AOD-9604
A synthetic fragment of human growth hormone, the tail end of the molecule that handles fat. People run it for targeted fat loss without the blood-sugar and IGF-1 effects of full growth hormone, usually as a daily morning shot.
Where to buy AOD-9604, cheapest first.
Prices from 3 vendors across the market. We link straight to each vendor’s product page and grade vendors on public lab data, so you’re not just chasing the lowest number.
What AOD-9604 actually does.
The simple version first, then a little more for the curious. No biochem degree required.
It mimics the part of growth hormone that tells fat cells to release and burn stored fat, while leaving blood sugar, insulin, and IGF-1 alone.
How it works
AOD-9604 is a 15-amino-acid copy of the C-terminus of human growth hormone (residues 176-191). That tail is the region linked to fat metabolism. It is studied for stimulating lipolysis (fat breakdown) and dialing down lipogenesis (fat storage).
Where it acts
It works on fat cells without touching the growth side of GH. In the trials it did not raise IGF-1, did not affect insulin, and did not disturb blood sugar, which is the whole reason it was separated out from the full hormone.
What people notice
People run it for slow, gradual fat loss, especially stubborn areas, often as a fasted morning shot. Effects are subtle and build over weeks. It is not appetite suppression like a GLP-1, it is a metabolic nudge.
Honest caveat: the honest picture is mixed. Early human trials showed only modest fat loss (about 2.6 kg over 12 weeks at the top dose), and the largest Phase 2b trial failed to hit statistical significance, which ended commercial development in 2007. The safety record across roughly 900 participants was clean, but the weight-loss effect is small and unproven at scale. It is not an approved medicine and is sold strictly for research use only. None of this is medical advice, talk to a licensed provider before starting anything.
How to take it.
AOD-9604 is an injection, given subcutaneously into fat with a tiny insulin needle. It isn't a meaningful oral peptide, so the injectable form is what people run. Most protocols are a single daily dose taken fasted in the morning. The routine is below; for cycling and timing, see the full guide.
Reconstitute the vial
Add bacteriostatic water down the side of the vial (a 5mg vial + 2mL = 2.5mg/mL, which is 2500 mcg/mL). Let it dissolve. Swirl gently, don't shake.
Draw your dose
On a U-100 insulin syringe, pull to your unit mark. 300 mcg at 2500 mcg/mL is 12 units (0.12mL). Use the calculator if you're unsure.
Pinch and inject
Swab with alcohol, pinch a bit of fat, insert at 45–90°, push slowly. Subcutaneous into the belly is simplest. Most people dose fasted in the morning, 30 to 60 minutes before eating.
Rotate your sites
Move to a different spot each time so no area gets sore or lumpy. Store the vial in the fridge between doses.
The easiest spots are the belly (about 2 inches either side of the navel), the love handles, the front of the thigh, and the back of the upper arms. Rotate every injection.
Don't do the math, let the calculator do it.
This is AOD-9604's typical setup, already worked out. Change any value and the draw updates instantly.
Typical AOD-9604 dose: about 300 mcg once daily, taken fasted in the morning. Common research ranges run 250 to 500 mcg per day. It's run in cycles of roughly 12 weeks, not continuously.
How to cycle AOD-9604.
How long people run AOD-9604, when to take a break, and the honest reasoning behind it.
Run in cycles, not continuously.
A cycle just means a defined run of time on the peptide, followed by a break. For AOD-9604 the common pattern is a run of roughly 12 weeks, which lines up with the trial durations, then time off, rather than running it indefinitely.
Why not just run it forever? Mostly because the long-term human safety data beyond the trial windows does not exist, and because the effect is modest enough that an open-ended run rarely makes sense. The cautious approach is a focused block, then a pause to assess.
- Hold the daily schedule through your cycle, dosing fasted in the morning at roughly the same time.
- Consider a 5-on, 2-off pattern on longer runs, a community habit aimed at limiting receptor desensitization.
- Take a real break after a 12-week block before considering another. If fat loss stalls, that is a sign to reassess the whole plan with a provider.
Want the full picture, on and off periods, the washout, stacking, and keeping your results? Read how peptide cycling works →
What's actually in the vial.
For one of these vendors we link the per-batch certificate itself, and the purity below is read straight off it. The rest link to the vendor's general lab-results page. We don't run the labs ourselves and we don't show a purity number unless it's printed on a certificate we link, so you can open the document and check it against the batch yourself.
| Vendor | Purity (per COA) | Batch / report | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|
| EZ Peptides | 99.674% | EZP-A0D0502092026-01 | Janoshik report ↗ |
| Onyx Biolabs | see lab page | not shown | Lab results ↗ |
| Spartan Peptides | see lab page | not shown | Lab results ↗ |
What people pair it with.
AOD-9604 is often layered with other fat-loss and growth-hormone peptides. These are the combinations the community reaches for when body composition is the goal.
Fat loss & GH support
The popular body-composition trio. AOD-9604 targets fat directly while CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin nudge the body's own growth-hormone pulse to support lean mass. All three are unproven at scale, so temper expectations.
View stack →Appetite & fat burning
Pairs the only peptides with strong weight-loss evidence (the GLP-1s) with AOD-9604's lipolytic angle. The GLP-1 does the heavy lifting on appetite and weight; AOD-9604 is the optional add-on.
View stack →Visceral fat focus
Two fat-focused peptides run together. Tesamorelin has trial evidence for visceral (belly) fat; AOD-9604 adds the general lipolytic angle. Both are daily subcutaneous shots.
View stack →In the same corner.
Other weight and metabolic peptides people compare against AOD-9604.
Questions, answered straight.
Is AOD-9604 legal?
AOD-9604 isn't an approved drug, and it isn't sold for human use. The vendors we compare offer it strictly for research use only. It is also banned in sport by WADA (it falls under the S.0 category for substances with no regulatory approval). In the US the FDA left it off the 503A compounding list in December 2024, so it cannot be compounded into medicines. Rules vary by country, so check what applies where you are.
What does research use only actually mean?
It means the product is sold for laboratory and research purposes, not as a supplement or medicine for people. It hasn't been reviewed or approved for human use by the FDA. We aggregate prices and public lab data so you can see the landscape; what you do with that is between you and a licensed provider.
How do I store it?
Keep the sealed, freeze-dried vial cold and out of direct light, ideally frozen for long storage. Once you mix it with bacteriostatic water, store it refrigerated and use it within three to four weeks. Don't freeze a reconstituted vial.
How often do people dose it?
A common pattern is about 300 mcg once daily, taken fasted in the morning, in cycles of roughly 12 weeks. Research ranges run 250 to 500 mcg per day. Use the calculator to turn your vial and dose into exact units.
Does AOD-9604 actually work for fat loss?
Honestly, the evidence is weak. Early trials showed only modest fat loss and the largest Phase 2b study missed statistical significance, which ended development. The safety record is good, but do not expect GLP-1-level results. The GLP-1s are the peptides with real weight-loss data.