A fragment of human growth hormone (hGH 176-191) marketed for fat loss, whose human obesity trials largely failed to show significant weight loss versus placebo.
Reviewed for accuracy · Last reviewed July 7, 2026AOD-9604 is a modified fragment of the C-terminal region of human growth hormone (residues 176-191), sometimes called the lipolytic fragment. In mouse studies, both growth hormone and this fragment increased fat oxidation and reduced weight gain without raising blood sugar, which is the origin of its fat-loss reputation. Importantly, that mechanism evidence is animal-only.
The honest headline is that the human evidence did not follow the mouse data. AOD-9604 went through a human obesity drug-development program that ended without demonstrating commercially meaningful weight loss versus placebo. It was later repositioned as a food-supplement ingredient with self-affirmed GRAS status, and it sits on the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list. Marketed fat-loss claims run ahead of the human efficacy data.
There is no approved therapeutic dose. Community protocols cite around 300 mcg daily by injection, but the human obesity trials did not establish an effective weight-loss dose, so any figure is convention rather than evidence.
Read the full AOD-9604 dosage guide →In pooled human trials of roughly 900 subjects, AOD-9604's safety profile was largely indistinguishable from placebo, with no change in IGF-1 or glucose tolerance. Reported effects are mostly local, and the bigger caveat is weak efficacy rather than a worrying safety signal.
Read the full AOD-9604 side effects guide →Keep unmixed vials refrigerated and away from light. Once reconstituted, most research reports store it refrigerated for roughly 4 weeks. See the full storage & safety guide for handling and disposal basics.
This page is an independent educational reference and is not medical advice, and does not indicate any approval status for any use. Talk to a doctor before starting any compound.