Skip to content

For Research & Educational Discussion Only. Not Medical Advice

BaselineForum

AOD-9604

Growth hormone C-terminal fragment

Also known as hGH fragment 176-191, Lipotropin fragment

A growth hormone fragment that completed a phase 2b obesity trial and did not beat placebo. One of the few entries here with a proper negative result.

Guide updated Sep 2, 2026Literature checked Sep 2, 20261 curated study16 literature recordsBaseline editorial

Overview

In shortA fragment of growth hormone, the end section linked to fat breakdown, built on the idea that this part could be separated from the growth and blood sugar effects of the whole hormone. It is here for the same reason ipamorelin is: it was properly tested in a real mid-stage trial, and it failed. That is more information than almost anything else at this end of the ladder offers.

AOD-9604 is a synthetic fragment corresponding to residues 176 to 191 of human growth hormone, the C-terminal region associated with the lipolytic effects of GH. It was developed on the hypothesis that this region could be separated from the growth-promoting and glucose effects of the whole hormone.

It is in this catalogue for the same reason ipamorelin is: it was properly tested, in a real phase 2b, and it failed. That is more information than almost anything else at this end of the ladder offers, and it is almost never mentioned.

Mechanism

In shortThe idea was to trigger fat breakdown and block fat storage, copying growth hormone's effect on fat without acting at the growth hormone receptor, so without raising IGF-1 or affecting blood sugar the same way. Animal work in obese mice supported the concept. What actually produces the effect has never been clearly identified, which is a notable gap for something that got this far.

The proposed mechanism is stimulation of lipolysis and inhibition of lipogenesis in adipose tissue, reproducing the fat-metabolism effects of growth hormone without acting at the GH receptor and therefore without raising IGF-1 or affecting glucose in the same way.

Animal work in obese mice supported the concept. The receptor or pathway responsible for the effect has never been clearly identified, which is a notable gap for a compound that went as far as it did.

Evidence

In shortEarly human work, and negative where it counted. A mid-stage randomised placebo-controlled trial in obesity showed no significant weight loss against placebo, and the programme was discontinued. Later work looked at injecting it into joints, and it has been pursued as a food ingredient in some markets. The absence of a positive weight result is the central fact.

Early clinical, and negative where it counted. A phase 2b randomised placebo-controlled trial in obesity did not show significant weight reduction versus placebo, and the obesity programme was discontinued.

Later work explored intra-articular use in osteoarthritis and the compound has been pursued as a food ingredient in some markets, which is a very different regulatory conversation from a therapeutic one.

The absence of a positive obesity result is the central fact and should lead any discussion of it.

Safety

In shortTrial use was generally well tolerated, with no sign of the blood sugar or IGF-1 effects whole growth hormone causes, which was the point of the design. Good tolerability in a trial where the drug did not work is a weak recommendation. There is no long-term data in healthy adults, and material sold under this name is unverified research-grade.

Trial exposure was generally well tolerated, with no signal of the glucose or IGF-1 effects associated with whole growth hormone, which was the point of the design.

Good tolerability in a trial where the drug did not work is a weak recommendation. Long-term data in healthy adults does not exist, and material sold under this name is unverified research-grade.

Regulatory status

In shortNot approved as a medicine anywhere. It has been sold as a cosmetic or food ingredient in some countries under completely different rules, which is frequently misrepresented as approval. Banned in sport.

Not approved as a therapeutic anywhere. Has been marketed as a cosmetic or food ingredient in some jurisdictions under entirely different regulatory frameworks, which is frequently misrepresented as approval. Prohibited in sport under WADA's S2 category.

The literature

1 study indexed. Findings and limitations get equal weight, on purpose.

Always check the primary source

Members area

The AOD-9604 literature needs an account

Everything above is free to read. What an account opens is the evidence underneath it: 1 study with their limitations, and the regimen each trial actually reported.

  • Every study, with what it found and what it cannot show
  • The limitations, given the same weight as the findings
  • The dose each named trial administered, where recorded
Create a free accountI already have one

Free to create. A membership is separate, and you can decide about that later.

Reading is free, an account is not the same as paying. 43 compound guides, every study with its limitations written underneath, and the regimens those trials actually used. A free account opens all of it. A membership is a separate decision, and it opens the forum. What membership costs.

