HomePeptides › AOD-9604

AOD-9604

hGH fragment 176-191

Tier 3 · Limited Human Data
Class
Growth hormone C-terminal fragment
Molecular target
Mechanism disputed; proposed beta-3 adrenergic involvement
Sequence / structure
hGH(176-191) with N-terminal Tyr
Evidence tier
Tier 3 — Limited Human Data
Category
Growth Hormone Axis
Emergency card
Signs something is wrong

Puffiness and fluid retention in the hands and feet, joint aches, wrist tingling (carpal tunnel), and blood sugar creeping up over weeks — most pronounced with MK-677 and somatropin.

What to do now

These accumulate rather than strike suddenly — reassess and stop rather than pushing the dose up. Check glucose if you can.

When it is an emergency

A severe persistent headache with vision changes (possible raised intracranial pressure), or symptoms of very high blood sugar — extreme thirst, confusion, vomiting — warrant urgent care.

Any injection — every time

Allergic reaction: hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, wheezing or dizziness can escalate to anaphylaxis within minutes — call 911 immediately. Site infection: spreading redness, heat, swelling, pus or fever is not wait-and-see; an abscess or cellulitis can need drainage or IV antibiotics. Unverified product: grey-market vials are frequently mislabelled or contaminated, so a reaction may be to endotoxin or the wrong contents, not the named compound.

This is not permission or instruction to use this compound. It is harm-reduction information for someone who has already decided to, so that a bad reaction is recognised and treated. When in doubt, get help — embarrassment is survivable.

Biology & mechanism

A synthetic fragment corresponding to the C-terminal region of human growth hormone, originally advanced on the hypothesis that GH's lipolytic activity could be separated from its growth-promoting and glucose-perturbing activity. It does not raise IGF-1 and lacks GH receptor-mediated growth activity. The proposed lipolytic mechanism has not been firmly established.

What the research actually shows

This one has a clear answer, and it is negative. AOD-9604 progressed to Phase 2b trials in obesity and failed to separate from placebo on weight endpoints. It is one of the few peptides in this library with a definitive human efficacy result — and the result was no benefit.

Regulatory status

Not FDA-approved. FDA has previously rejected attempts to market it as a dietary supplement, taking the position that it is a drug. Prohibited in sport (WADA S2).

Safety signals

Trial safety was relatively unremarkable — but a favourable safety profile in a drug that does not work is not a reason to use it.

Clinical trial dosing — what the studies actually used

Phase 2b obesity trial: 1 mg once daily, oral — a dose that failed to beat placebo. It is reported here as a study dose that did not work, not a recommendation.

Reported from clinical trials or FDA labelling as a matter of record. It is not a recommendation, and for unapproved compounds no dose has been shown safe or effective in humans.

We report study doses, not protocols

Above is what was administered in trials or on FDA labels, reported as fact. We do not convert it into a personal protocol, calculate a dose for your body weight, or tell you what to inject or how to reconstitute it — that decision belongs with a licensed physician. See our editorial policy.

References & further reading

Regulatory status changes. This page reflects our reading of public sources as of July 2026 and should be independently verified before it is relied upon.

Important notice Forge Bioenergy publishes scientific reference information only. Nothing on this site is medical advice, a therapeutic claim, or a recommendation to use any substance in humans. Many peptides described here are not approved by the FDA for any use, and several are approved only for narrow indications under prescription. We do not publish dosing, administration, or usage protocols. Consult a licensed physician before making any medical decision.