Comparison
AOD-9604 vs Nicotinamide Riboside
Side-by-side of AOD-9604 and Nicotinamide Riboside. 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.
Nicotinamide Riboside
Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is the most-studied NAD+ precursor in humans. Sold as Niagen by Chromadex; raises plasma NAD+ 30-60% at 250-1,000 mg/day.
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
Nicotinamide Riboside
- •Most-studied NAD+ precursor in human trials; the original Niagen formulation by Chromadex
- •Plasma NAD+ rises 30-60% at 250-1,000 mg/day across multiple human PK trials
- •Martens 2018 reported reduced BP and arterial stiffness at 500 mg/day for 6 weeks
- •Dollerup 2018 found no insulin sensitivity change despite plasma NAD+ rise
- •Tissue NAD+ rise inconsistent; hard clinical endpoints not yet measured
- •Larger human safety database than NMN; comparable mechanistic effects
Side-by-side
| Attribute | AOD-9604 | Nicotinamide Riboside |
|---|---|---|
| Category | peptide | supplement |
| Also known as | hGH fragment 176-191, Human Growth Hormone Fragment 176-191 | NR, Niagen, nicotinamide riboside chloride |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 0.5 | 8 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 0.3 | 500 |
| Dosing frequency | daily | daily, typically morning |
| Routes | subcutaneous | oral |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | 1 |
| Peak (hr) | 2 | 4 |
| Molecular weight | 1815.17 | 255.25 |
| Molecular formula | C78H125N23O23S2 | C11H15N2O5 |
| 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. | NAD+ precursor via salvage pathway. Phosphorylated to NMN by nicotinamide riboside kinase (NRK), then converted to NAD+. Substrate for sirtuins, PARPs, and CD38. |
| Legal status | Not FDA approved; research-use-only grey market in most jurisdictions | OTC dietary supplement |
| WADA status | unknown | allowed |
| DEA / Rx | Not FDA approved; not scheduled; research-chemical status | OTC supplement |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data; not recommended | Insufficient data at supplement doses |
| CAS | 221231-10-3 | 1341-23-7 |
| PubChem CID | 71300630 | 439924 |
| Wikidata | Q4654106 | Q3343054 |
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)
Nicotinamide Riboside
Common side effects
- mild GI upset (rare)
- headache (rare)
Contraindications
- pregnancy / lactation (insufficient data)
- active cancer (theoretical, no contraindicating data)
Interactions
- pterostilbene: complementary sirtuin pathway (Basis combination)(minor)
- TMG (trimethylglycine): methylation support during high NAD+ precursor dosing(minor)
Which Should You Take?
Nicotinamide Riboside comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, OTC dietary supplement, oral dosing, with a Tier-A 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 Nicotinamide Riboside.
- → If your priority is energy and stamina, pick Nicotinamide Riboside.
Edge case: If you want to avoid research-only / gray-market sourcing, Nicotinamide Riboside is the more accessible choice.
Default choice: Nicotinamide Riboside. Lower friction to source, a Tier-A evidence outcome catalogued, 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 Nicotinamide Riboside?
AOD-9604 and Nicotinamide Riboside differ in category (peptide vs supplement), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, AOD-9604 or Nicotinamide Riboside?
AOD-9604 half-life is 0.5 hours; Nicotinamide Riboside half-life is 8 hours.
Can you stack AOD-9604 with Nicotinamide Riboside?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
Go deeper