Peptide reference
AOD-9604
Anti-Obesity Drug 9604 ·human growth hormone (177-191) tyrosylated fragment ·Tyr-hGH (177-191) ·LAT8881
What cited sources report about AOD-9604
AOD-9604 (“Anti-Obesity Drug 9604,” LAT8881) is a synthetic 16-amino-acid peptide corresponding to the C-terminal lipolytic fragment of human growth hormone (residues 177-191) with an N-terminal tyrosine added for stability. It was developed at the University of Melbourne and licensed to Metabolic Pharmaceuticals as an anti-obesity candidate. AOD-9604 has no FDA-approved indication and no marketing authorization in any major jurisdiction; it is widely sold as a research chemical and through compounding pharmacies for off-label weight-management and joint-pain use. The summaries below report what individual cited sources state; this page does not assert claims beyond what those sources report.
Mendias and Awan (2026) — Sports Medicine
A 2026 narrative review from the Performance Medicine Institute placed AOD-9604 in the unapproved-peptide market discussion alongside other growth-hormone-derived fragments. The authors observed that AOD-9604 was originally advanced through Phase II trials for obesity but did not meet primary efficacy endpoints, and noted that current direct-to-patient marketing in sports medicine is not supported by adequate human-trial evidence.
Many unapproved peptides demonstrate favorable tissue repair and metabolic outcomes in animal models, but rigorous human safety data are scarce, and there is potential for serious harm to patients.
Wilding (2004) — Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs
A 2004 investigational-drug review by Wilding described AOD-9604 as a synthetic analog of the lipolytic C-terminal fragment of human growth hormone, summarizing the rationale and the early-phase clinical program operated by Metabolic Pharmaceuticals. The review reported that the candidate had progressed to Phase II development for obesity at the time of writing.
PubChem CID 16133850 — National Center for Biotechnology Information
The PubChem compound record catalogues AOD-9604 as a 16-residue tyrosylated peptide corresponding to hGH residues 177-191 with an N-terminal tyrosine, molecular formula C78H123N23O23S2. The record aggregates synonyms (LAT8881, Tyr-hGH 177-191) and links to supporting chemical and pharmaceutical literature.
FDA — Compounding Bulk Drug Substances Lists
The FDA’s published 503A and 503B bulk-drug-substances lists do not include AOD-9604 in the approved categories. The agency has issued warning letters and consumer advisories regarding compounded peptide products containing AOD-9604 marketed for weight management, citing the absence of FDA-approved drug status.
FDA bulk drug substances guidance ↗
Coverage notes
Independent peer-reviewed AOD-9604 literature is sparse: PubMed indexes only a small number of dedicated reports, with most original work originating from the Metabolic Pharmaceuticals/University of Melbourne program in the 2000s. The Phase IIb obesity program did not advance to Phase III; the compound was subsequently repositioned by LivaNova/Lateral Pharma toward osteoarthritis indications without further large-scale published trial data.