AOD-9604
ClinicalAlso known as hGH fragment 176-191
Growth-hormone fragment
The 'fat-burning fragment' the clinic couldn't confirm.
- References
- 2
- Human-grade claims
- 1 of 2
- Evidence floor
- Clinical
- Status
- Research-only
A synthetic fragment of human growth hormone marketed for lipolysis. It showed fat-metabolism activity in preclinical work, but company-run human weight-loss trials failed to beat placebo — a clean example of a great story meeting hard endpoints.
How it works
AOD-9604 copies the tail end of growth hormone (residues 176–191) that is linked to fat breakdown, without the parts that drive growth or affect blood sugar and IGF-1. In animals it nudged fat metabolism; in people that signal did not translate into meaningful weight loss.
Sequence: YLRIVQCRSVEGSCGFThe hGH 176–191 fragment with an added N-terminal tyrosine. Secondary-sourced — not letter-verified against a primary sequence database.
What it's studied for
- [1] Ng et al., 2000 (Horm Res)
Stimulated lipolysis and inhibited lipogenesis in preclinical models without affecting IGF-1 or blood glucose.
Preclinical - [2] AOD-9604 Metabolic — review (PubMed)
Did not produce statistically significant weight loss versus placebo in human obesity trials.
Clinical
Safety & limitations
Reported as well-tolerated in trials; the defining limitation was lack of efficacy on hard endpoints, not toxicity. No long-term human safety data exist.
[2] AOD-9604 Metabolic — review (PubMed)Regulatory & legal status
Never approved as a drug. The obesity program failed its larger placebo-controlled trial and was discontinued in the late 2000s; it later appeared as a cosmetic/food-additive ingredient.
[2] AOD-9604 Metabolic — review (PubMed)References
Written by Twenty Residues editorial. Reviewed by Pending named medical review.
Last updated September 19, 2026.
Update history
- 2026-09-19 — Sourced review — every claim checked against primary literature; sequence, regulatory status, safety, and FAQs added.