Comparison
AOD-9604 vs Epitalon
Side-by-side of AOD-9604 and Epitalon. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
AOD-9604
AOD 9604 peptide: 16-amino-acid hGH fragment 176-191. Preclinical lipolytic activity, phase 2 obesity trial showed no weight loss vs placebo.
Epitalon
Epitalon peptide (Epithalon, tetrapeptide AEDG): telomerase activation, lifespan extension data, anti-aging trials, dosage, half-life, and safety.
Effects at a glance
AOD-9604
- •Modified 16-amino-acid synthetic fragment of human growth hormone (residues 176-191)
- •Preclinical models show lipolytic activity in adipose tissue without GH-axis growth effects
- •Phase 2 obesity trial (Heffernan 2001) showed no significant weight-loss difference versus placebo
- •Anecdotal protocols use 250 to 500 mcg subcutaneously daily on an empty stomach
- •No FDA approval; the obesity drug development program was discontinued in 2007
- •Granted GRAS status in some jurisdictions for compounded use; not validated for fat loss in humans
Epitalon
- •Synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) developed at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation
- •Russian clinical literature reports mortality reduction in elderly cohorts and improved melatonin output
- •Reported telomerase activation in human somatic cell culture and lifespan extension in mice and Drosophila
- •Independent Western replication is essentially absent; no FDA-standard RCTs
- •Anecdotal protocols use 5 to 10 mg subcutaneously daily for 10 to 20 day cycles, 2 to 4 times yearly
- •Not currently on the WADA Prohibited List
Side-by-side
| Attribute | AOD-9604 | Epitalon |
|---|---|---|
| Category | peptide | peptide |
| Also known as | hGH fragment 176-191, Human Growth Hormone Fragment 176-191 | Epithalon, Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, AEDG, Epithalamin (precursor extract) |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 0.3 | 5 |
| Dosing frequency | daily | daily during cycle |
| Routes | subcutaneous | subcutaneous, intramuscular, intranasal |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | 24 |
| Peak (hr) | 2 | 168 |
| Molecular weight | 1815.17 | 390.35 |
| Molecular formula | C78H125N23O23S2 | C14H22N4O9 |
| Mechanism | Modified C-terminal fragment of human growth hormone proposed to stimulate beta-3 adrenergic receptor signaling in adipocytes, increasing lipolysis and fatty-acid oxidation without engaging the GH receptor or activating IGF-1. | Synthetic tetrapeptide proposed to interact directly with DNA and chromatin to modulate tissue-specific gene expression. Reported effects include telomerase activation, increased melatonin output from pineal cells, and circadian normalization. |
| Legal status | Not FDA approved; research-use-only grey market in most jurisdictions | Not FDA approved; registered in Russia under domestic pharmaceutical framework; research-use-only grey market in US/EU |
| WADA status | unknown | unknown |
| DEA / Rx | Not FDA approved; not scheduled; research-chemical status | Not scheduled (research chemical) |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data; not recommended | Insufficient data; not recommended |
| CAS | 221231-10-3 | 307297-39-8 |
| PubChem CID | 71300630 | 219042 |
| Wikidata | Q4654106 | Q5384126 |
Safety profile
AOD-9604
Common side effects
- injection-site reactions
- transient mild headache (anecdotal)
- minimal in clinical trials
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- lactation
- no established human safety profile for chronic use
Interactions
- beta-blockers: theoretical antagonism of beta-3 adrenergic lipolytic signaling(minor)
Epitalon
Common side effects
- injection-site reactions
- occasional mild headache (rare)
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- lactation
- active malignancy (theoretical telomerase concern)
- concurrent immunosuppression
Interactions
- melatonin: potential additive effect on circadian and pineal output; no controlled data(minor)
Which Should You Take?
Epitalon comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, research-only / gray-market sourcing, with a Tier-C outcome catalogued. AOD-9604 is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is fat loss, pick AOD-9604.
- → If your priority is body composition, pick AOD-9604.
- → If your priority is healthspan extension, pick Epitalon.
- → If your priority is sleep onset or sleep quality, pick Epitalon.
Default choice: Epitalon. Wider use case, and broader goal coverage. Reach for AOD-9604 only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between AOD-9604 and Epitalon?
AOD-9604 and Epitalon differ in category (peptide vs peptide), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, AOD-9604 or Epitalon?
AOD-9604 half-life is 0.5 hours; Epitalon half-life is 0.5 hours.
Can you stack AOD-9604 with Epitalon?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
Go deeper