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Incretin & metabolic

AOD-9604 (Tyr-hGH 177-191)

Also known as AOD9604, hGH 177-191 with N-terminal tyrosine, Tyr-hGH177-191, anti-obesity drug 9604

Limited human dataTier C applies to short-term safety in oral and IV human trials only. Subcutaneous practice dosing is tier D (convention only). No efficacy has been shown.

Investigational synthetic C-terminal fragment analog of human growth hormone (lipolytic peptide). Not approved anywhere for any indication.

Not FDA-approved. Not on FDA's 503A category lists (May 14, 2026). Source, May 14, 2026

Identity. AOD-9604 and HGH Fragment 176-191 are separate products on the formulary. They are not interchangeable. The published sources define AOD-9604 as a synthetic 16-residue peptide: human growth hormone fragment 177-191 with an added N-terminal tyrosine (Tyr-hGH177-191; Stier 2013, Cox 2014, PMID 25208511). No source characterizes a product labeled 176-191 or compares one with AOD-9604, so how the two relate in sequence is not established. No trial, dose or safety data here come from HGH Fragment 176-191. Do not apply AOD-9604 data to HGH Fragment 176-191, or the reverse. Check the identity of each product against the certificate of analysis from the partner pharmacy. For AOD-9604 (Tyr + hGH 177-191, cyclic), the certificate should match that description. It is not full-length growth hormone, and it did not bind the GH receptor in mouse and in vitro work (Heffernan 2001). The formulary lists 10 mg vials, also in blends. Trial doses are oral mg or IV ug/kg, so no trial dose maps to a subcutaneous vial dose. For blend vials, take the AOD-9604 mg per vial from the pharmacy label and calculate every component from that label. Do not apply the single-agent 250-500 mcg/day range to blend volume, and check each other component's own range. Keep blends out of the calculator unless label amounts are loaded.

At a glance

These dosages are a helpful guide, not a prescription. Every clinician is expected to do their own due diligence before prescribing.

  1. Start

    0.25 mg oral tablet daily (lowest fixed arm, phase IIb trial; no titration)1

    Human study

  2. Ceiling

    1 mg oral tablet daily (top arm here; oral capsules to 30 mg daily also studied)1

    Human study
Frequency
daily1
Route
oral (tablets); no subcutaneous dosing trial found1
Course
24 weeks after a 4-week placebo run-in1
Trial doses were oral or intravenous only; never convert them to subcutaneous doses. Practice figures for subcutaneous use are convention, not evidence.
Calculate this dose

Dosing detail

Human studies

Human study

  • METAOD001, healthy adult male volunteers (BMI 24 to 30 kg/m2)

    25 to 400 µg/kg1

    Route
    intravenous
    Frequency
    single dose per level (dose escalation)
    Duration
    single doses, 20-minute infusion per supplementary summary
    n
    15 enrolled, 14 completed
    Design
    Phase I, double-blind, placebo-controlled dose escalation; rhGH positive control
    Source quote
    A Phase I (double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose escalation) safety study with doses (ranging from 25 to 400 µg/kg AOD9604) administered intravenously to 15 healthy adult male volunteers presenting with a BMI between 24 and 30 kg/m2.

    Finding. Safety study; no SAEs reported. Most common AE was headache (6 events); none severe.

  • METAOD002, clinically obese males (BMI 35 kg/m2 or more)

    25, 50 and 100 µg/kg1

    Route
    intravenous
    Frequency
    4 single doses incl. placebo, 7-day washout
    Duration
    single IV infusion over 20 minutes
    n
    23
    Design
    Phase IIa, double-blind, placebo-controlled 4x4 Latin Square
    Source quote
    Each subject received 4 single doses (25, 50 and 100 µg/kg AOD9604 or placebo; single IV infusion doses over 20 minutes), separated by a 7-day washout period.

    Finding. No SAEs reported by the authors; headache most common (16/23). 3 severe AEs occurred: one at 50 ug/kg (chest tightness, deemed possibly related) and two on placebo.

  • METAOD003, clinically obese males (BMI 35 kg/m2 or more)

    9, 27 and 54 mg1

    Route
    oral (capsules)
    Frequency
    single dose per period
    Duration
    single doses
    n
    17
    Design
    Phase IIa, double-blind, placebo-controlled 4x4 Latin Square
    Source quote
    A Phase IIa (double-blind, placebo-controlled 4 × 4 Latin Square design) safety study with single doses (9, 27 and 54 mg AOD9604) administered orally (capsules) to 17 healthy, clinically obese males presenting with a BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2.

