The fat-loss fragment of growth hormone — provides the lipolytic effects of HGH without the blood sugar and growth-related side effects.
AOD-9604 is a 16 amino acid fragment of human growth hormone corresponding to residues 176–191 — the portion of the HGH molecule responsible for fat metabolism. It was engineered by Monash University researchers specifically to separate the lipolytic (fat-burning) effects of HGH from the anabolic and metabolic effects.
Because AOD-9604 does not raise IGF-1, blood sugar, or interact with GH receptors the way intact HGH does, it has a cleaner side effect profile — but it is also less potent than full HGH or modern GLP-1 drugs for weight loss.
Not FDA approved. The 2007 Phase 2b weight-loss trial (METAOD006 / OPTIONS, n=536) failed to demonstrate clinically meaningful weight loss vs placebo — the program was discontinued and the “fat-burning fragment” framing rests on preclinical mouse data, not human efficacy. WADA prohibited as a growth-hormone-fragment under S2. No GRAS designation in Australia (GRAS is a US FDA framework; Australia has no equivalent). Available as a research chemical.
Stimulates beta-3 adrenergic receptors on fat cells, triggering breakdown of stored triglycerides. This is the same pathway as exercise-induced fat mobilization.
Blocks the conversion of dietary carbohydrates into new fat storage. Combined with lipolysis, this shifts the body toward using fat as fuel.
Because AOD-9604 doesn’t activate the GH receptor itself, it doesn’t raise IGF-1, increase insulin resistance, or affect growth in tissues. This is both its safety advantage and its efficacy limit.
Phase 2 trials for obesity in the early 2000s showed modest but consistent fat loss. Development was eventually halted for commercial reasons.
| Benefit | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Fat loss | Phase 2b: ~2.6 kg fat loss over 12 weeks vs. placebo; modest but real |
| Visceral fat targeting | Preferential reduction of visceral vs subcutaneous fat |
| Cartilage repair | Preclinical data suggests chondrocyte stimulation; explored for joint/cartilage applications |
| Lean mass neutral | No muscle loss during fat loss; unlike aggressive caloric restriction |
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Start Tracking FreeAOD-9604 is unusual, and worth looking at closely, because its safety record and its efficacy record point in opposite directions. It is one of the few compounds in this category where the honest summary is not "promising but understudied" — it is "studied, and it did not work."
Search PubMed for AOD9604 in the title and you get seven papers. That is the entire indexed record, and its composition is telling:
Read that list again. Nearly half of the indexed literature on this compound is about catching people using it, not about whether it works.
The "excellent safety profile" this compound is sold on is real, and it rests on human trials published in the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. Worth knowing: PubMed does not index those papers. A title search for AOD9604 in humans returns nothing.
That is not evidence they are wrong. It does mean they sit outside the database that systematic reviews draw from, so they will not be picked up by anyone surveying the field, and a reader trying to check the claim through normal channels will not find them.
The beta-3 adrenergic mechanism is not hand-waving. Heffernan and colleagues tested it properly: in beta-3 receptor knockout mice, chronic treatment with both growth hormone and AOD-9604 failed to produce the weight loss and increased lipolysis seen in normal mice. Removing the receptor removed the effect, which is how you demonstrate a mechanism rather than assert one.
That work is careful and it is also entirely in rodents — which is precisely where the story stops. The mechanism was real in mice and did not carry into people, the single most common outcome in translational research.
One detail from the human program deserves attention because it is a transferable lesson. In the phase 2a trial, the lowest dose performed best, and higher doses did worse.
A genuine drug effect usually scales with dose, at least until it plateaus. When the smallest dose beats the larger ones, the most economical explanation is that you are looking at noise rather than pharmacology. The larger, longer phase 2b trial — 536 participants over 24 weeks — then found no significant weight loss at any dose, and the development programme was terminated in 2007.
That is the sequence a compound follows when the early signal was not real. It is also why "safe" and "effective" have to be assessed separately: AOD-9604 has good evidence for the first and negative evidence for the second.
Not medical advice. These figures describe what is reported in the literature and what practitioners and communities do — not a recommendation, and for most compounds here no human dose-finding study exists. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider.
