Weight Loss & Body Composition
AOD-9604
A growth-hormone fragment studied for fat metabolism, with renewed interest from newer research.
Also called: AOD9604, anti-obesity drug 9604, HGH fragment 176-191
Used for
Weight Loss & Body Composition
Our pricing
$100 to $1,000+ depending on peptide and quantity
Studied for
Fat loss and obesity · Joint pain and cartilage
AOD-9604 is a synthetic peptide copying amino acids 176 to 191 of human growth hormone, the region once thought to drive fat breakdown without growth hormone\'s effects on blood sugar or tissue growth. It was developed in Australia as an anti-obesity drug; early-2000s human trials were mixed, and interest has returned with newer research on fat metabolism. Compounding access reopened in 2026, and many patients pair it with a supervised weight-loss plan rather than using it alone.
What is AOD-9604?
Growth hormone is a 191-amino-acid protein with many effects, including breaking down fat. In the 1990s researchers at Monash University in Melbourne isolated the tail end of the molecule, amino acids 176 to 191, and found that in obese mice it reduced body fat without the blood-sugar and growth effects of the full hormone. A stabilized version, with an extra tyrosine on the front, became AOD-9604, short for anti-obesity drug 9604.
The drug was taken into human trials by Metabolic Pharmaceuticals in the early 2000s. Small early studies looked promising, and the larger Phase 2b trials in several hundred people with obesity produced mixed weight-loss results against placebo; the original developer paused obesity development in 2007. As with many peptides, translating a strong animal signal into a measured human outcome took longer than expected, and newer research on AOD-9604's role in fat metabolism has renewed clinical interest since.
AOD-9604 has since drawn fresh interest for its fat-metabolism mechanism and been studied in small trials for other uses, such as joint pain. Patients today most often use it as a supporting piece of a broader, supervised weight-loss plan rather than a stand-alone solution, and research is still catching up to what that pairing shows in practice.
What AOD-9604 is studied for
The goals researchers and clinicians have focused on, and why patients ask about it.
Fat loss and obesity
In obese mice AOD-9604 increased fat breakdown and reduced fat gain. Early-2000s human trials in several hundred participants showed mixed weight-loss results against placebo, and newer research on its fat-metabolism mechanism has brought renewed interest; patients today generally use it as one piece of a broader, medically supervised weight-loss plan rather than counting on it alone.
Joint pain and cartilage
Animal studies and a small human trial of intra-articular injection combined with hyaluronic acid for knee osteoarthritis reported improved pain and function, a result some patients with knee discomfort say matches what they notice; human research is still catching up to that experience since the published data come from a single small study.
Metabolic and bone effects
Animal work suggests effects on fat metabolism and bone, and cell studies show it does not stimulate IGF-1 the way full growth hormone does. Those findings are why it was considered a safer, more targeted growth-hormone derivative worth continued research.
The human side
What patients commonly report with AOD-9604
Clinical trials move slowly; patient experience moves faster. Here is what people using AOD-9604 under clinical supervision most often describe. Results vary from person to person.
A sense of steadier energy and appetite control when paired with a supervised weight-loss plan
Less joint stiffness and more comfortable movement
Feeling their fat-loss plan has extra support beyond diet and exercise alone
Added motivation from tracking body-composition changes over a cycle
How AOD-9604 is typically used
AOD-9604 is available as a subcutaneous injection, with oral and nasal forms also sold, typically in cycles of several weeks. Many patients use it alongside FDA-approved GLP-1 medication and a structured weight-loss program rather than as a stand-alone approach, and a nurse practitioner can help you weigh where it fits.
If a clinician does consider it, it should be a defined cycle with body-composition tracking such as InBody, a defined goal that can actually be measured, and a clear stopping rule. Dosing, route and duration are individual clinical decisions and are not published here.
AOD-9604 is never a substitute for the fundamentals of weight management: nutrition, resistance training, sleep, hormone evaluation and, where indicated, approved medication.
Who tends to do well with it
Adults who have read about AOD-9604 and want a candid, evidence-first explanation before spending money on it
Patients already in a medically supervised weight-loss program who want to add AOD-9604 as a supporting piece alongside their existing plan
People with joint-pain goals who want to discuss the cartilage research with a nurse practitioner
When we take extra care
Anyone expecting AOD-9604 alone, without nutrition, training and other support, to produce weight loss
People with diabetes or blood-sugar problems, because its effects on blood sugar in people are still being studied
Pregnant or breastfeeding patients (no safety data)
Competitive athletes: growth-hormone fragments including AOD-9604 are prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency
Anyone with a cancer history, given its origin as a growth-hormone fragment and the absence of long-term data
Anyone considering research-chemical products bought online, which are unregulated and frequently mislabeled
What to know before you start
When the FDA evaluated AOD-9604 in 2023 it cited limited safety data and serious adverse events in the literature whose relationship to the drug was unclear.
