At a glance
Effects
- Targeted fat metabolism: Intended to promote fat breakdown in adipose tissue without affecting muscle, appetite or blood sugar — but human weight loss was modest at best and not clinically meaningful in the pivotal trial.[3][4]
- Appetite-neutral: Acts peripherally on fat cells rather than centrally on hunger signals, so unlike GLP-1 drugs it does not suppress appetite.[4]
- No IGF-1 / glucose effect: Did not raise IGF-1 or impair glucose tolerance in trials, distinguishing it from full-length growth hormone.[5][9]
- Much weaker than GLP-1 drugs: Does not produce the level of weight loss seen with semaglutide or tirzepatide.[1]
hGH 176–191 peptide fragment; WADA-prohibited
Not FDA-approved; FDA Category 2 / restricted compounding
Subcutaneous injection (oral forms also studied)
Metabolic Pharmaceuticals, Australia (1990s)
Once daily (sometimes split AM/PM)
About Anti-Obesity Drug-9604
Every point here is drawn from public medical and harm-reduction sources. A bracketed number after a claim — like [1]— is a reference: tap it to open the exact source it's based on (numbered list at the bottom). It is not a rating or score. Educational information, not medical advice.
Product specifics
- Est. delivery
- 3–7 business days · EU tracked
Product details as stated by the vendor (claims, not independently verified). Delivery is our standard EU estimate.
What it is
AOD-9604 ("Anti-Obesity Drug-9604") is a synthetic 16-amino-acid peptide fragment of the C-terminal region of human growth hormone (the 176–191 sequence with a stabilising tyrosine added), originally developed by Metabolic Pharmaceuticals in Australia as an experimental anti-obesity (fat-loss) drug.[1][6] It is not approved as a medicine in any major jurisdiction, and its drug development for obesity was discontinued in 2007 after it failed to produce significant weight loss in its largest trial.[3][6]
How it works
It was designed to mimic growth hormone's fat-metabolism (lipolytic) effects — stimulating fat breakdown (lipolysis) and inhibiting fat formation (lipogenesis) — without binding growth-hormone receptors or raising IGF-1, so it does not cause the glucose, insulin or tissue-growth effects of full-length hGH.[2][5] Proposed mechanism involves beta-3 adrenergic receptor signalling in fat cells, increasing lipolytic enzyme activity; this is supported by rodent data but the human relevance is uncertain.[1][4] Importantly, animal mechanism data did not translate into meaningful human fat loss in controlled trials.[7]
Risks & side effects
Most important: The most important thing to know is that AOD-9604 is an unapproved, investigational compound that failed its pivotal human obesity trial — it is not proven to cause clinically meaningful fat loss in people.[3][6] Because it is sold only through gray-market and compounding channels outside regulated manufacturing, products may be contaminated, mislabelled or wrongly dosed, and the FDA has cited immunogenicity, impurities and limited human safety data as reasons for restricting it.[8][10]
Common
- Injection-site reactions — redness, mild swelling, a raised wheal, or itching/burning that usually settles within an hour.[11][12]
- Headache, reported most frequently in trials and often resolving with continued use.[12]
- Fatigue, especially during the initial adaptation period.[12]
- Gastrointestinal effects (mild nausea, diarrhea, flatulence), more frequent at high doses.[13]
Serious
- Product-quality harms from unregulated sources: contamination, incorrect dosing or misidentified compound — risks that cannot be mitigated by the end user.[10]
- Theoretical immunogenicity (immune reactions) and peptide-related impurities flagged by the FDA.[8]
- One case of chest tightness was deemed possibly treatment-related in safety trials.[12]
Safety & harm reduction
- Competitive athletes subject to anti-doping testing — AOD-9604 is on the WADA Prohibited List (S2) and is detectable in urine, with no automatic therapeutic-use exemption.[15][16]
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding — no reproductive or developmental safety data exist.[9]
- People with active or past hormone-sensitive malignancy — theoretical proliferative concern, not studied in humans.[9]
- Anyone relying on unregulated online sources, given contamination and dosing risks.[10]
- Drug interactions were not specifically evaluated in the clinical trials; its lack of IGF-1 and glucose effects suggests low interaction potential but this is not confirmed.[13]
- Conservative practice is to start at a low dose to assess tolerance before titrating, consistent with general peptide-therapy principles.[13]
- Use sterile technique and rotate injection sites to reduce local reactions and infection risk.[13]
- Only source from vendors providing third-party purity/identity testing, since gray-market identity and potency cannot be assumed.[10]
Dosage context
Commonly-reported (NOT a prescription): clinics and protocols typically describe roughly 250–500 mcg per day by subcutaneous injection, often in the morning or fasted, sometimes split AM/PM; original obesity trials tested a wide range from about 0.25 mg up to 54 mg, with higher doses producing more gastrointestinal effects.[12][13] These figures are anecdotal/clinical-setting reports for an unapproved compound and should not be treated as a validated dosing standard.[12]
Sources
- 1.MuseChem — AOD-9604 fat-burning peptide overview
- 2.Apex Health & Wellness — AOD-9604 and fat loss
- 3.BHRC — AOD-9604 appetite-neutral fat loss / clinical history
- 4.BHRC — How AOD-9604 targets fat cells
- 5.BHRC — AOD-9604 mechanism guide
- 6.Paragon Sports Medicine — AOD-9604 clinical overview
- 7.Peptides Insider — Does the research support AOD-9604?
- 8.SafeHG — FDA rationale on compounded peptides (BPC-157/AOD-9604)
- 9.Superpower — AOD-9604 GH C-terminal fragment guide
- 10.Superpower / FDA — regulatory status & gray-market quality risk
- 11.PeptideDeck — AOD-9604 side effects safety guide
- 12.BHRC — AOD-9604 dosage guide / trial side effects
- 13.BHRC — AOD-9604 safety profile (trial adverse events)
- 14.American Medical Wellness — AOD-9604 comprehensive guide
- 15.WADA Prohibited List — S2 growth hormone fragments
- 16.Meto — AOD-9604 fat-loss peptide (WADA, efficacy)
This information is provided for educational and harm-reduction purposes only. It is not medical advice. These substances can carry serious health risks; effects and safe use vary by individual. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before use. Legal status varies by country — it is your responsibility to know your local law. We do not encourage misuse.
Other options for Anti-Obesity Drug-9604· 2 offers
Same compound from different labs/brands and pack sizes. Tap a row to switch brand — the price and buy button update instantly.
| Brand | Form | Strength | Pack | Price | Per mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GenericSelected | vial | 2 mg | 10 vial | 174,99 € | — |
Generic | vial | 5 mg | 10 vial | 209,99 € | — |