AOD-9604 peptide

Summary

AOD-9604 is a synthetic peptide copying the tail end (residues 177 to 191) of human growth hormone, intended to keep the fat burning activity of growth hormone without its effects on growth and blood sugar. In obese mice it increased fat burning and reduced weight gain without raising IGF-1 (a growth factor made in response to growth hormone) or glucose, but no human trial indexed in PubMed demonstrates weight loss and the sponsor's obesity program ended in the mid 2000s. FDA placed it in 503A Category 2 (compounding ingredients FDA flagged for significant safety risks) in 2023; the nomination was later withdrawn, so it is no longer in Category 2 but has no lawful way to be compounded (custom-made by a pharmacy), and it is prohibited by WADA (the World Anti-Doping Agency).

What is AOD-9604?

AOD-9604 is a synthetic 16 amino acid C terminal fragment of human growth hormone (residues 177 to 191 with an N terminal tyrosine). It is also known as AOD9604, Anti-obesity drug 9604, hGH fragment 177-191 (tyrosine modified), Tyr-hGH 177-191, AOD-9604 acetate, AOD 9604, AOD-9604 peptide.

How does it work?

The 177 to 191 region of growth hormone is proposed to stimulate lipolysis and inhibit lipogenesis in adipose tissue, possibly through beta-3 adrenergic receptor dependent pathways, without binding the GH receptor in the way full length GH does. In mice it did not raise IGF-1, glucose, or insulin. Whether this mechanism operates in humans at the doses used has not been shown.

AOD-9604 benefits: what the evidence shows

Rodent studies from one Australian group around 2000 to 2001 showed AOD-9604 increased fat oxidation, reduced body weight gain, and lowered fat mass in obese mice, with the effect absent in beta-3 adrenergic receptor knockout mice. The sponsor ran randomized human obesity trials in the early 2000s, but no indexed publication reports a meaningful weight loss benefit and the program was discontinued. PeptideAgent therefore grades the evidence animal-only; the human trials that exist did not produce a positive published result.

Human evidence

No indexed human randomized trial reporting weight loss identified. The sponsor's phase 2 obesity trials in the early 2000s were not published in an indexed journal and the program was discontinued, which is consistent with a lack of efficacy. FDA's Category 2 rationale states it identified only limited safety information and serious adverse events with unclear causality. Newer uses promoted online (joint and cartilage repair) have no published human data.

Animal evidence

Ng 2000: metabolic studies in rodents showed the synthetic lipolytic domain increased lipolysis and inhibited lipogenesis without the diabetogenic effects of GH. Heffernan 2001 (Endocrinology): chronic treatment in obese mice reduced weight gain and fat mass, with the effect lost in beta-3 adrenergic receptor knockout mice. Heffernan 2001 (Int J Obes): chronic treatment of obese mice with hGH or the modified C terminal fragment increased fat oxidation and produced weight loss. Doses in mice were on the order of 250 ug/kg to 2 mg/kg per day.

Key studies

Conditions studied

Is AOD-9604 legal in the United States?

FDA and compounding status

Not FDA approved. FDA placed AOD-9604 in 503A Category 2 in 2023, citing immunogenicity risk, limited safety information, and serious adverse events with unclear causality. FDA's Category 2 page (current as of April 22, 2026) now lists AOD-9604 under bulk drug substances nominated but withdrawn, meaning the nominator withdrew it and it is no longer in Category 2. Because it has no active nomination and is not on the 503A bulks list, there is still no lawful basis for a compounding pharmacy to use it. It was not among the six peptides reviewed by the advisory committee in July 2026.

WADA status

WADA prohibited. Athletes subject to anti-doping testing should treat this as prohibited at all times unless the current prohibited list says otherwise.

Regulatory timeline

1. Sep 21, 2026WADA

   WADA publishes the 2027 Prohibited List

   WADA published the 2027 Prohibited List on September 21, 2026, and it takes effect January 1, 2027. The S2 peptide hormone and growth factor classes are unchanged. BPC-157 is still named under S0, and MOTS-c is still named under S4.4 as an activator of AMP-activated protein kinase. WADA added a note that many peptides without approval for human use fall under S0 or another section, and that a peptide not named on the list may still be prohibited. GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide and tirzepatide are still not on the list.

   Source: WADA 2027 Prohibited List
2. Apr 15, 2026FDA

   FDA lists BPC-157 and 16 other peptides as withdrawn from 503A Category 2

   FDA's Category 2 page, revised in April 2026 and current as of April 22, 2026, moved BPC-157, AOD-9604, CJC-1295, dihexa, DSIP, epitalon, injectable GHK-Cu, ipamorelin, KPV, LL-37, melanotan II, MOTS-c, PEG-MGF, selank, semax, thymosin alpha-1, and thymosin beta-4 fragment (TB-500) to a list of bulk drug substances nominated but withdrawn by their nominators. A withdrawn substance is no longer in 503A Category 2, but withdrawal is not an approval and does not place a substance on the 503A bulks list; a 503A pharmacy still needs a listing before it may compound it. Ipamorelin acetate remains in 503B Category 2. Seven of the withdrawn peptides (BPC-157, KPV, TB-500, MOTS-c, semax, epitalon, and DSIP) were taken to the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee in July 2026.

