AOD-9604 Peptide: The Research Record, Legal Status, and What to Check Before Buying (2026)

Why researchers pay attention

Few research compounds acquire a second development identity. AOD-9604 began as a fragment of human growth hormone, moved through a substantial obesity programme, missed the primary endpoint in a Phase 2b trial, and left that programme behind. Lateral Pharma then sponsored the same substance as LAT8881 in a different field of investigation. That gives the compound something most research peptides lack: a closed first chapter with a defined negative result, and a registered second chapter under a new name.

The obesity programme and how it ended

The compound emerged from research at Monash University and entered commercial development through Metabolic Pharmaceuticals. Its obesity programme was not a single exploratory experiment. It advanced through multiple randomized, double-blind human studies, including early safety work and two Phase 2b studies.

Across that sequence, investigators moved from safety and tolerability questions into larger controlled studies aimed at efficacy. The final trial was the longest and largest in the programme. The decision to stop therefore followed a developed clinical record, not the absence of a completed test.

The decisive study was METAOD006, also called OPTIONS. It randomized 502 adults across three AOD-9604 groups and placebo, with the same diet and exercise programme across all arms. The study did not meet its primary weight-loss endpoint at any of the tested levels. Development for obesity stopped in March 2007.

That ending is scientifically useful. The programme advanced far enough to ask a defined question in a controlled setting, and the primary comparison did not establish the result needed to continue. The ipamorelin development history offers a nearby example of another peptide programme that ended after a missed primary endpoint. In both cases, completion supplies a firmer boundary than an unfinished programme could.

A new name and a new indication

The next chapter changed both the sponsor and the research question. Lateral Pharma Pty Ltd now sponsors the compound as LAT8881, and its registered protocol states that LAT8881 was formerly identified as AOD9604. The new programme moved away from obesity and into pain research.

NCT03865953 was a Phase 2a study of oral LAT8881 in neuropathic pain and was completed May 3, 2020.

NCT04153409 was a Phase 2 study of oral LAT8881 in acute migraine and was completed April 10, 2020.

NCT05298306 was a Phase 1b study of intravenous LAT8881 in lumbar radicular pain and was completed June 16, 2023.

No efficacy figures from those studies are needed to understand the pivot. The registered record shows a molecule that completed one development arc, acquired a new name, and entered a distinct field of investigation.

Regulatory status in 2026

AOD-9604 was removed from Category 2 of FDA's interim 503A bulk drug substances list effective September 27, 2024, after the nominator withdrew the nomination. FDA then considered the free base and acetate forms through its Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee process.

At the committee's December 4, 2024 meeting, members voted 0 yes to 12 no, with no abstentions, that AOD-9604 free base and AOD-9604 acetate not be placed on the 503A Bulks List. FDA's briefing document concluded that the free base and acetate were "not well characterised," citing impurity, aggregation, and immunogenicity concerns for injectable use.

The committee's later calendar did not reopen the AOD-9604 review. AOD-9604 was not among the substances reviewed at the July 23-24, 2026 meeting, which covered BPC-157, KPV, TB-500, MOTS-c, emideltide, semax, and epitalon.

Anti-doping status

The anti-doping record also changed in how it classified the compound. On April 22, 2013, WADA stated that AOD-9604 was still in development and had not been approved by any government health authority, placing it under section S0 of the Prohibited List for non-approved substances.

The current list is more explicit. WADA's 2026 Prohibited List, in force from January 1, 2026, names "AOD-9604 and hGH 176-191" under section S2 in the growth hormone fragments category. They are prohibited at all times as non-Specified Substances.

Is AOD-9604 legal to buy?

In the United States, AOD-9604 is legal to purchase as a research chemical for laboratory use. It is not a controlled substance and does not appear on any DEA schedule as of August 2026. What it also is not: an approved drug, a dietary supplement ingredient, or a compound cleared for human or veterinary use in any form.

Three boundaries define the current legal picture:

1. Research sale is lawful; human-use marketing is not. The FDA has repeatedly cited peptide sellers whose sites promote human use, and courts have treated that line seriously. The owner of one vendor, Paradigm Peptides, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison in July 2026 for selling unapproved and adulterated drugs. The offense was not stocking peptides. It was selling them for human consumption while faking the paperwork.
2. Sport is stricter than law. WADA prohibits AOD-9604 at all times for tested athletes, under section S2 growth hormone fragments on the 2026 list, regardless of its legal status as a research chemical.
3. The compounding route is closed, not open. The advisory committee voted 12 to 0 against listing AOD-9604 for 503A compounding in December 2024, and the review has not reopened as of August 2026. No lawful compounded or prescription form exists in the US.

None of this changes how a supplier operates in this category: research-grade material is sold strictly for laboratory research, not for human or animal use. Curo's research use only policy covers what that means in practice, and the guide to responsible handling of research-use-only materials explains the intended-use boundary in more detail.

Where to buy AOD-9604 for laboratory research

Researchers looking for where to buy AOD-9604 face a supplier market that changed sharply in 2025 and 2026. Peptide Sciences closed in March 2026, Amino Asylum went offline after a reported federal raid in June 2025, and Paradigm Peptides ended in a criminal sentencing. Several sites now trade on those dead brand names, so the first check is not price. It is whether the company behind the storefront actually exists. Our guide to the best peptide companies in 2026 covers the current field vendor by vendor.

