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Is AOD-9604 Legal in Arizona? How to Access It Legally

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Published Updated Last reviewed
16 linked public sourcesEditorial, sourcing, and corrections policy

HealthRX.com

No established lawful route to AOD-9604 at the federal level

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Key numbers

  • 534 peopleEnrolled in a 24-week trial of an oral candidate, with 502 randomized; no significant weight-loss benefitSource: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, as cited Nov 7, 2026
  • 500 micrograms/kgDaily oral dose given for 19 days to obese Zucker rats in a body-weight studySource: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, as cited Nov 7, 2026
  • 15.8 gBody-weight gain in obese Zucker rats given the oral peptide, versus 35.6 g in controlsSource: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, as cited Nov 7, 2026
  • 14 daysDuration of injected peptide in obese mice, which reduced body weight and fatSource: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, as cited Nov 7, 2026

From the public record

FDA product listings naming AOD-9604

The FDA NDC Directory holds 5 listings naming AOD-9604 from 5 firms: 5 bulk ingredient listings and 0 finished product listings, 0 under an FDA-approved application. A listing is a registration by a firm, not an FDA approval.

FDA product listings naming AOD-9604: the figures
MeasureValueNote
Listings naming AOD-96045
Bulk ingredient listings5raw material registrations, not finished medicines
Of those, bulk ingredient for human prescription compounding1
Finished product listings0
Listings under an FDA-approved application0
Firms with a listing5

Source: FDA, National Drug Code Directory via openFDA, data as of Nov 11, 2026

How this was calculated

Searched ingredient and product names in the NDC Directory download for the exact name variants, then counted listings by FDA marketing category and by listing firm.

Scope: Current NDC Directory listings whose ingredient or product name contains AOD-9604 or AOD 9604 or AOD9604

Firms submit listings themselves. A listing does not mean FDA has reviewed the substance for safety or effectiveness, or that it may lawfully be compounded.

Download the data (CSV)

At a glance

  • FDA approval / None, for any indication [1][2]
  • What it is / 16-amino-acid human growth hormone fragment, 177-191 plus a tyrosine [6]
  • FDA safety page / Withdrawn nomination, with stated safety concerns [7]
  • FDA bulks lists / In no category, for state-licensed pharmacies or outsourcing facilities [3][4][5]
  • Sport / Prohibited at all times by WADA [8]

Is AOD-9604 legal in Arizona?

AOD-9604 is a 16-amino-acid fragment of human growth hormone, amino acids 177 to 191 with an extra tyrosine at the N-terminus [6]. It is not an FDA-approved drug and never has been [1][2].

It appears in none of the three categories on FDA's list for state-licensed pharmacies and physicians (updated May 14, 2026) or on FDA's list for outsourcing facilities (updated March 21, 2025) [3][4][5]. FDA generally does not intend to take action against compounders using category 1 substances when the policy's conditions are met, and AOD-9604 is not in that category [3][5]. Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved and are not reviewed by FDA for safety, effectiveness or quality before they reach patients [9].

This page does not establish whether Arizona law permits obtaining AOD-9604. The federal position does not establish an approved or generally recognized route to the peptide.

What people on Reddit report

Users discussing the peptide for weight loss, its cost, and where it comes from. None describe a legal access route in Arizona.

Midnightstratton · Semaglutide

Additionally, if anybody uses AOD, they need to make sure that it's from an actual pharmaceutical company and a reputable source, which makes it more costly.

Says buyers should check that the product comes from a reputable source, and that this raises the price.

Read the source discussion

autumnandscott · Semaglutide

Although it is less expensive, the 5/7 days dose becomes more costly. I did not find the benefits worth the additional cost (for me).

Used the peptide and found the dosing schedule raised the cost, so the benefit did not seem worth it to them.

Read the source discussion

Questions worth asking

Choose the questions you want to keep

What FDA says about compounding it

FDA's page on bulk substances that may present significant safety risks lists AOD-9604 in the table of nominations withdrawn by their nominators (content dated April 22, 2026). FDA states that compounded drugs containing AOD-9604 may pose a significant immunogenicity risk for certain routes of administration because of peptide impurities and characterization problems. It also states that it has identified no, or only limited, safety information, and serious adverse events that may be associated with AOD-9604, though causality is not clear. Removal from category 2 was not a finding that the substance is safe [7].

The draft enforcement-discretion policy HHS filed on October 28, 2026 names six peptides — BPC-157, epitalon, KPV, MOTS-c, Semax and TB-500 — and AOD-9604 is not among them [10][11]. It was also not on the agenda of FDA's July 2026 advisory committee meeting [12].

What the evidence shows

A 24-week study of an oral AOD-9604 candidate enrolled 534 people and randomized 502; it did not show a significant benefit on its primary weight-loss endpoint. That result is sponsor-reported rather than from peer-reviewed randomized trials, and there are no robust human data for visceral-fat reduction or other metabolic benefit [2].

