AOD9604
C-terminal hGH fragment. Lipolytic without GH side effects.
- Releases stored fat so your body burns it for energy.
- Supports body-composition changes alongside training and diet.
- Supports joint and cartilage comfort.
- Doesn't raise blood sugar or IGF-1 like full growth hormone.
Modified fragment of growth hormone (residues 176–191). Stimulates lipolysis and inhibits lipogenesis without affecting blood glucose or IGF-1.
AOD9604 isolates the fat-mobilizing region of human growth hormone. It activates β3-adrenergic receptors in adipose tissue and is widely studied as a body-recomposition compound.
- 1250–500 mcg subcutaneous, once daily, fasted AM.
- 2Cycle: 12 weeks on, 4 weeks off. Rotate injection sites.
- Reconstitution
- 2 mL bacteriostatic water into a 10 mg vial → 5 mg/mL (each 0.05 mL = 250 mcg).
- Typical research dose
- Commonly referenced at 250–500 mcg per day, subcutaneous.
- Frequency
- Once daily, subcutaneous — often fasted AM.
- Vial duration
- A 10 mg vial covers ~20 days at 500 mcg/day. At 250 mcg/day the raw math reaches ~40 days, which exceeds the 30-day reconstituted window — reconstitute the vial in halves (5 mg each) for slower protocols.
- Storage
- Refrigerate 2–8 °C; use within 30 days reconstituted.
Understanding AOD9604
Fat-burning power of growth hormone, without the side effects
Written for people new to peptides. Clear language, careful claims, no dosing instructions.
+What is AOD9604?
AOD9604 is a short peptide derived from the fat-burning region of growth hormone. It was engineered to keep the lipolytic (fat-mobilizing) activity of GH while removing the parts of the molecule that drive growth and IGF-1 release.
Because it does not raise IGF-1 meaningfully, it is often discussed as a more targeted fat-metabolism tool than full GH — and is sometimes chosen when investigators want to study fat mobilization without simultaneously activating anabolic pathways.
+How AOD9604 was discovered
AOD9604 (the 'Anti-Obesity Drug' fragment) was developed in the late 1990s at Monash University in Australia and licensed by Metabolic Pharmaceuticals as a fragment-based obesity candidate. It captures the last 16 amino acids of growth hormone — the region thought to carry GH's fat-burning activity.
It made early headlines as a slimming peptide that wouldn't carry over GH's growth and IGF-1 effects, and remains widely cited in fat-metabolism research as a 'GH fragment without the GH'.
+How AOD9604 works in the body
- AOD9604 stimulates beta-3 adrenergic signaling in fat cells, encouraging the breakdown of stored triglycerides into free fatty acids that the body can burn for fuel.
- It also appears to inhibit lipogenesis (new-fat creation) in some research models, which is part of why it is positioned as a body-composition tool rather than a generic fat-loss peptide.
- Effects on cartilage and joint tissue have been described in animal work as well, though those mechanisms are less well characterized than its lipolytic profile.
+Benefits
- Releases stored fat so your body burns it for energy.
- Supports body-composition changes alongside training and diet.
- Supports joint and cartilage comfort.
- Doesn't raise blood sugar or IGF-1 like full growth hormone.
+Research highlights
AOD9604 has been studied as an obesity candidate in human Phase 2 trials (modest effects on weight at the highest dose tier) and in animal models for fat oxidation and cartilage health.
It remains a common entry point for researchers who want fat-metabolism activity without the IGF-1 effects of full GH or GHRH/GHRP stacks.
+What researchers commonly report
Gradual changes in body composition over multi-week protocols are the most common reports. Effects are typically described as subtle and additive rather than dramatic on their own — which is why AOD9604 is often layered onto a larger protocol.
+Why researchers find AOD9604 interesting
AOD9604 is interesting because it isolates a single GH function — fat mobilization — without dragging the growth-promoting parts of the molecule along. That makes it one of the cleanest peptide tools for studying fat breakdown in isolation.
+Quality markers we look for
- HPLC purity reviewed with a target of ≥99%
- Mass spectrometry identity confirmation
- LAL endotoxin screening on applicable batches
- Lyophilized (freeze-dried) format for stability
- Careful storage and handling — keep cold, reconstitute with sterile water
+Often paired with
The data your lab notebook needs.
Pulled from the verification packet included with each shipment. Cross-check the batch ID on your vial against the COA.
- Molecular Weight
- 1815.1 g/mol
- Sequence Length
- 16 amino acids
- CAS Number
- 221231-10-3
- Synonyms
- hGH 176-191 analog
- Purity
- 99%+
- Source
- Synthetic
- Storage
- Lyophilized: 2–8 °C. Reconstituted: 2–8 °C, use within 30 days.
- Reconstitution
- Add 2 mL bacteriostatic water to the 10 mg vial. Each 0.05 mL = 250 mcg.
- Half-life
- ~30 minutes