Skip to content
Peptigraph home

AOD-9604 vs Tesamorelin: What the Research Shows

AOD-9604 and Tesamorelin side by side: what they are, how they are regulated and what is still unknown.

Medically reviewed by Juan Pablo Frías, MD · · DisclosureUpdated
HGH fragment analogNot FDA approved · research chemicalAOD-9604Fragment of human growth hormone studied only in animals; in rats, 19 days of oral treatment reduced body-weight gain by over 50%.[5]GLP-1 & metabolic+31% searchesGHRH analogFDA approved (Egrifta)TesamorelinFDA-approved GHRH analog (Egrifta) for excess abdominal fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy; visceral fat fell 15.2% versus a 5.0% rise with placebo in a randomized trial.[14]Growth hormone+188% searches
Quick verdict

Where the research points

Summary of studies, not a recommendation

Consider AOD-9604 if…

No sourced contrast for this side yet. We add a point here only when it is tied to a study or label.

Consider Tesamorelin if…

  • you want a product with an FDA label: Egrifta is indicated to reduce excess abdominal fat in HIV-infected adults with lipodystrophy and is not indicated for weight loss management[9]
  • you want randomized data in HIV-associated lipodystrophy: Visceral adipose tissue fell 15.2% with tesamorelin and rose 5.0% with placebo by the end of treatment.[14]

What they have in common

  • Only animal or lab studies of AOD-9604 were found (e.g. rat): Oral AOD9604 for 19 days cut body weight gain by over 50% (15.8 g vs 35.6 g control) in obese Zucker rats.[5]
Both are prohibited in tested sport (WADA). Status labels come from public FDA and WADA records; see the sources below.
Side by side

Spec comparison

Showing 13 of 14 fields where the two differ. PCAC vote, Jul 2026 are the same or both unknown.

FieldAOD-9604Tesamorelin
ClassHGH fragment analogGHRH analog
Also calledAODtesa, Egrifta
CategoryGLP-1 & metabolicGrowth hormone
FDA statusNot FDA approved · research chemicalFDA approved (Egrifta)
WADAProhibited by WADA (S2.2.3)AOD-9604 is named as a growth hormone fragment in S2.2.3, prohibited at all times.Prohibited by WADA (S2.2.4)Tesamorelin is named as a GHRH analogue in S2.2.4 (growth hormone releasing factors), prohibited at all times. Tesamorelin is also an FDA-approved medicine; an athlete would need a therapeutic use exemption.
Anti-doping detection
  • AOD9604 can be detected in urine at 50 pg/mL; a stable serum metabolite may lengthen the detection window.PMID 25208511
  • Screening for a stable metabolite may allow a longer detection window (no duration was given).PMID 25208511
  • A urine assay detects CJC-1295 and other GHRH analogues at very low concentrations.PMID 35298973
  • Labs expect GHRH analogues like CJC-1295 to be hard to find because of tiny urine concentrations; the study reports no detections in routine anti-doping samples.PMID 34665524
Half-lifeNo published half-life foundPubMed search, 2 Oct 202611 minutessubcutaneous (EGRIFTA WR 1.28 mg) · FDA label (Egrifta WR)
Evidence strengthAnimal evidence, 2 of 4Strongest: Annals of clinical and laboratory science 2015, PMID 26275694Human RCT evidence, 4 of 4Strongest: eNeurologicalSci 2026, PMID 42382101
Human studies we summarised0 human (0 randomized or controlled) of 4 summarised11 human (11 randomized or controlled) of 12 summarised
Typical study doses
Vial sizes sold2 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg2 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg
US searches per month18,100 · +31% searches165,000 · +188% searches
Named in FDA warning letters, 2026Not in the letters we trackYes (24 Aug 2026)

Bracketed values are pending a sourced figure. Legal data reflects the regulatory events in our tracker.

Taken together?

AOD-9604 and Tesamorelin together

People also search for this pair as a stack. The stack page covers timing and interaction questions as they are sourced. Evidence for the combination: No studies tested these together (PubMed search: 3 results, 2 Oct 2026).

Open the stack page
StackAOD-9604 + Tesamorelin, taken as separate injectionsStack page

Sources

  1. 1FDA warning letters to five research-peptide sellersFDA warning letter (NuScience Peptides; 1 of 5) · 2026fda.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  2. 2World Anti-Doping Code International Standard Prohibited List 2026World Anti-Doping Agency · 2026wada-ama.orgAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  3. 3Detection and in vitro metabolism of AOD9604.Drug testing and analysis · 2015PMID 25208511Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  4. 4Effect of Intra-articular Injection of AOD9604 with or without Hyaluronic Acid in Rabbit Osteoarthritis Model.Annals of clinical and laboratory science · 2015PMID 26275694Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  5. 5Metabolic studies of a synthetic lipolytic domain (AOD9604) of human growth hormone.Hormone research · 2000PMID 11146367Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  6. 6PubMed search: AOD9604[tiab] OR "AOD-9604"[tiab] OR "AOD 9604"[tiab] (22 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  7. 7An antibody-free, ultrafiltration-based assay for the detection of growth hormone-releasing hormones in urine at low pg/mL concentrations using nanoLC-HRMS/MS.Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis · 2022PMID 35298973Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  8. 8Advances in the detection of growth hormone releasing hormone synthetic analogs.Drug testing and analysis · 2021PMID 34665524Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  9. 9EGRIFTA WR (TESAMORELIN) KIT [THERATECHNOLOGIES INC.]FDA label (Egrifta WR), DailyMed · current labeldailymed.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  10. 10The effect of growth hormone-releasing hormone on cognition and brain connectivity in adults with cognition ranging from normal to mild cognitive impairment.eNeurologicalSci · 2026PMID 42382101Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  11. 11Effects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIV: a randomised, double-blind, multicentre trial.The lancet. HIV · 2019PMID 31611038Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  12. 12The Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone Analogue, Tesamorelin, Decreases Muscle Fat and Increases Muscle Area in Adults with HIV.The Journal of frailty & aging · 2019PMID 31237318Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  13. 13PubMed search: ("AOD-9604"[tiab] OR AOD9604[tiab]) AND (tesamorelin[tiab] OR Egrifta[tiab] OR TH9507[tiab] OR "TH-9507"[tiab])PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  14. 14Metabolic effects of a growth hormone-releasing factor in patients with HIV.The New England journal of medicine · 2007PMID 18057338Accessed 2 Oct 2026

Found an error? Report a correction.