The FDA has noted immunogenicity (immune reaction) and impurity considerations with compounded peptide products.
Injection-site redness, swelling and headache are reported anecdotally.
Long-term data are still being gathered, which is why we use defined cycles and check-ins.
Cost is a consideration; a nurse practitioner can help you weigh it alongside GLP-1 medication and other tools in your plan.
Unregulated online products carry contamination, dosing and identity risks that a licensed pharmacy does not.
Where AOD-9604 stands with the FDA
AOD-9604 came off the FDA's restricted-compounding list in April 2026 after the February HHS announcement, which reopened the pathway for licensed compounding pharmacies to prepare it by prescription. It was not part of the July 2026 advisory-committee review, so it is not on the permanent 503A list, and the FDA's earlier safety note still stands. It is not an FDA-approved drug; interest in it has grown alongside newer research on fat metabolism, and many patients use it as a supporting piece of a broader weight-loss plan. Whether a licensed pharmacy can prepare it for you is confirmed at your consultation under the rules in force at that time.
Source: FDA compounding guidanceWhat AOD-9604 typically costs
At Hormones + Weight Loss, peptide pricing runs from about $100 to $1,000 or more depending on the peptide and the quantity you order, and many patients start with a single peptide on a short cycle. Your exact cost is quoted after your consultation.
Injectable vs. oral or nasal form
Cycle length and whether it is combined with other peptides
Pharmacy sourcing and whether a consultation, labs and InBody scans are bundled
Often combined with
Peptides are an add-on, not a plan. At Hormones + Weight Loss they are considered inside a broader, lab-guided program.
AOD-9604 FAQs
Early-2000s human trials in several hundred people with obesity showed mixed weight-loss results against placebo, and the original developer paused that program in 2007. Newer research on AOD-9604's role in fat metabolism has renewed interest, and patients today typically use it as a supporting piece of a broader, supervised weight-loss plan rather than relying on it alone.
It can be prescribed and prepared by licensed compounding pharmacies again as of April 2026, when the FDA removed it from its restricted list. It is not an FDA-approved drug and was not part of the July 2026 committee review. What a pharmacy can prepare is confirmed at your visit.
No. It copies only the last 16 amino acids of growth hormone (positions 176 to 191). Unlike full growth hormone it does not raise IGF-1 or affect blood sugar in the same way, which is part of why interest in its fat-metabolism role has continued.
Reported effects are mostly injection-site irritation and headache. The FDA noted in 2023 that safety data are limited and that serious adverse events had been reported without a clear cause. Long-term data are still being gathered, and immune-reaction and purity considerations apply to compounded peptides generally.
FDA-approved GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide have large human trials showing substantial weight loss. Many patients pair AOD-9604 with one of those medications and a supervised program rather than choosing between them; a nurse practitioner can review what combination fits you.
Peptide therapy at Hormones + Weight Loss ranges from about $100 to $1,000 or more, depending on the peptide and the quantity ordered. Where AOD-9604 lands inside that range depends on the form, the cycle length and whether it is combined with other care. Your exact cost is quoted after your consultation and labs.
Hormones + Weight Loss discusses weight-loss peptides, including AOD-9604, at our Meridian, Twin Falls and Lewiston clinics, with Boise-area patients seen in Meridian. A consultation with a nurse practitioner determines what fits your goals and can be prescribed under current rules.
Related peptides
Weight Loss & Body Composition
Retatrutide
An investigational triple-agonist weight-loss drug in Phase 3 trials; not yet approved or available.
Metabolic & Cellular Energy
MOTS-c
A mitochondrial peptide studied for insulin sensitivity, exercise capacity and fat metabolism.
Weight Loss & Body Composition
Tesamorelin
An FDA-approved GHRH analog studied for reducing deep abdominal (visceral) fat.
Growth-Hormone Support
CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin
A GHRH analog plus a ghrelin-receptor agonist studied together for growth-hormone release.
Peptide therapy near you in Idaho
Consultations at all three clinics. Boise-area patients are seen at our Meridian clinic, minutes off Eagle Road and I-84.
Meridian
2572 N Stokesberry Pl #300
Meridian, ID 83646
Mon–Fri 8am–6pm
Twin Falls
496 Shoup Ave West Ste E
Twin Falls, ID 83301
Mon–Thu 8am–6pm
Lewiston
1630 23rd Ave Ste 1201A
Lewiston, ID 83501
Mon–Wed 8am–6pm
Educational content only. It does not replace an evaluation by a licensed clinician. Whether a peptide fits you is decided at your consultation.
Wondering whether AOD-9604 fits your goals?
Start with a consultation and labs. A nurse practitioner will walk through the evidence, the current rules, and whether any peptide belongs in your plan.