Head to head
AOD-9604 against HGH Fragment 176-191
These are sold as two products and are close to the same thing. Anyone cross-shopping them is really asking whether a modification to the same growth hormone fragment changes what it does, and the human record does not support either version.
Column A
AOD-9604AOD-9604 (modified growth hormone fragment)
A modified fragment of growth hormone developed for obesity that promotes fat metabolism in animals but failed to beat placebo in human weight-loss trials.
Column B
HGH Fragment 176-191Growth Hormone Fragment 176-191
The lipolytic C-terminal fragment of growth hormone studied in animals for fat loss without growth-hormone-like effects on glucose or IGF-1.
The mistake this page exists to correct
AOD-9604 is a modified form of the C-terminal growth hormone fragment 176-191, not an unrelated compound, so vendor claims that separate them into different products with different capabilities overstate a small structural difference. The evidence position is identical for both in the way that matters: the fat metabolism results are animal work, and AOD-9604, the version actually taken into human obesity trials, failed to beat placebo. Buying the other name does not buy different evidence.
Side by side, on the facts we can check
| Attribute | AOD-9604 | HGH Fragment 176-191 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Metabolic | Metabolic |
| FDA status | Not an approved drug (failed obesity trials); GRAS notifications as a food ingredient | Not FDA-approved |
| Half-life | Short | Short |
| Molecular weight | ~1,815 Da | ~1,817 Da |
| Mechanism | Stimulates lipolysis and inhibits lipogenesis in fat cells in animal models, without meaningful effects on IGF-1 or blood glucose. | Mimics the lipolytic C-terminal activity of growth hormone on fat cells while lacking its growth-promoting and glucose effects. |
| Human studies cited | 1 | 0 |
| Legal status, US | Not approved; research use only | Not approved; research use only |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between AOD-9604 and HGH Fragment 176-191?
AOD-9604: A modified fragment of growth hormone developed for obesity that promotes fat metabolism in animals but failed to beat placebo in human weight-loss trials. HGH Fragment 176-191: The lipolytic C-terminal fragment of growth hormone studied in animals for fat loss without growth-hormone-like effects on glucose or IGF-1.
Which has stronger research evidence, AOD-9604 or HGH Fragment 176-191?
This database does not grade compounds. It counts what was run in people: 1 of the 3 studies cited on the AOD-9604 profile were human work, against 0 of 3 for HGH Fragment 176-191. Those counts are of our own citation lists and understate any larger literature, and neither is a recommendation.
Are AOD-9604 and HGH Fragment 176-191 FDA-approved?
AOD-9604: Not an approved drug (failed obesity trials); GRAS notifications as a food ingredient. HGH Fragment 176-191: Not FDA-approved.
Reviewed Sep 2026. This page sets two published records side by side. It is educational, it is not medical advice, and it contains no dosing protocols or recommendations for personal use.