AOD-9604 — anti-obesity drug 9604, also designated h-GH(177-191) — is a synthetic 16-amino-acid peptide corresponding to the C-terminal fragment of human growth hormone with an added N-terminal tyrosine. Originally developed as a metabolic-research compound; subsequently examined in cartilage and joint-research contexts.
Definition
AOD-9604 is a synthetic 16-amino-acid peptide whose sequence reproduces residues 177-191 of human growth hormone (the C-terminal region implicated in the lipolytic activity of the full-length hormone) with an added N-terminal tyrosine. The compound was developed in the late 1990s and early 2000s as a research tool for dissociating growth hormone’s metabolic and lipolytic activities from its growth-promoting activity, with the working hypothesis that the C-terminal fragment retained the lipid-metabolism effects independently of the full-length hormone’s growth-receptor activation.
The early Heffernan series documented oral administration effects on lipid metabolism (PMID 10950816) and chronic-treatment effects on fat oxidation and weight loss in obese mice (PMID 11673763). The Wilding drug-evaluation review consolidated the early development and clinical-pharmacology framework for the compound (PMID 15134286). The compound is not currently approved for therapeutic use in humans by any major regulator. Research-grade AOD-9604 is supplied as a lyophilised peptide for laboratory research applications only.
How AOD-9604 is studied in peptide research
The published research literature includes the original metabolic-pharmacology characterisation, anti-doping analytical work establishing that the compound does not influence the WADA human growth hormone isoform immunoassay (PMID 24124033), and analytical detection and in-vitro metabolism studies (PMID 25208511). Joint-tissue research includes the intra-articular injection model in rabbit osteoarthritis with and without hyaluronic acid co-administration (PMID 26275694), extending the framing from metabolic research into cartilage and joint-tissue contexts.
Mechanistic framing has historically focused on direct effects on adipocyte metabolism (lipolysis stimulation, fat oxidation) and on the question of whether the C-terminal hGH fragment retains receptor-independent metabolic activity. The compound’s published research base is smaller than the canonical growth-hormone-axis research peptides (ipamorelin, tesamorelin, CJC-1295) and the mechanistic question of whether AOD-9604 acts independently of GH receptor signalling has been examined but not fully resolved in the published literature.
Related terms
- Growth hormone receptor
- Ipamorelin
- Tesamorelin
- Growth hormone C-terminal fragment
- Lipolysis
- Adipocyte
- WADA hGH immunoassay
Where AOD-9604 appears in the Ronin catalog
- AOD-9604 5mg — single-compound vial, lyophilized white powder under inert gas
References
- 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;279(3):E501-E507. [PMID 10950816]
- Heffernan MA et al. Increase of fat oxidation and weight loss in obese mice caused by chronic treatment with human growth hormone or a modified C-terminal fragment. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2001;25(10):1442-1449. [PMID 11673763]
- Wilding J. AOD-9604 Metabolic. Curr Opin Investig Drugs 2004;5(4):436-439. [PMID 15134286]
- Orlovius AK et al. AOD-9604 does not influence the WADA hGH isoform immunoassay. Drug Test Anal 2013;5(11-12):850-852. [PMID 24124033]
- Cox HD et al. Detection and in vitro metabolism of AOD9604. Drug Test Anal 2015;7(1):31-38. [PMID 25208511]
- Kwon DR et al. Effect of Intra-articular Injection of AOD9604 with or without Hyaluronic Acid in Rabbit Osteoarthritis Model. Ann Clin Lab Sci 2015;45(4):426-432. [PMID 26275694]
Glossary entries describe research-context use of peptide-research terminology. They do not constitute medical, veterinary, or clinical advice. AOD-9604 is sold strictly as a research-grade reagent for laboratory and bench research applications.