Worth stating before any figure: the human trials used oral tablets, and the largest of them failed to beat placebo. The subcutaneous microgram protocols below appear in no published trial. There is no human dose-finding study supporting them, and the dose that came closest to a signal in the trials that ran — the lowest one — is the one the dose-response argument says should have worked least well.
AOD-9604 is commonly stacked with CJC-1295/Ipamorelin for complementary fat loss and with GLP-1s (semaglutide/tirzepatide) for appetite + lipolysis — though note the “no IGF-1 involvement” framing is a simplification: PMID 41490200 associates AOD-9604 with IGF-1 signaling pathways, so it’s not cleanly free of that axis. A reported MOTS-C (AMPK) synergy is community speculation with no mechanistic evidence in peer-reviewed abstracts.
Pre-filled with a typical AOD-9604 setup. Edit any field — the draw updates live.
Insulin syringe — 100 units = 1 mL
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Not medical advice. These figures describe what is reported in the literature and what practitioners and communities do — not a recommendation, and for most compounds here no human dose-finding study exists. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider.
5 mg vial + 2 mL BAC water = 2500 mcg/mL
| Dose | Volume | Syringe Units |
|---|---|---|
| 250 mcg | 0.10 mL | 10 units |
| 500 mcg | 0.20 mL | 20 units |
5 mg vial at 300 mcg/day = ~16 days
AOD-9604 is remarkably well tolerated — most clinical adverse events were mild and comparable to placebo.
AOD-9604 is sold for research use only. If you are sourcing it for research, we recommend Lyvn — every batch third-party tested with the full laboratory panel published on the product page.
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For research use only. Not for human consumption. 21+.
Build your protocol, log every dose, monitor your body's response, and get reminders so you never miss a dose.
Start Tracking FreeNo. AOD-9604 (also called HGH Fragment 176-191) has never been FDA approved. It was developed by Metabolic Pharmaceuticals (Australia) and progressed through Phase 2b trials for obesity that ultimately failed to show statistically significant weight loss over placebo. It is sold only as a research chemical.
The honest answer based on the published evidence: there is no human RCT evidence that AOD-9604 produces clinically meaningful weight loss. The 24-week Phase 2b trial included a 1 mg/day arm that DID NOT show statistically significant weight loss vs. placebo — and community doses (typically 250–500 mcg) are well below that already-failed dose. The "morning, fasted, before exercise" timing recommendation has no human RCT support either; it is extrapolated from the GH-axis lipolysis literature.
Community-practice dosing is 250–500 mcg subcutaneously once daily, usually morning fasted. These figures come from clinic and forum convention — there is no published Phase 1 SC dose-finding study in humans and the only large pivotal trial (Phase 2b at 1 mg/day) failed. Be aware: community doses are below the dose that already failed.
A typical reconstitution is 5 mg of AOD-9604 + 2 mL of bacteriostatic water, yielding 2.5 mg/mL. A 300 mcg dose draws to 0.12 mL (12 units on a 100-unit insulin syringe). Some vendor protocols use 0.6% acetic acid instead of BAC water — that recommendation is vendor/community territory, not derived from clinical trial protocols.
No. AOD-9604 is a synthetic 16-amino-acid C-terminal fragment of human growth hormone (residues 176–191). It was specifically designed to retain GH’s lipolytic effects without the broader GH actions (no IGF-1 stimulation, no glucose dysregulation, no growth-promotion). In practice the question of whether the fragment actually delivers selective lipolysis in humans is what the failed Phase 2b trial was designed to answer — and didn’t.
Yes. AOD-9604 is captured by WADA S2 (Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, and Related Substances) as a growth hormone fragment. No therapeutic-use exemption is available for athletes.
Disclaimer: This guide is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The compounds discussed are not FDA approved for human use. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting any new supplement or peptide protocol. StackTrax does not sell peptides or supplements directly — purchase links go to third-party vendors. StackTrax is not responsible for the products, quality, or business practices of any third-party vendor.
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StackTrax guides cover peptides and compounds that are not FDA-approved for the uses discussed. The dosing, reconstitution, and safety information is compiled from published research and community protocols for educational purposes only.
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