AOD-9604 — Wolverine Health

How it works

A fragment of the C-terminal region of human growth hormone, designed to replicate the fat-metabolising activity of hGH without the growth-promoting or insulin-sensitising effects. Phase II/III trials for obesity ran in the early 2000s; primary efficacy endpoints weren't met at meaningful effect sizes. It received Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status from the FDA for food use in 2014 — a distinct regulatory track from drug approval. On the PCAC July 2026 docket.

FDA status: No FDA drug approval. FDA GRAS status for food use (2014). Under PCAC July 23–24 2026 review for potential 503A bulk substance listing.
WADA status: Not applicable
Route: subcutaneous injection; oral (trials)

Key studies

AOD-9604: metabolic effects of a fragment of human growth hormone — Heffernan et al.

AOD-9604 (hGH frag 177-191) reduces body weight and fat mass in obese rodents without affecting growth or IGF-1 levels, suggesting a selective lipolytic mechanism distinct from full-length hGH.

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Research on AOD-9604

503B outsourcing pharmacies and compounded peptides: the regulatory gap that still matters

Section 503B outsourcing facilities are the higher-volume, FDA-inspected cousin of the corner compounding pharmacy. The 503B Bulks List is its own regulatory pipeline — and it changes what an actual peptide supply chain looks like when one opens.

AOD-9604 and adiponectin: the fat-loss mechanism that doesn't involve growth hormone

WADA

AOD-9604 was built on a structural conceit — keep the fat-loss part of growth hormone, throw away the growth-promoting part. The Phase IIb trial that tested whether the conceit held in humans did not meet its primary endpoint. Here is what that meant and what it would take to re-open the file.

AOD-9604: the weight-loss peptide that almost got approved

WADA

AOD-9604 was built on a clean mechanistic premise — the fat-burning piece of growth hormone, isolated from the rest. The mouse work was real. The human Phase II results disappointed. The molecule pivoted to joints, then to muscle preservation in the GLP-1 era. Here is the actual story.