AOD-9604 is a modified HGH fragment 176-191 with disulfide bridge modification, studied for lipolytic activity without IGF-1 or insulin resistance effects — with FDA GRAS designation and Phase IIb human trial data.
Product definition
What is AOD-9604?
AOD-9604 is a modified HGH fragment 176-191 with disulfide bridge modification, studied for lipolytic activity without IGF-1 or insulin resistance effects — with FDA GRAS designation and Phase IIb human trial data.
AOD-9604 (Anti-Obesity Drug 9604) is a synthetic peptide developed by Frank Ng and Henry Stanton at Monash University from the same C-terminal GH fragment research program that produced HGH Fragment 176-191. The compound consists of residues 177–191 of hGH with the addition of a Tyr residue at the N-terminus and a disulfide bridge between Cys182 and Cys189 that constrains the peptide's helical conformation.
The Monash preclinical program documented fat mass reduction in genetically obese mice (ob/ob) and diet-induced obesity models, with visceral fat specificity and absence of IGF-1 elevation or insulin resistance — the mechanistic hallmarks shared with the linear fragment. The compound advanced through regulatory safety review to achieve FDA GRAS designation, which represents credible evidence of safety for intended use conditions — a regulatory status unusual for peptide research compounds.
Phase IIb human trials for knee osteoarthritis were conducted by Metabolic Pharmaceuticals — an indication distinct from the lipolytic research context but providing human pharmacokinetic safety data across a patient population that supports the compound's overall safety profile.
Research context
How is AOD-9604 described in the research literature?
AOD-9604 stimulates lipolysis and inhibits lipogenesis in adipose tissue through proposed β3-adrenoreceptor pathway activation — independent of GH receptor binding. The disulfide bridge modification alters structural conformation relative to the linear fragment 176-191. FDA GRAS designation documents safety characterization; Phase IIb osteoarthritis trials provide human pharmacokinetic data.
Compound profile
Key facts about AOD-9604
- Class
- Modified HGH fragment 176-191 (with disulfide bridge)
- Molecular weight
- ~1,817 Da
- Regulatory status
- FDA GRAS designation
- Clinical data
- Phase IIb human trials (osteoarthritis)
- Mechanism
- Lipolysis via proposed β3-adrenoreceptor pathway; no GH receptor binding
- IGF-1 effect
- No IGF-1 elevation in preclinical studies
- Research category
- Adipose biology, lipolysis, GH pharmacology, metabolic research
- Storage
- Lyophilized: −20°C. Reconstituted: 2–8°C, use within 30 days
Research areas
What research areas is AOD-9604 associated with?
- FDA GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) designation — documented safety characterization, unusual for research peptides
- Studied for lipolysis promotion and lipogenesis inhibition without IGF-1 elevation or insulin resistance
- Disulfide bridge modification alters structural conformation relative to linear HGH Fragment 176-191
- Phase IIb human trial data from osteoarthritis program — human pharmacokinetics and safety profile available
- Developed at Monash University from the foundational GH lipolytic fragment research program
- Visceral fat reduction documented in obese rodent models with vehicle-controlled study designs
Research audience
Who researches AOD-9604?
AOD-9604 is used by researchers studying GH-derived lipolytic mechanisms, adipose tissue biology, fat cell metabolism, and GH fragment pharmacology. The GRAS designation makes it relevant for researchers requiring a GH-derived research compound with documented regulatory safety characterization.
Preclinical research overview
What does the preclinical literature say about AOD-9604?
The Monash University GH fragment program arose from the clinical observation that exogenous GH's fat-reducing effects were compromised by simultaneous insulin resistance induction — making full GH non-viable as an obesity therapeutic. The hypothesis that GH's lipolytic and diabetogenic activities were molecularly separable led to the fragment 176-191 / AOD-9604 research series.
AOD-9604 advanced further through regulatory processes than the linear fragment, achieving GRAS status (for food additive purposes, based on submitted safety data) and advancing to Phase IIb human trials for osteoarthritis. The osteoarthritis indication was not related to the lipolytic research context — it emerged from preclinical data suggesting cartilage repair activity — but the human pharmacokinetic characterization from those trials is published and provides translational context for the metabolic research.
The compound remains in the research literature as one of the most extensively characterized GH-derived lipolytic peptides, with a safety documentation profile that supports its continued research use in metabolic biology.
Common questions
Frequently asked about AOD-9604
What is the difference between AOD-9604 and HGH Fragment 176-191?
Both are derived from the same Monash University GH fragment research program and study similar lipolytic mechanisms. The structural difference is AOD-9604's disulfide bridge between Cys182 and Cys189, which constrains the peptide's helical conformation. In terms of regulatory documentation, AOD-9604 is more advanced: FDA GRAS designation and Phase IIb human trial data versus the linear fragment's primarily preclinical data profile.
What does FDA GRAS status mean for a research peptide?
GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) is an FDA designation for substances used in food or food contact that have adequate safety evidence to be considered safe for their intended use. AOD-9604 achieved GRAS status based on the safety data package submitted to the FDA. This is not the same as pharmaceutical drug approval, but it is a documented safety review process that provides credibility beyond typical research peptide safety documentation.
What did the Phase IIb osteoarthritis trials show?
The Phase IIb knee osteoarthritis trials (Metabolic Pharmaceuticals, Australia) evaluated AOD-9604 for cartilage repair activity. The trials documented the human pharmacokinetic profile and safety data across the patient population. The osteoarthritis efficacy endpoints were not the primary focus of the metabolic/lipolytic research program but the safety characterization from these trials is relevant context for researchers using AOD-9604 in metabolic biology.
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Research Use Only
Sold for laboratory and research purposes only. Not approved for, nor intended for, human or veterinary consumption, diagnostic use, or therapeutic application. These products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Keep out of reach of children. For use by qualified researchers only.
Nothing on this page constitutes medical advice, a treatment recommendation, or a clinical protocol. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before making any health or treatment decisions.
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