In obese Zucker rats, oral AOD9604 at 500 micrograms/kg daily for 19 days cut body-weight gain by more than half, 15.8 g versus 35.6 g in controls [13]. In obese mice, 14 days of injected peptide reduced body weight and fat, and mice lacking the beta-3 adrenergic receptor did not show the long-term effect [14].

Is AOD-9604 banned in sport?

Yes. WADA's Prohibited List names AOD-9604 and hGH 176-191 in S2.2.3, growth hormone fragments, prohibited at all times in and out of competition; it is on the 2026 List and stays on the 2027 List [8][15].

Check what you know

Think you have it? Try 3 quick questions and see what the article says.

1. According to the article, what kind of substance is the peptide discussed on this page?

Question 1 of 3

Score: 0 right, 0 of 3 answered

Frequently asked questions

Is AOD-9604 legal in Arizona?
AOD-9604 is not FDA-approved and appears in none of FDA's listed compounding categories, so no federal route to it is established [7][3][5]. Whether Arizona law adds a route is not established on this page.
Can a prescription make AOD-9604 available?
FDA says compounded drugs are not FDA-approved and are not reviewed for safety, effectiveness or quality before reaching patients [9]. FDA's list for state-licensed pharmacies contains no AOD-9604 entry [7][3][5].
Is AOD-9604 FDA-approved?
No. Metabolic Pharmaceuticals developed it for obesity, with phase IIa trials under way by February 2002, and it never reached approval [1][2].
Is AOD-9604 banned in sport?
Yes. WADA names AOD-9604 and hGH 176-191 in S2.2.3 as growth hormone fragments, prohibited at all times; it appears on both the 2026 and 2027 Prohibited Lists [8][15].

Reader questions

What people actually ask

Short answers drawn from the sources this article cites.

Where can I buy AOD 9604 peptide?

No lawful route to AOD-9604 is established. It is not FDA-approved, it appears in none of FDA's compounding categories, and FDA's list for state-licensed pharmacies has no entry for it. Whether Arizona law adds a route is not established.

How much weight can you lose taking aOD 9604?

No significant weight-loss benefit was shown in a 24-week study of an oral AOD-9604 candidate, and that result is sponsor-reported. In obese Zucker rats, oral AOD9604 at 500 micrograms/kg daily for 19 days cut body-weight gain to 15.8 g from 35.6 g in controls. There are no robust human data for metabolic benefit.

Is there another name for aod 9604 peptide?

WADA's Prohibited List names AOD-9604 and hGH 176-191 together under S2.2.3 as growth hormone fragments. AOD-9604 is a 16-amino-acid fragment of human growth hormone, covering amino acids 177 to 191 with an extra tyrosine at the N-terminus.

Are peptides legal in Arizona?

Whether Arizona law permits peptides or permits obtaining AOD-9604 is not established. Federal status is the only part covered: AOD-9604 is not FDA-approved and sits in none of FDA's compounding categories, so no federal route to it is established.

References

Show all 16 referencesHide references
  1. Wilding J. AOD-9604 Metabolic. Curr Opin Investig Drugs. 2004;5(4):436-40.
  2. Dominikowski A, Rękoś Z, Olejarz M, Szczepanek-Parulska E, Domin R, RuchaŁa M. The emerging landscape of performance-enhancing peptides modulating GH-IGF1 axis: bridging the gap between clinical evidence and patient self-administration. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2026;17:1822475.
  3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
  4. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
  5. Bulk Drug Substances Used in Compounding of the FD&C Act | FDA.
  6. Cox HD, Smeal SJ, Hughes CM, Cox JE, Eichner D. Detection and in vitro metabolism of AOD9604. Drug Test Anal. 2015;7(1):31-8.
  7. Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks | FDA.
  8. World Anti-Doping Agency.
  9. Human Drug Compounding Laws | FDA.
  10. Official web page.
  11. Official web page.
  12. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
  13. Ng FM, Sun J, Sharma L, Libinaka R, Jiang WJ, Gianello R. Metabolic studies of a synthetic lipolytic domain (AOD9604) of human growth hormone. Horm Res. 2000;53(6):274-8.
  14. Heffernan M, Summers RJ, Thorburn A, Ogru E, Gianello R, Jiang WJ, et al. The effects of human GH and its lipolytic fragment (AOD9604) on lipid metabolism following chronic treatment in obese mice and beta(3)-AR knock-out mice. Endocrinology. 2001;142(12):5182-9.
  15. World Anti-Doping Agency.
  16. Reddit participants. AOD … (r/Semaglutide). Accessed 2026-11-11.
Evidence overview for Is AOD-9604 Legal in Arizona? How to Access It Legally