AOD-9604: Research Applications

Metabolic Research (Obesity & Lipid Metabolism)

AOD9604 was originally developed as a potential anti-obesity experimental. In preclinical studies, the peptide demonstrated significant effects on body composition:

• ob/ob Mouse Model: Chronic research application with AOD9604 at 500 µg/kg/day i.p. for 14 days produced an average body weight reduction of ~8.1 g (~5.5%) compared to saline-treated controls, without any change in food intake, blood glucose, or serum IGF-1 [1][2].
• Zucker Rat Model: In obese Zucker (fa/fa) rats, oral administration of AOD9604 at 200–600 µg/kg/day for 18 days resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in body fat mass with no effects on lean body mass, demonstrating selectivity for adipose tissue [11][12].
• Fat Oxidation: Metabolic chamber studies showed a 50–60% increase in fat oxidation rate in AOD9604-treated animals versus controls, as measured by respiratory quotient (RQ) shifts [2].

Despite these promising preclinical results, a large randomized Phase 2b clinical trial (n=536, 24 weeks, oral dosing 1–25 mg/day) failed to demonstrate statistically significant weight loss compared to placebo in humans, leading to the termination of the obesity development program by Metabolic Pharmaceuticals in 2007 [16][17].

Regenerative research compound (Cartilage & Musculoskeletal Repair)

AOD9604 has attracted significant interest in the field of musculoskeletal regeneration, particularly for cartilage repair in osteoarthritis (OA):

• Rabbit OA Model (Kwon & Park, 2015): In a collagenase-induced OA model, intra-articular injection of AOD9604 alone significantly improved gross morphological scores (scale 0–4) from a mean of 3.4 (severe damage) to 1.6 (mild damage) at 8 weeks. When combined with hyaluronic acid (HA), scores improved further to 0.8 (near-normal). Histopathological analysis (Mankin scoring system) confirmed enhanced proteoglycan staining and restored cartilage surface regularity in research application groups [5].
• Chondrocyte Proliferation: In vitro studies suggest AOD9604 may enhance chondrocyte proliferation and extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis, although the precise molecular pathway remains under investigation [6].
• Synergistic Combinations: AOD9604 is frequently studied in combination with BPC-157 and HA for potential synergistic tissue-repair effects [6][18].

Influenza Research (LAT8881)

Under the designation LAT8881, AOD9604 has been evaluated by Lateral Pharma Pty Ltd for host-protective properties against severe influenza A infection. Preclinical data suggests potential immunomodulatory effects [7].