What is AOD-9604?
AOD-9604 (also written AOD9604 or AOD 9604) is a synthetic peptide modeled on the C-terminal region of human growth hormone (hGH). PubChem records a 16-residue sequence, YLRIVQCRSVEGSCGF, closed by a disulfide bond between its two cysteines (CID 71300630). Analytical work describes the molecule as the hGH 177-191 fragment with an extra tyrosine at the N-terminus (Cox et al., 2015), while the Monash University group that developed the series worked on the same parent sequence and on a closely related analog, AOD9401 (Ng et al., 2000).
The published record is mostly cell-culture and rodent work from the 1990s and early 2000s, plus later analytical chemistry papers. Disguised Alpha supplies AOD-9604 as a lyophilized powder for laboratory research use only. Nothing on this page is guidance for use in people.
AOD-9604 was carried into clinical development as an investigational obesity candidate, with phase IIa trials under way by February 2002 (Wilding, 2004), and it was listed among compounds then in development (Halford, 2006). It was never approved as a drug, and a 2026 narrative review still groups it with unapproved peptides sold outside regulatory oversight (Mendias et al., 2026). Our material is research-grade powder, not a drug product, and not for people.
AOD-9604 reference data
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | AOD-9604 |
| Aliases | AOD9604, AOD 9604, Tyr-somatostatin (177-191) in older index entries (PubChem CID 71300630) |
| Sequence | Tyr-Leu-Arg-Ile-Val-Gln-Cys-Arg-Ser-Val-Glu-Gly-Ser-Cys-Gly-Phe (YLRIVQCRSVEGSCGF), with a 7 to 14 disulfide bond (PubChem CID 71300630) |
| Peptide class | hGH fragment (176-191) per the product page; the analytical literature designates it hGH 177-191 with an added N-terminal tyrosine |
| Molecular formula | C₇₈H₁₂₃N₂₃O₂₃S₂ |
| Molecular weight | 1815.07 g/mol |
| CAS number | 221231-10-3 (PubChem lists 386264-39-7 as a deprecated CAS for the same record) |
| Form | Lyophilized powder |
| Testing | Third-party tested, certificate published on the product page and in the COA portal |
Formula, molecular weight, CAS number and peptide class are from the AOD-9604 product page; sequence and aliases are from PubChem (CID 71300630, which lists the molecular weight as 1815.1 g/mol). One size is listed, and the certificate panel on the product page records the label mass and the measured content for the lot being shipped. Because sources number the parent fragment differently, confirm identity and content against your lot's certificate rather than from the name.
What the research covers
Published work on AOD-9604 falls into five areas. Each summary below states the model used.
Structure and identity
Two-dimensional NMR of the cyclic parent peptide found type I beta-turns in the cyclic region, and the authors reported that the synthetic peptide keeps some structural similarity to the corresponding region of the intact hGH crystal structure (Ogru et al., 2000). Mass spectrometry later characterized AOD9604 in seized pharmaceutical preparations (Vanhee et al., 2014).
Adipose tissue in cell and tissue models
Early work on the synthetic hGH 177-191 sequence reported antilipogenic activity in rat fat pads comparable to intact hGH, with no significant change in glycerol release (Wu and Ng, 1993). In adipocytes from genetically obese Zucker rats, the same peptide reduced basal and insulin-stimulated deoxyglucose uptake and was more potent than intact hGH at equimolar concentrations (Wijaya and Ng, 1993). A later study reported increased lipolytic and decreased lipogenic activity in isolated adipose tissue from obese rodents and from humans (Heffernan et al., 2000).
Rodent models of obesity
In obese Zucker rats, 19 days of an oral regimen at 500 micrograms per kilogram reduced body weight gain by over 50 percent against control, raised lipolytic activity in adipose tissue, and, unlike intact hGH, showed no adverse effect on insulin sensitivity measured by euglycemic clamp (Ng et al., 2000). A parallel 20-day study of AOD9401 in Zucker rats reported stimulation of hormone-sensitive lipase, inhibition of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, smaller mean adipocyte diameter and no induced insulin resistance (Ng et al., 2000).
In ob/ob mice on a 30-day oral regimen, body weight gain diverged from saline controls from day 16 onward with no difference in food consumption (Heffernan et al., 2000). A 14-day pump study in obese and lean mice reported increased fat oxidation and plasma glycerol, and reported that the peptide neither competed for the hGH receptor nor induced proliferation through it in transfected cells (Heffernan et al., 2001).
Beta-3 adrenergic receptor experiments
In obese mice and beta-3 adrenergic receptor knockout mice, 14 days of hGH or AOD9604 raised beta-3 receptor mRNA, but the weight and lipolysis changes seen in wild-type animals did not occur in the knockouts, which the authors read as evidence that the lipolytic actions are not mediated directly through that receptor (Heffernan et al., 2001).
Analytical detection and stability
Anti-doping laboratories have characterized the peptide because it circulates in unregulated supply. A validated urine method reached a detection limit of 50 picograms per milliliter, and incubation in serum and urine produced six candidate metabolites, of which the fragment CRSVEGSCG was markedly more stable than the parent (Cox et al., 2015).
A separate laboratory reported no interference with the hGH isoform immunoassay (Orlovius et al., 2013). A 2026 method study found the peptide extensively degraded after one week in serum and plasma at 4 and 22 degrees Celsius, while holding up for at least two months at -20 degrees Celsius and in dried matrices (Mazzarino et al., 2026).
