Quick answer: the AOD-9604 dosage used in human trials ranged from 25 to 400 mcg per kg as single intravenous (IV) infusions and from 0.25 mg to 54 mg taken by mouth.[2] The longest trial gave 0.25 to 1 mg a day for 24 weeks, and no dose produced significantly more weight loss than placebo.[1] No human study has tested AOD-9604 injected under the skin, the way it is usually sold today.[1]
AOD-9604 is a modified fragment of human growth hormone that is not approved anywhere. This page lists every dose tested in people and what happened at each one. For background, see our AOD-9604 profile, the growth hormone peptides hub, AOD-9604 side effects and AOD-9604 results.
AOD-9604 dosage chart: doses tested in people
The developer, Metabolic Pharmaceuticals, ran six placebo-controlled trials in Australia between 2001 and 2006, with 893 participants in total.[2]
| Study | Who took part | Route | Doses | How long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| METAOD001 | 15 healthy men | IV infusion | 25 to 400 mcg/kg, single doses | 3 doses, 1 week apart |
| METAOD002 | 23 men with obesity | IV infusion | 25, 50 or 100 mcg/kg | 4 single doses, 1 week apart |
| METAOD003 | 17 men with obesity | By mouth | 9, 27 or 54 mg | Single doses, 2 weeks apart |
| METAOD004 | 36 men with obesity | By mouth | 9, 27 or 54 mg daily | 7 days |
| METAOD005 | 300 adults with obesity | By mouth | 1, 5, 10, 20 or 30 mg daily | 12 weeks |
| OPTIONS (METAOD006) | 502 adults with obesity | By mouth | 0.25, 0.5 or 1 mg daily | 24 weeks |
Source: the developer’s published safety summary,[2] as reviewed by FDA in 2024.[1]
The IV infusions ran over 20 minutes. The oral studies used capsules, except the 24-week trial, which used tablets.[2]
Daily doses in the longer trials
Two trials tested daily doses for months, and both are the closest thing to an “AOD-9604 dosage per day.”
12-week trial (METAOD005). 300 adults with a BMI of 35 or more took 1, 5, 10, 20 or 30 mg by mouth daily, or placebo, with about 50 people per group.[2] A conference abstract reported slightly faster weekly weight loss on AOD-9604. The best result came at the lowest dose, 1 mg (0.22 kg a week versus 0.07 kg on placebo), and the difference was significant only in women.[1] FDA found no full publication of the methods or results and called the differences small, with unclear clinical meaning.[1]
24-week OPTIONS trial (METAOD006). 502 adults with a BMI of 30 to 45 took 0.25, 0.5 or 1 mg once daily, or placebo, after a 4-week placebo run-in, with a supervised diet and exercise program.[1][2] Weight loss was not significantly different from placebo at 12 or 24 weeks, and the company stopped developing AOD-9604 for obesity in February 2007.[1] The researcher who led five of the six trials later said this study “showed quite clearly there was no effect on weight.”[7]
Higher doses did not help. In the 12-week trial the effect did not rise with dose, and in the 7-day study the 54 mg group had more headaches, diarrhea and gas than the other groups.[1][2]
IV doses
The two IV studies were short safety studies, not treatment trials. In METAOD002, men with obesity received single infusions of 25, 50 and 100 mcg per kg and a placebo, each a week apart.[2] FDA’s review of a published summary notes average weight loss of 0.58 kg over 3 weeks, which was not different from placebo.[1]
Has anyone tested AOD-9604 injections?
No. The products proposed for compounding in the US were a 1,200 mcg per mL injection for use under the skin, a 600 mcg capsule and a 600 mcg per gram cream.[1] FDA found no human data at all for injection under the skin or for creams, and no human data on how the body absorbs or clears AOD-9604 by any route.[1]
That matters because dose depends on absorption. In animal studies, AOD-9604 broke down quickly: its half-life after an IV dose in pigs was about 3 minutes, and in rat blood in a test tube it was about 4 minutes.[1] Doses quoted online for injections under the skin are therefore not based on any human study.
Why animal doses don’t translate
Much of the online interest traces back to rodents. In obese Zucker rats, 500 mcg per kg by mouth daily for 19 days cut weight gain by more than half compared with untreated rats.[6] In obese mice, FDA notes doses of 250 mcg per kg a day over 14 days.[1]
These results did not carry over to people. The lead investigator suggested one reason: in mice, the longer-term effect depended on a receptor that differs between mice and humans.[7] FDA also noted that the animal studies did not test how effect changed with dose and did not correct for multiple statistical comparisons.[1]
What about the “1 mg per day” GRAS claim?
In 2012 the developer’s parent company announced that an expert panel it convened had judged AOD-9604 “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) for use in foods at up to 1 mg per person per day. The company described this as conditional on publishing its safety data.[5] This is a self-affirmed food-ingredient determination, not an FDA drug approval and not evidence that 1 mg a day helps with weight. See our guide to peptides and GRAS status.
Legal status and product quality
- Not approved: no regulator has approved AOD-9604 for any use.[1]
- Compounding: in December 2024, FDA’s Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted 0 to 12 against adding it to the list of substances that pharmacies may compound with.[3]
- Safety list: FDA lists AOD-9604 among bulk substances that may present significant safety risks, citing immune reactions with some routes and problems with peptide impurities.[4]
- Quality: FDA notes the peptide’s disulfide bond can break down and form clumps (aggregates), which may raise the risk of immune reactions when it is injected.[1]
For how online products compare with regulated drugs, see compounded vs research-grade peptides.
What this means for you
There is no evidence-based AOD-9604 dose to follow. The trials tested a wide range, from tiny IV doses to 54 mg by mouth, and none produced meaningful weight loss.[1] A licensed clinician, not a seller’s chart, should guide any decision about weight-loss treatment.
Questions to ask a clinician
- Which approved weight-loss medicines fit my BMI and health history, and what are their labeled doses?
- What would we monitor if I start one?
- If I have already used an unregulated peptide, what symptoms or tests should we check?
For approved options with large trials, see best peptides for weight loss and AOD-9604 vs semaglutide. For how AOD-9604 differs from a related fragment, see Fragment 176-191 vs AOD-9604, and for the bigger picture on growth hormone, peptides vs HGH.
This is general information, not medical advice.