    Finding. No significant IGF-1 change over 24 h. 54 mg was associated with more GI AEs. Two SAEs occurred: diarrhoea at 54 mg deemed 'possibly related' and bronchial pneumonia (54 mg) deemed unrelated. 17 enrolled, 15 completed.

  • METAOD004, clinically obese males (BMI 30 kg/m2 or more)

    9, 27 or 54 mg1

    Route
    oral (capsules)
    Frequency
    daily
    Duration
    7 days
    n
    36
    Design
    Phase IIa, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose escalation
    Source quote
    A Phase IIa (double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose escalation) safety study with multiple daily doses (9, 27 or 54 mg AOD9604) administered orally (capsules) for seven days in 36 healthy clinically obese males presenting with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2.

    Finding. 54 mg group had more headaches, diarrhoea and flatulence; no SAE during treatment.

  • METAOD005, clinically obese adults (BMI 35 kg/m2 or more)

    1, 5, 10, 20 or 30 mg1

    Route
    oral (capsules)
    Frequency
    daily
    Duration
    12 weeks
    n
    300
    Design
    Phase IIb, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled
    Source quote
    A Phase IIb (randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled) study to assess the efficacy (reduction in body weight), safety and tolerability of 12 weeks treatment with daily doses (1, 5, 10, 20 or 30 mg AOD9604) administered orally (capsules) in 300 healthy, clinically obese males, and females of non-child bearing potential, with a BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2.

    Finding. The paper reports safety and tolerability, with no change in IGF-1 and no anti-AOD9604 antibodies in the assayed subset. It does not report efficacy results. It also reports 5 SAEs (cancers), judged unrelated by the authors.

  • METAOD006, clinically obese adults (BMI 30 to 45 kg/m2)

    0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg1

    Route
    oral (tablets)
    Frequency
    daily
    Duration
    24 weeks (after 4-week placebo run-in)
    n
    502 randomized (534 enrolled)
    Design
    Phase IIb, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 16 centres
    Source quote
    daily dose of 0.25, 0.5 or 1mg AOD9604 or placebo for 24 weeks. Prior to this treatment period all subjects underwent a 4-week single-blind placebo run-in period.

    Finding. Tolerability was good and indistinguishable from placebo, per the industry-affiliated authors. The paper does not report weight-loss efficacy. A secondary source says the primary endpoint was missed.

Clinical practice

Clinical practice

No human subcutaneous dose-ranging trial found. Trial doses were oral mg/day or IV µg/kg and must not be converted to subcutaneous doses. The peer-reviewed source reports online-forum practice, and the clinic pages cite no studies. Treat all practice numbers as convention, not evidence. Practice dosing is tier D, even though the compound has tier C safety data in oral and IV trials.

Start
300 mcg/day for the first two weeks, titrated based on response (single clinic protocol); peer-reviewed review reports a 250–500 µg/day community range
Titration
Single clinic: 300 mcg/day for two weeks then titrated to response; no stepwise schedule published by a regulator or trial
Typical
300-400 mcg once daily as a single injection (single clinic; total per day); 250-500 ug per DAY total, divided over 2-3 injections (review, citing bodybuilding forums)
Ceiling
500 mcg/day (single clinic: not exceeded without prescriber's direction)
Frequency
Clinics: once daily, one injection. Review: 2-3 injections per day. Unit basis: the review figure is a daily total, so about 80-250 ug per injection when split; do not read 250-500 ug as a per-injection dose.
Route
Subcutaneous injection, typically abdominal
Timing
Morning on an empty stomach, 30–60 minutes before first meal (clinic); before exercise or fasted morning (review)
Cycle
4–12 weeks on then rest (clinic); 8–12 weeks (review of forum protocols)

Sources

  • Clinical practicePeer-reviewed review2
    Bodybuilding-related forums: 250–500 µg/day SC in 2–3 injections, ideally before exercise or at morning (fasted); typical cycle: 8–12 weeks for body composition

What clinics and vendors publish

These ranges come from clinic and vendor publications, not studies.