The wider literature

16 indexed papers and 0 registered trials mentioning AOD-9604, straight from PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov. These have not been read by us. Unlike the studies above, they carry no findings and no limitations written by anyone here, because writing either would mean claiming a reading nobody has done. They are a starting point for yours.

Papers (16)

  1. Therapeutic Peptides in Orthopaedics: Applications, Challenges, and Future Directions.

    Rahman OF, et al.Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research & reviews2026PMID 41490200

    journal articlereview

  2. Safety and Efficacy of Approved and Unapproved Peptide Therapies for Musculoskeletal Injuries and Athletic Performance.

    Mendias CL, et al.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2026PMID 41966639

    journal articlereview

  3. Human Growth Hormone Fragment 176-191 Peptide Enhances the Toxicity of Doxorubicin-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles Against MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells.

    Habibullah MM, et al.Drug design, development and therapy2022PMID 35783198

    journal article

  4. Human sports drug testing by mass spectrometry.

    Schänzer W, et al.Mass spectrometry reviews2017PMID 26213263

    journal articleresearch support, non-u.s. gov'treview

  5. Simplifying and expanding the screening for peptides <2 kDa by direct urine injection, liquid chromatography, and ion mobility mass spectrometry.

    Thomas A, et al.Journal of separation science2016PMID 26578461

    evaluation studyjournal articleresearch support, non-u.s. gov't

  6. Effect of Intra-articular Injection of AOD9604 with or without Hyaluronic Acid in Rabbit Osteoarthritis Model.

    Kwon DR, et al.Annals of clinical and laboratory science2015PMID 26275694

    journal article

  7. Detection and in vitro metabolism of AOD9604.

    Cox HD, et al.Drug testing and analysis2015PMID 25208511

    journal articleresearch support, n.i.h., extramuralvalidation study

  8. Detecting peptidic drugs, drug candidates and analogs in sports doping: current status and future directions.

    Thevis M, et al.Expert review of proteomics2014PMID 25382550

    journal articleresearch support, non-u.s. gov't

  9. Analytical approaches for the detection of emerging therapeutics and non-approved drugs in human doping controls.

    Thevis M, et al.Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis2014PMID 24906629

    journal articleresearch support, non-u.s. gov'treview

  10. AOD-9604 does not influence the WADA hGH isoform immunoassay.

    Orlovius AK, et al.Drug testing and analysis2013PMID 24124033

    letterresearch support, non-u.s. gov't

  11. Obesity drugs in clinical development.

    Halford JCCurrent opinion in investigational drugs (London, England : 2000)2006PMID 16625817

    journal articlereview

  12. Gateways to clinical trials.

    Bayés M, et al.Methods and findings in experimental and clinical pharmacology2005PMID 15834452

    bibliographyjournal article

  13. AOD-9604 Metabolic.

    Wilding JCurrent opinion in investigational drugs (London, England : 2000)2004PMID 15134286

    journal articlereview

  14. Gateways to clinical trials.

    Bayés M, et al.Methods and findings in experimental and clinical pharmacology2003PMID 14571286

    bibliographyjournal article

  15. Gateways to clinical trials.

    Bayes M, et al.Methods and findings in experimental and clinical pharmacology2003PMID 14685303

    bibliographyjournal article

  16. Chromogranin B (secretogranin I) promotes sorting to the regulated secretory pathway of processing intermediates derived from a peptide hormone precursor.

    Natori S, et al.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America1996PMID 8633084

    comparative studyjournal articleresearch support, non-u.s. gov't

Discussion

AOD-9604 has its own forum, split by the same six categories as the rest of the site.

All threads
Research & Literature1Peptide Science0Experiences & Logs0Protocol Discussion0Safety & Harm Reduction0General Community0

Membership

Peptides is free. The argument is for members.

The guide above is open to everyone, and the literature underneath it opens with a free account. That is the educational half of this site. Reading and joining the discussion around AOD-9604, and every other entry, is what membership pays for.

Unlock membershipSign in

From $3.33 a month, billed annually. Cancel anytime.

For Research & Educational Discussion Only. Not Medical Advice

This guide is educational reference material compiled from published literature. It is not medical advice, not a recommendation, and not a substitute for a clinician who knows your history. Nothing here should be used to make a decision about your own health without one.

Talk to a licensed healthcare professional.