Five checks separate a documented AOD-9604 source from an anonymous one:

1. A lot-specific COA, published before purchase. The certificate should match the exact lot on the vial, not a generic product-page badge. A large share of AOD-9604 listings offer a certificate only "on request" after checkout, which is a different thing. The help center shows how to verify a certificate against your lot.
2. A named, independent laboratory. A COA is only as good as the lab that issued it. Court records in the Paradigm case showed the defendants admitted faking certificates outright, which is the failure mode this check exists to catch.
3. Identity and purity by more than one method. This matters more for AOD-9604 than for most peptides. The compound carries an N-terminal tyrosine in place of the phenylalanine of the plain 176-191 sequence, a difference of a single oxygen atom, about 1815 g/mol against about 1799 g/mol. HPLC purity alone does not resolve which of the two is in the vial. Mass-spectrometry identity confirmation does, and endotoxin results should sit alongside it.
4. An identifiable company. A legal entity, a real contact route, and consistent policies. A brand name alone is not an identity, and the clone sites trading on dead vendors prove it.
5. Payment with recourse. Card payment carries buyer protection. Venmo, Zelle, and crypto-only checkouts remove it.

Curo does not stock AOD-9604. There is no Curo product page for this compound and no Curo price, and this profile is published as a neutral reference rather than a listing. The compounds Curo does supply sit in the research catalog, every lot is tested by an independent laboratory for identity (LC-MS), purity (HPLC), and endotoxin, and every certificate is publicly readable without an account. For a broader view of the current supplier field, the best peptide companies in 2026 guide is the starting point.

How much does AOD-9604 cost?

As of August 2026, research-grade AOD-9604 in the 5mg vial size runs roughly $45 to $95 from US suppliers that publish a lot-matched, independently issued COA on the product page before purchase. Listings priced in the high $30s and low $40s exist, and they cluster among suppliers that release the certificate only after an order or on email request, which leaves the lot undocumented at the moment the buying decision is made. Curo does not sell AOD-9604, so no Curo price applies here. Compare the documentation attached to the current batch first, then the price. The pre-purchase checklist walks the full sequence.

What an AOD-9604 certificate of analysis should show

AOD-9604 is synthesized by many suppliers, so material quality is something a lab confirms rather than assumes. Identity, purity, endotoxin load, and fill accuracy all vary by manufacturer and by lot. A certificate worth relying on shows:

• The exact lot number that appears on the vial.
• The issuing laboratory's name and report identifier.
• HPLC purity with the chromatogram, not a bare percentage.
• Mass-spectrometry identity confirmation against the expected mass of about 1815.1 g/mol, which is what separates AOD-9604 from the unmodified 176-191 sequence.
• An endotoxin result, since a pure peptide can still carry bacterial contamination from synthesis.
• A way to verify the document independently, through a public lookup or the lab itself.

The overview of Curo's quality and testing standard explains what each method examines, and the lot-matching COA verification guide explains how a report is connected to a specific lot. A well-tested lyophilized peptide can still be degraded by poor handling after receipt. See storing research peptides and bacteriostatic water for the storage side.

For a broader framework on separating documentation from marketing when comparing suppliers, see how to evaluate research peptide companies and the companion piece on purity claims and COA batch documentation.

Further reading

TB-500 carries the same parent-fragment identity question in a sharper form: the commercial name and the molecule in the trial registries are not the same thing. That is covered in how TB-500 relates to thymosin beta-4.

Ipamorelin is the closest structural comparison in development terms, a peptide programme that ran its trials and stopped after a missed endpoint rather than fading out unfinished. See the ipamorelin profile.

Frequently asked questions

Is AOD-9604 the same as full human growth hormone?

No. It is a synthetic peptide derived from the 176 to 191 region of human growth hormone. Its shorter sequence, chemical identifiers, and development history are distinct from those of the intact hormone.

Is AOD-9604 legal to buy in the US?

Yes, as a research chemical for laboratory use. It is not a controlled substance as of August 2026. It is not approved for human use, no lawful compounded form exists after the December 2024 advisory vote against listing, and WADA prohibits it for tested athletes at all times.

Where can a researcher buy AOD-9604?

From suppliers that publish lot-specific, independently issued COAs before purchase and operate as identifiable companies. Several well-known vendors closed or faced federal action in 2025 and 2026, and clone sites now trade on their names, so verify the company before the price. Curo does not stock AOD-9604.

How much does AOD-9604 cost?

Suppliers that publish a lot-matched third-party COA on the product page typically charge about $45 to $95 for a 5mg research vial as of August 2026. Cheaper listings usually hold the certificate back until after the order, which defeats the purpose of the check.

Why does FDA call it LAT-8881?

LAT-8881 is the preferred name in FDA's substance registry. AOD-9604 and AOD9604 remain searchable synonyms, preserving the connection between the older obesity programme and the later Lateral Pharma studies.

Did the obesity programme reach a clear result?

Yes. METAOD006 was completed, its primary endpoint was not met, and development for that indication stopped in March 2007. The outcome closed the original programme without erasing the value of the controlled research record.

Is AOD-9604 banned in sport?

Yes. WADA's 2026 Prohibited List names AOD-9604 and hGH 176-191 under section S2 in the growth hormone fragments category. They are prohibited at all times as non-Specified Substances.

Does Curo stock AOD-9604?

No. AOD-9604 is not in Curo's catalog. This profile is provided as a neutral account of the compound's identity, clinical-development history, compounding review, and anti-doping status.