IGF-1 LR3
A changed version of a natural growth factor, built to stay active longer than the form the body makes on its own.
Learn about IGF-1 LR3Performance & body composition
AOD-9604
A small piece of the growth hormone molecule, studied for the part of that hormone linked to breaking down stored fat.
- Origin
- Growth hormone fragment
- Type
- Lab-made peptide
- Category
- Performance & body composition
- FDA status
- Not FDA-approved
Overview
What it is
AOD-9604 is a lab-made copy of one small section of human growth hormone. It uses only the tail end of the hormone, not the whole molecule.
AOD-9604 came from an Australian effort to isolate the fat-burning part of growth hormone without the rest of the hormone's effects on growth and blood sugar.
It was developed as an obesity drug and taken into human trials. Those trials did not show meaningful weight loss compared with placebo, and development for that use stopped.
Knowing that history matters, because AOD-9604 is still marketed for fat loss. The claim was tested in people, and it did not hold up.
Benefits
What it supports
- Supports fat-breakdown pathways rather than fat storage
- Supports body-composition goals while you work to hold on to lean muscle
- Supports joint-comfort goals that often come up alongside training
- Offers a fragment-based path that differs from full growth hormone therapy
Mechanism
How it works
1
Human growth hormone is a long chain of amino acids. Different sections of it appear to do different jobs.
2
AOD-9604 copies just the tail section, positions 176 to 191, which laboratory work linked to breaking down stored fat.
3
Because it leaves out the rest of the hormone, it does not raise IGF-1 or affect blood sugar the way full growth hormone does.
4
In animal and cell studies it encouraged fat breakdown and discouraged fat storage. In human trials that did not translate into weight loss.
Context
Who it's for
Adults comparing fragment approaches with full growth hormone therapy
People who want to know what the human trials actually found before deciding
Adults weighing AOD-9604 against releasers like tesamorelin or growth factors like IGF-1 LR3
People researching body-composition compounds and how to read the evidence behind them
Landscape
In the landscape
How this compound compares to related options in the wellness landscape.
- Tesamorelin
Prompts the pituitary gland to release growth hormone, and it is FDA-approved for one specific condition. A different class and a different status.
- IGF-1 LR3
A growth factor that acts downstream of growth hormone. Overlapping goals, very different mechanism.
In this area
Related therapies
Other compounds that support overlapping wellness goals.
Questions
AOD-9604 FAQ
Good to know
Regulatory & considerations
AOD-9604 is not FDA-approved. That means the FDA has not reviewed it for safety or effectiveness for the uses described here. Human trials have not shown a clear weight-loss benefit, so treat any claim of one with caution.
Peptides in our shop are sourced from US-licensed manufacturers.
AOD-9604 is not FDA-approved, and human trials did not show a weight-loss benefit over placebo.
It is a fragment of growth hormone, not a releaser and not the hormone itself. Those are three different things.
Marketing claims for it run well ahead of the published human evidence.
Shop AOD-9604
See current pricing and availability for AOD-9604 in our shop. If a medical evaluation is needed, a licensed provider guides you through it.
Individual results vary. General information on this site is not a substitute for professional medical advice.