubMed. DOI A
Sources read 13 Oct 2026; PubMed records, the WADA Prohibited List and Fimea's medicines list checked 14 Oct 2026. Animal dose details and the human safety summary [16] are as given in the abstracts of the publications.
Evidence levels: A = randomised human trial or meta-analysis · B = observational human study or case series · C = animal study · D = cell or laboratory study · E = not peer-reviewed · regulator = a regulator's assessment or decision, not research evidence. The marker official means official product information (summary of product characteristics or label); it is not research evidence. For a review, the level shows what kind of research the statement rests on. No level: statements that something has not been studied, reviews' interpretations, named hypotheses and the general rules in our certificate-of-analysis guide.
Content is general information about research, not medical advice. If you have symptoms, contact a healthcare professional.