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Specimen Atlas of Research Peptides30 plates · MIT
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IIPlate IIReviewed 2026-04-25

AOD-9604

Lipolytic HGH C-terminal fragment

also known as AOD9604, HGH 176-191, AOD

Modified 16-amino-acid C-terminal fragment of human growth hormone (residues 176-191) engineered to retain the lipolytic activity of native HGH while eliminating IGF-1 elevation, glucose-handling effects, and anti-insulin signaling. Acts via β3-adrenergic-mediated lipolysis. Multiple Phase 2 obesity trials completed; not FDA-approved as of 2026.

§ I

At a glance

Daily dose
250–300 mcg
[heffernan-2001]
Evidence level
Phase 2
[heffernan-2001][ng-2008]
Half-life
~30 min
Route

SQ · Abdomen · Daily fasted

§ II

Mechanism

Primary target — β3-adrenergic receptor (proposed) [ng-2008].

Pathway — β3-AR activation → cAMP → hormone-sensitive lipase activation → triglyceride breakdown to FFA + glycerol [ng-2008].

Downstream effect — Lipolysis of adipose tissue triglycerides; FFA release for oxidation; minimal IGF-1 / insulin impact [heffernan-2001].

Origin — Synthetic modified C-terminal hexadecapeptide fragment of human GH (176-191) with N-terminal Tyr substitution [ng-2008].

Feedback intact — No GH-axis or IGF-1 feedback.

§ III

Dosage

Protocols described in the cited literature; not medical advice.

ParameterValue
Standard dose250–300 mcg / day [heffernan-2001]Anecdotal SQ range. Phase 2 trial dose 1 mg/day oral.
FrequencyOnce daily, fasted
Lower / starter dose150 mcg / day
Evidence basisPhase 2 trials + animal-strong [heffernan-2001][ng-2008]
Duration8–12 weeks per cycle
ReconstitutionBacteriostatic water, 1 mL per 2 mg vial → 2 mg/mL
TimingMorning fasted preferred (pre-cardio)Aligns with circadian lipolysis.
Half-life~30 min plasma
§ III · b

Reconstitution

A pure mass-to-volume utility. Enter what you have in the vial; the atlas computes the volume per dose. No prescription information.

Inputs
The calculator does pure mass-to-volume math. It does not recommend a dose. Refer to AOD-9604's cited literature for protocol specifics.
Volumetric outputFig. C — reconstitution math
Volume per dose
0.100mL
≈ 10.0 units on a U-100 insulin syringe
Concentration
2500
mcg per mL
Doses per vial
20
at this dose
§ V

Adverse events

Severities follow the FDA / CTCAE convention.

Injection site reactionmild
Mild erythema
GI symptomsmild
Rare mild nausea
Cardiovascularmild
Possible mild HR increase via β3-AR (theoretical β1 cross-reactivity)
IGF-1 elevationmild
None — designed to lack GH-axis activity [heffernan-2001]
Insulin sensitivitymild
Neutral — no glucose impairment [heffernan-2001]
Cancer riskmild
No GH/IGF-1 axis activity → lower theoretical risk vs HGH
Pregnancy / OBsevere
Avoid
Absolute contraindications
  • — Pregnancy / breastfeeding
  • — Severe cardiovascular disease (caution with β-receptor agonists)
Relative contraindications
  • — Concurrent β-blocker therapy (theoretical antagonism)
  • — Pheochromocytoma
§ VI

Administration

  1. 01
    Reconstitution

    Add 1 mL bacteriostatic water to 2 mg vial → 2 mg/mL = 200 mcg per 0.1 mL.

  2. 02
    Injection site

    SQ — abdomen preferred. Rotate sites.

  3. 03
    Timing

    Morning, fasted, ideally pre-cardio for amplified fat oxidation.

  4. 04
    Storage

    Lyophilised: room temp, light-protected. Reconstituted: refrigerate, ≤30 days.

  5. 05
    Needle

    29–31G, 4–8 mm insulin syringe.

§ VII

Synergies

moderate synergy
+
AOD-9604 + MOTS-c

AOD-9604 mobilises FFAs from adipose via β3-AR; MOTS-c upregulates AMPK / PGC-1α / FAO machinery so that mobilised FFAs are efficiently oxidised. The pathways are sequential — supply (AOD) plus demand (MOTS-c) — and produce more durable lipolytic effects than either alone in anecdotal protocols.

Primary benefit — Fat mobilisation + mitochondrial oxidation, no IGF-1 concern
Appendix

Sources

21%

of 47 rendered claims carry a resolvable citation.

  1. [heffernan-2001]
    Heffernan 2001 — The effects of human GH and its lipolytic fragment (AOD9604) on lipid metabolism
    Endocrinology, 2001
    PubMed →
  2. [ng-2008]
    Ng 2008 — Metabolic studies of a synthetic lipolytic domain (AOD9604) of human growth hormone
    Horm Res, 2008
    PubMed →
Plate composed 2026-04-25 · maturity reviewed · schema v1 · Contributors: peptidesdb-core · 37 fields uncited — open contributions
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