Clinic-reported
  • Clinic-reportedPharmacy or clinic protocol3
    300 mcg/day for the first two weeks, titrated based on your body's response.
  • Clinic-reportedPharmacy or clinic protocol3
    subcutaneously once every morning on an empty stomach
  • Clinic-reportedPharmacy or clinic protocol3
    Upper end of the standard clinical range; not exceeded without your prescriber's direction.
  • Clinic-reportedPharmacy or clinic protocol3
    4–12 weeks on, followed by a rest period determined by body response and goals.
  • Clinic-reportedPharmacy or clinic protocol4
    AOD-9604 is administered via subcutaneous injection, typically in the abdominal area.
  • Clinic-reportedPharmacy or clinic protocol5
    Standard Dose: 250-500 mcg (0.25-0.5 mg) once daily via subcutaneous injection

Safety

Serious warnings

  • FDA (page current 04/22/2026): 'Compounded drugs containing AOD-9604 may pose significant risk for immunogenicity for certain routes of administration'. FDA has identified serious adverse events that may be associated with AOD-9604, though causality is not clear. FDA also states: 'FDA has identified no, or only limited, safety-related information.' and 'Therefore, the agency lacks sufficient information to know whether the drug would cause harm when administered to humans.' The immunogenicity concern is route-specific, and no subcutaneous antibody data exist.6
  • No FDA-approved AOD-9604 product has been identified, so there is no approved label or boxed warning. The cited FDA page does not discuss a boxed warning.6
  • Prohibited by WADA: 'AOD9604 may be used as a performance enhancing drug and is banned by the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA).' Tested athletes, including amateur and masters competitors, must not use it. Check the current WADA Prohibited List.7
  • Efficacy not shown: the 24-week oral obesity trial missed its primary endpoint, per sponsor-reported outcomes. Joint and cartilage claims rest on one rabbit intra-articular study (Kwon 2015, 0.25 mg weekly intra-articular). That study is not human or subcutaneous data and cannot support SC clinic dosing.8
  • Pregnancy, lactation and women of child-bearing potential: no human data. METAOD001-004 enrolled males only, and METAOD005 enrolled males and females of non-child-bearing potential. Avoid in pregnancy and lactation by default.1

Contraindications

  • No labeled contraindications exist. A single clinic page lists exclusions: currently or recently treated cancer, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and untreated thyroid or certain pituitary conditions (clinic opinion, no source cited).3

Adverse effects

  • The sponsor-affiliated authors of Stier 2013 conclude: 'In none of the studies did any drug-related withdrawals or drug-related serious AEs occur', and describe a safety profile 'indistinguishable from placebo'. The paper itself reports two SAEs in METAOD003: diarrhoea at 54 mg, 'possibly related', and bronchial pneumonia, unrelated. It reports five SAEs (cancers) in METAOD005, judged unrelated.1
  • The highest oral dose (54 mg) was associated with an increased incidence of GI-related AEs, and headache was the most common AE in trials.1
  • A clinic page lists mild injection-site tenderness and headache for subcutaneous use (not trial data).3

Monitoring

  • Trials measured IGF-1, OGTT/glucose and insulin, and anti-AOD9604 antibodies. No IGF-1 or glucose-tolerance effect and no antibodies were found in the assayed subsets. Given FDA's immunogenicity concern, this is the panel the trials measured, not a validated monitoring protocol.1
  • Prescriber consideration (not from a validated source): baseline fasting glucose/HbA1c and IGF-1 for patients with diabetes or on GH-axis agents. Review injection sites and any rash, urticaria or systemic allergy at each visit as possible immunogenic reactions, and stop and evaluate if they occur. Confirm non-pregnancy. Trial antibody assays covered only a selected subset and only oral and IV routes.1

Interactions

  • No interaction studies found. A clinic page advises disclosing GLP-1, thyroid, hormone replacement and glucose-regulating medications (clinic advice, unsourced).3

Handling

Reconstitution

Work from concentration (mcg/mL), never from a fixed draw volume. The formulary vial is 10 mg. Calculated from the stated vial size (the partner pharmacy sets the diluent volume): 10 mg + 2 mL = 5000 mcg/mL (300 mcg = 0.06 mL = 6 units; 500 mcg = 0.10 mL = 10 units on a U-100 syringe; 0.06 mL is too small to measure reliably). 10 mg + 4 mL = 2500 mcg/mL (300 mcg = 0.12 mL = 12 units; 500 mcg = 0.20 mL = 20 units). Warning: published clinic draw volumes come from a 5 mg vial in 2 mL (2500 mcg/mL; 250 mcg = 10 units, 500 mcg = 20 units). Reusing them on a 10 mg vial mixed in 2 mL (5000 mcg/mL) delivers exactly 2x the intended dose.