   Regulatory: Removed from Category 2 (Apr 2026)Source: FDA: Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding may present significant safety risks (503A and 503B Category 2 lists and withdrawn nominations, content current as of April 22, 2026)
3. Jan 1, 2026WADA

   WADA 2026 Prohibited List takes effect

   The 2026 WADA Prohibited List took effect on January 1, 2026 and continues to prohibit the S2 peptide hormone and growth factor classes (GHRH analogs, growth hormone secretagogues, GH fragments, IGF-1 and analogs, MGF, thymosin beta-4 and derivatives, hCG and GnRH-class releasing factors in males), myostatin inhibitors, insulin and the AMPK activator MOTS-c under S4, desmopressin under S5, and BPC-157 under S0. GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide and tirzepatide are not on the list.

   Source: WADA Prohibited List
4. Jan 1, 2025WADA

   WADA 2025 Prohibited List keeps peptide hormones and growth factors banned at all times

   The 2025 WADA Prohibited List took effect on January 1, 2025. Section S2 (peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances and mimetics) covers GHRH analogs such as CJC-1295, sermorelin, and tesamorelin, growth hormone secretagogues such as ipamorelin, GHRP-2, GHRP-6, hexarelin, and ibutamoren (MK-677), growth hormone fragments such as AOD-9604, growth factors including IGF-1 and its analogs, MGF, and thymosin beta-4 (TB-500), and chorionic gonadotropin and releasing factors such as gonadorelin and kisspeptin (prohibited in males). Myostatin inhibitors such as ACE-031 fall under S4, insulin under S4 metabolic modulators, desmopressin under S5, and BPC-157 remains an S0 non-approved substance.

   Source: WADA Prohibited List
5. Sep 2023FDA

   FDA places a batch of nominated peptides in 503A Category 2

   In September 2023 FDA updated its 503A bulk drug substances category lists to place a group of nominated peptides in Category 2, which means FDA identified significant safety risks and the substances may not be used in 503A compounding while the evaluation continues. Kisspeptin-10 and ibutamoren (MK-677) were added on September 29, 2023 and remain in Category 2 on the FDA page current as of April 22, 2026. BPC-157, CJC-1295, ipamorelin, AOD-9604, dihexa, DSIP, epitalon, KPV, MOTS-c, selank, semax, melanotan II, LL-37, thymosin alpha-1, and thymosin beta-4 fragment (TB-500) were also placed in Category 2 under the 503A interim policy; that same page now lists them as nominated but withdrawn (see the April 2026 event). Hexarelin, PNC-27, and 5-amino-1MQ have never appeared on the FDA category lists.

   Regulatory: Not eligible for compoundingSource: FDA: Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding may present significant safety risks (503A and 503B Category 2 lists and withdrawn nominations, content current as of April 22, 2026)

Full tracker for AOD-9604 or the category-wide tracker.

What published studies of AOD-9604 used

Ranges below are reported from published studies and labeling only. PeptideAgent does not recommend doses or protocols.

Not established in human literature. Mouse studies used roughly 250 ug/kg to 2 mg/kg per day orally or by injection; these rodent ranges do not translate to a human dose, and the unpublished human trials do not provide a citable regimen.

Routes reported

AOD-9604 side effects

Side effects

Interactions

Contraindications

How do people access AOD-9604 legally?

Typical cost: Not available through licensed US channels since the 2023 Category 2 placement. Products sold as research chemicals are not lawful for human use and are not verified for identity or purity.

• AOD-9604 cost by channel
• Rules by state
• Verified provider directory

Compare AOD-9604

• AOD-9604 vs 5-Amino-1MQ
• AOD-9604 vs semaglutide

What's actually offered, and what that means for you

Licensed compounding pharmacies, clinics, and telehealth prescribers openly offer many unapproved peptides, and prescribers write prescriptions for them. That does not make AOD-9604 lawful. AOD-9604 is not FDA approved and not on the 503A bulks list, so a pharmacy has no lawful basis to compound it. [4] [5]

Enforcement is uneven. FDA mostly acts through warning letters to compounders and online sellers, Category 2 safety listings, and import alerts that let it detain shipments, rather than stopping every pharmacy. State pharmacy boards oversee pharmacies day to day, and their rules differ. [4] [7] [8] [9] [10]

What changes for you

• No FDA review of the product: FDA does not check a compounded drug's safety, effectiveness, or quality before it is sold. [10]
• Identity, purity, sterility, and dose accuracy can vary from batch to batch. [4]
• Insurance rarely covers it, so you usually pay cash.
• For tested athletes, AOD-9604 is prohibited at all times on the WADA list, whatever the source. [6]

What to check

These checks lower some risks, but they do not make an unlawfully compounded product lawful or safe. Check for:

• A 503A pharmacy licensed in your state (your state board of pharmacy publishes license lookups). [10]
• A real evaluation by a licensed prescriber, not just an online form.
• A certificate of analysis for the specific batch.

Frequently asked questions

Decisions about starting, stopping, or combining any treatment belong with a licensed clinician who knows your history.

From the blog

• Peptides for weight loss, ranked by human evidence

  Tirzepatide, semaglutide, and liraglutide lead on human trials. Retatrutide is trial-only, and AOD-9604 and 5-amino-1MQ are animal-only. Ranking, legal status, and dated prices.

Sources

Numbered citations above point to these primary sources. PubMed entries link to the indexed abstract.