AOD-9604: clinical evidence record

Also known as: Anti-Obesity Drug 9604, hGH 177-191 fragment

Evidence: Mixed evidence

Oliver Mackman · Editorial director · Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937)

Last updated 2026-05-22

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AI-friendly summary · AOD-9604

Reached Phase 2b human obesity trials with Metabolic Pharmaceuticals (Australia) in the 2000s. Did not progress to phase 3. Modest effect signal in the published trial work.

Mechanism of action

How AOD-9604 works

Synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide corresponding to residues 177 to 191 of human growth hormone, the C-terminal fragment associated with the lipolytic activity of the parent hormone without the growth-promoting or hyperglycaemic actions in preclinical work.

Top peer-reviewed citations

Selection of the most-cited peer-reviewed literature on AOD-9604. Where a verified PMID or DOI is shown, the citation links to the original record. Other citations list the title, authors, journal and year so the reader can locate the paper through the journal index or the PubMed search linked below. PeptideClear publishes editorial commentary, not clinical guidance.

AOD9604, a fragment of human growth hormone, in obese subjects

Heffernan MA, Summers RJ, Thorburn A, et al.. Endocrinology, 2001.

PMID: 11713213 DOI: 10.1210/endo.142.12.8522
AOD9604 and lipolysis in adipose tissue

Ng FM, Sun J, Sharma L, et al.. Hormone Research, 2000.

PMID: 11146367 DOI: 10.1159/000053183
Effects of oral administration of a synthetic fragment of human growth hormone on lipid metabolism

Heffernan MA, Jiang WJ, Thorburn AW, et al.. American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism, 2000.

PMID: 10950816 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.2000.279.3.E501
Antilipogenic action of synthetic C-terminal sequence 177-191 of human growth hormone

Wu Z, Ng FM. Biochemistry and molecular biology international, 1993.

PMID: 8358331
Detection and in vitro metabolism of AOD9604

Cox HD, Smeal SJ, Hughes CM, et al.. Drug testing and analysis, 2015.

PMID: 25208511 DOI: 10.1002/dta.1715
Effect of Intra-articular Injection of AOD9604 with or without Hyaluronic Acid in Rabbit Osteoarthritis Model

Kwon DR, Park GY. Annals of clinical and laboratory science, 2015.

PMID: 26275694
Increase of fat oxidation and weight loss in obese mice caused by chronic treatment with human growth hormone or a modified C-terminal fragment

Heffernan MA, Thorburn AW, Fam B, et al.. International journal of obesity and related metabolic disorders : journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 2001.

PMID: 11673763 DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0801740
AOD-9604 Metabolic

Wilding J. Current opinion in investigational drugs (London, England : 2000), 2004.

PMID: 15134286

Full PubMed search: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=AOD-9604.

UK regulatory status

Plain-English summary of where AOD-9604 sits under the four UK and international frameworks that govern peptide supply. Editorial commentary, not legal advice.

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971: Not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Psychoactive Substances Act 2016: Not scheduled under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.
MHRA medicines classification: No UK marketing authorisation as a medicine.
WADA Prohibited List: WADA Prohibited List S2 (peptide hormones, growth factors), prohibited at all times.

Risks and unknowns

What the literature does not yet show about AOD-9604

Known concerns

Most published efficacy claims for AOD-9604 require careful interpretation. Read the cited papers in full before drawing conclusions.
Purity of UK research-peptide supply varies between retailers. Certificates of analysis and HPLC documentation differ.
Cold-chain handling between manufacture and delivery is not standardised across the research-peptide market.
Independent replication of single-group findings is the key check on any preclinical claim.

Open questions in the literature

Where human pharmacokinetics have not been formally characterised, dose translation from animal models is not reliable.
Long-term safety profile beyond the duration of published studies remains an open question.
Interactions with other prescribed or unlicensed substances are typically not studied.

Regulatory note

No UK marketing authorisation as a medicine. Prohibited at all times under WADA S2 (peptide hormones, growth factors). The moment a UK seller or commentator makes a therapeutic claim, MHRA can treat the product as an unlicensed medicinal product.

Important: PeptideClear publishes encyclopedia commentary only and does not recommend human use. Speak to a UK-registered prescriber before any medical decision.

Frequently asked questions

What is the evidence level for AOD-9604?

Reached Phase 2b human obesity trials with Metabolic Pharmaceuticals (Australia) in the 2000s. Did not progress to phase 3. Modest effect signal in the published trial work.

What is the UK regulatory status of AOD-9604?

No UK marketing authorisation as a medicine. Not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Not scheduled under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016. WADA Prohibited List S2 (peptide hormones, growth factors), prohibited at all times.

Has AOD-9604 been tested in human clinical trials?

AOD-9604 has some early-phase human work alongside a larger preclinical animal-model literature. No phase III randomised clinical trial has produced a UK marketing authorisation. See the cited peer-reviewed literature above.

Where can I read the source literature for AOD-9604?

The full PubMed search is linked above. Each cited paper has its title, author list and journal. Where we have a verified PMID or DOI the citation links directly. Other citations can be located by the reader through the journal index or the PubMed search.

Last verified 2026-05-22. Editorial commentary, not legal or clinical advice. Citations without a linked identifier can be located through the PubMed search and the journal index.