Storage before mixing

Follow the storage instruction on the pharmacy label. No source gives a figure for unreconstituted vials, and clinic pages conflict or are silent.

Storage after mixing

Clinic guidance: 'immediately return the vial to refrigerator storage (2-8°C / 36-46°F)' and 'Protect from direct light.' One clinic page says 'Use within 28 days of reconstitution'. Another states 30-45 days. Clinic windows differ, and no stability study exists. A doping-lab study found AOD9604 extensively degraded after one week in serum and plasma at 4 and 22 °C (a biological-matrix finding, not vial stability).57910

Evidence

No human efficacy has been shown for any indication or route. The one efficacy trial (oral, 24 weeks, n=534 enrolled, 502 randomized) missed its primary weight-loss endpoint, according to a 2026 review citing sponsor-reported outcomes. Joint and cartilage repair claims rest on rabbit intra-articular data only (Kwon 2015, PMID 26275694). Six sponsor-run randomized placebo-controlled trials (about 900 adults) tested IV and oral AOD9604. The pooled paper reports short-term safety only, from sponsor-affiliated authors. Pivotal trials enrolled men, or women of non-child-bearing potential (METAOD005). No human subcutaneous dose-ranging trial exists, so 250-500 mcg/day SC is convention (tier D).

Mechanism

Designed to mimic the lipolytic domain of hGH. In obese mice it reduced weight gain and increased fat oxidation and plasma glycerol (a lipolysis index). It did not compete for the hGH receptor, did not cause cell proliferation and did not cause hyperglycaemia. Human mechanism data are limited. No IGF-1 change was seen in trials.111

Availability

Amounts offered

  • 10 mg

Custom strengths on request.

References

According to PubMed

  1. 1Safety and Tolerability of the Hexadecapeptide AOD9604 in HumansJ Endocrinol Metab 2013;3(1-2):7-15 (Stier, Vos, Kenley; Metabolic Pharmaceuticals-affiliated; not PubMed-indexed, PubMed search returned no record), 2013
  2. 2The emerging landscape of performance-enhancing peptides modulating GH-IGF1 axis: bridging the gap between clinical evidence and patient self-administrationFront Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2026;17:1822475, 2026
  3. 3AOD 9604: Dosage and MoreEdge Weight Loss & Fatigue, Spring TX (clinical team, no named clinician, undated), 2026
  4. 4AOD 9604 Peptide San DiegoAccelerate Health Clinics, San Diego (undated), 2026
  5. 5AOD-9604 Dosage Guide: Charts, Protocols and ReconstitutionBeverly Hills Rejuvenation Center (clinic network, undated)
  6. 6Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety RisksFDA; content current as of 04/22/2026, 2026
  7. 7Detection and in vitro metabolism of AOD9604Drug Test Anal 2014;7(1):31-8, 2014
  8. 8Effect of Intra-articular Injection of AOD9604 with or without Hyaluronic Acid in Rabbit Osteoarthritis ModelAnn Clin Lab Sci 2015;45(4):426-32, 2015
  9. 9AOD 9604 Dosage: Complete Clinical Protocol for Fat Loss and Weight ManagementAlpha Rejuvenation, Costa Mesa CA (clinic; byline J Broad MD, undated)
  10. 10Rapid and harmonized analytical workflow for the determination of peptidic and non-peptidic doping agents in dried and liquid blood matricesAnalyst 2026;151(15):4398-4413, 2026
  11. 11Increase of fat oxidation and weight loss in obese mice caused by chronic treatment with human growth hormone or a modified C-terminal fragmentInt J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2001;25(10):1442-9, 2001
  12. 12Summary on Clinical trials performed with AOD9604 (supplementary data to Stier 2013)J Endocrinol Metab supplementary file, 2013
  13. 13Bulk Drug Substances Used in Compounding Under Section 503A of the FD&C ActFDA; content current as of 05/14/2026, 2026

Last reviewed 2026-10-14. 48 figures checked against their sources. How this works