Key studies
- Wijaya E, Ng FM. "Effect of an antilipogenic fragment of human growth hormone on glucose transport in rat adipocytes." Biochem Mol Biol Int. 1993. PMID 8118430. Adipocytes from obese Zucker rats: deoxyglucose uptake.
- Ng FM, et al. "Molecular and cellular actions of a structural domain of human growth hormone (AOD9401) on lipid metabolism in Zucker fatty rats." J Mol Endocrinol. 2000. PMID 11116208. DOI 10.1677/jme.0.0250287. Rat adipose tissue and a 20-day Zucker rat study: enzymes, adipocyte size.
- Ogru E, et al. J Pept Res. 2000. PMID 11152298. DOI 10.1034/j.1399-3011.2000.00771.x. Structural chemistry: two-dimensional NMR solution structure.
- Ng FM, et al. "Metabolic studies of a synthetic lipolytic domain (AOD9604) of human growth hormone." Horm Res. 2000. PMID 11146367. DOI 10.1159/000053183. Obese Zucker rats, 19 days, oral regimen, with euglycemic clamp.
- Heffernan MA, et al. "Effects of oral administration of a synthetic fragment of human growth hormone on lipid metabolism." Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2000. PMID 10950816. DOI 10.1152/ajpendo.2000.279.3.E501. ob/ob mice, 30 days, plus rodent and human adipose tissue in vitro.
- Heffernan MA, et al. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2001. PMID 11673763. DOI 10.1038/sj.ijo.0801740. Obese and lean mice, 14 days, with hGH receptor binding assays.
- Heffernan M, et al. "The effects of human GH and its lipolytic fragment (AOD9604) on lipid metabolism following chronic treatment in obese mice and beta(3)-AR knock-out mice." Endocrinology. 2001. PMID 11713213. DOI 10.1210/endo.142.12.8522. Obese mice and beta-3 adrenergic receptor knockout mice.
- Cox HD, et al. "Detection and in vitro metabolism of AOD9604." Drug Test Anal. 2015. PMID 25208511. DOI 10.1002/dta.1715. Analytical chemistry: validated urine method and metabolite identification.
- Orlovius AK, et al. "AOD-9604 does not influence the WADA hGH isoform immunoassay." Drug Test Anal. 2013. PMID 24124033. DOI 10.1002/dta.1557. Immunoassay specificity testing in human samples.
Handling and storage of lyophilized AOD-9604
General laboratory practice for this material:
- Store the lyophilized powder at -20°C, protected from light, until use (storage guidance on the product page).
- Let the sealed vial reach room temperature before opening so moisture does not condense on the powder.
- The molecule carries a disulfide bond between Cys7 and Cys14 (PubChem CID 71300630), so keep reducing agents such as dithiothreitol and 2-mercaptoethanol out of stock solutions unless the experiment calls for them.
- In a 2026 method study the peptide degraded within a week in serum and plasma at 4 and 22 degrees Celsius while frozen and dried samples held up for months (Mazzarino et al., 2026), so keep liquid holding times short.
- After reconstitution, keep solutions at 2 to 8°C and protected from light, and split stock into single-use aliquots to avoid freeze/thaw cycles.
- Record the lot number and keep its certificate with your notes. For quantitative work, use the measured content on the certificate rather than the label mass.
Frequently asked questions
What is AOD-9604?
A synthetic 16-residue peptide based on the C-terminal region of human growth hormone, cyclized by a disulfide bond (PubChem CID 71300630). It was studied in adipose tissue and rodent obesity models and reached phase II clinical testing as an investigational compound that was never approved (Wilding, 2004).
Is AOD-9604 a peptide?
Yes. It is a cyclic peptide of 16 amino acids at 1815.07 g/mol, far smaller than the growth hormone protein its sequence is drawn from.
How does AOD-9604 differ from HGH Frag 176-191?
Both are short peptides based on the same end of the growth hormone molecule, and papers use several numbering conventions for the parent fragment: our product page labels AOD-9604 an hGH fragment (176-191), while the analytical literature describes it as the 177-191 sequence with an added N-terminal tyrosine (Cox et al., 2015). Match identity to the sequence and formula on the certificate for the lot in hand. Our separate listing is HGH Frag 176-191, with its own research guide.
Is AOD-9604 an approved drug?
No. It reached phase IIa clinical testing as an obesity candidate (Wilding, 2004) and is still described in review literature as an unapproved compound (Mendias et al., 2026). The material sold here is research-grade powder for laboratory use, not a drug product, and not for use in people.
How should AOD-9604 powder be stored?
Keep the lyophilized powder at -20°C and protected from light. After reconstitution, store the solution at 2 to 8°C, protected from light, and avoid freeze/thaw cycles, as listed on the product page.
Where can researchers buy AOD-9604?
Disguised Alpha sells it for laboratory research, third-party tested with the certificate published on the product page: AOD-9604.
Related compounds and guides
- HGH Frag 176-191 and its research guide
- Tesamorelin and its research guide: a GHRH analog rather than a growth hormone fragment
- Sermorelin Acetate and CJC-1295 No DAC
- Ipamorelin and MK677 (Ibutamoren): growth hormone secretagogues studied through a different receptor
- IGF-1 LR3 and its research guide
- COA portal: every published certificate, by lot
This product is for research use only. It has not been evaluated for safety or effectiveness in humans. Not for human consumption. All products are intended for laboratory research purposes only.