AOD-9604 Pen
The 16-residue tyrosine-led growth hormone fragment in bacteriostatic water at 2 mg/mL, 6 mg per 3 mL pen. Filled from a peptide lot tested in the manufacturer’s own laboratory, with a certificate.
| Compound | AOD-9604 Tyr-hGH(177–191); lipolytic C-terminal fragment of human growth hormone |
|---|---|
| CAS number | 221231-10-3 |
| Molecular formula | C78H123N23O23S2 |
| Theoretical mass | 1815.1 Da |
| Sequence / structure | H-YLRIVQCRSVEGSCGF-OH (16 residues; Cys7–Cys14 disulfide; free N- and C-termini) |
| Contents | AOD-9604: 6 mg per 3 mL pen (0.2% w/v) |
| Form | Sterile aqueous solution in bacteriostatic water (0.9% benzyl alcohol), supplied in a 3 mL glass cartridge inside a preloaded autoinjector pen fitted with a needle |
| Storage, sealed | Store at 2–8 °C in the original carton, protected from light |
| Format | Solution in a 3 mL pre-filled pen |
Sizes and lots
- 6 mg · 1 pen — $58.99
- 6 mg · Kit of 10 — $562.99
AOD-9604 is a synthetic growth hormone fragment: hormone residues 177 to 191 led by an added tyrosine and closed by a single disulfide. Here it comes ready dissolved, in a preloaded autoinjector pen with 6 mg of peptide in 3 mL of bacteriostatic water, so there is no powder to handle. Published research on AOD-9604 has dealt with fat metabolism, blood glucose and growth hormone receptor binding in rodents and cell lines.
What is in the pen
The cartridge holds 3 mL of sterile solution with AOD-9604 at 0.2% w/v, which is 2 mg/mL and 6 mg per pen. At the certificate's theoretical mass of 1815.1 Da that comes to about 1.1 mM, or 3.3 µmol in the whole pen. The solvent is bacteriostatic water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol. The safety data sheet does not classify the peptide; benzyl alcohol is listed as harmful if swallowed or inhaled, irritating to the eyes and a possible skin sensitiser. Keep the pen in its carton at 2 to 8 °C, protected from light and capped between uses, and never freeze it. A pen whose solution has frozen, changed colour or gone cloudy should be discarded. Laboratories that want to set their own concentration can use the AOD-9604 5 mg vial, which holds the same peptide freeze-dried; peptide pen vs vial compares the two formats in general.
What the research covers
AOD-9604 traces back to the finding that the C-terminal end of growth hormone has metabolic activity of its own. In 1978 Ng and Bornstein reported that synthetic fragments covering hormone residues 172-191 through 178-191 briefly raised blood glucose, and raised plasma insulin for longer, in normal rats, while the shorter 179-191 and 180-191 did nothing1. The later analogue was studied in obese animals. In a 14-day study using osmotic pumps in obese and lean mice, Heffernan and colleagues recorded lower body weight gain in the obese animals, more fat oxidation and higher plasma glycerol, with none of the hyperglycaemia or loss of insulin secretion that growth hormone produced2. The same paper found that AOD-9604 neither competed for the growth hormone receptor nor made receptor-bearing cells proliferate2. A companion study in beta-3 adrenergic receptor knockout mice concluded that its action on lipolysis did not run directly through that receptor3.
Frequently asked questions
How does the pen differ from the AOD-9604 vial?
The vial holds 5 mg of freeze-dried peptide that is kept at −20 °C until a laboratory dissolves it. The pen holds 6 mg already in bacteriostatic water at 2 mg/mL and is kept at 2 to 8 °C. Both contain the same tyrosine-led, disulfide-bridged sequence.
Is the pen HGH fragment 176-191?
No. It contains AOD-9604, whose first residue is tyrosine. The native fragment 176-191 has phenylalanine in that position and is a separate compound with its own CAS number, which SCALE Performance sells in a different pen under its own name.
References
- Ng FM, Bornstein J. Hyperglycemic action of synthetic C-terminal fragments of human growth hormone. Am J Physiol. 1978;234(5):E521-6. DOI · PubMed
- Heffernan MA, Thorburn AW, Fam B, et al. Increase of fat oxidation and weight loss in obese mice caused by chronic treatment with human growth hormone or a modified C-terminal fragment. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2001;25(10):1442-9. DOI · PubMed
- Heffernan M, Summers RJ, Thorburn A, 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. DOI · PubMed
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary consumption. Products have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.