HGH Fragment 176-191
Synthetic peptide corresponding to amino acids 176-191 of human growth hormone. Stripped of growth-promoting and glucose-modulating effects (theoretically). Originally developed under the AOD-9604 program (see related entry). Marketed as a 'pure lipolytic' but human-trial evidence for clinically meaningful weight loss is weak.
Educational only — not medical advice. SmartPeptide does not prescribe, diagnose, or treat. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider before using any peptide, supplement, medication, or protocol.
What the research shows
Demonstrated lipolytic activity in vitro and in animals. The most rigorous human translation (AOD-9604, the same fragment with a modification) failed Phase 2 obesity trials. No FDA-approved indication.
What's still experimental
Effectively any therapeutic claim. The most relevant human trial (AOD-9604 Phase 2) was negative.
Anecdotal / community reports
Marketed by some clinics as a 'fat-loss peptide.' Anecdotal logs report subjective effects that are not supported by the negative Phase 2 evidence.
Anecdotal reports are NOT scientific evidence. They reflect personal experience and may not generalize.
FDA approval status
Source: openFDA + DailyMed (NIH/NLM)Doses studied in research
Source: Published clinical trialWhat published trials tested or FDA-approved labels specify. Reporting research facts — not a SmartPeptide recommendation.
The most rigorous human data for this peptide family is a NEGATIVE Phase 2 obesity trial. Community claims of fat-loss effects are not supported by clinical evidence.
The doses below are aggregated from research-peptide community forums (Reddit, biohacker discussions). They are NOT supported by clinical trials, NOT FDA-approved, and NOT a SmartPeptide recommendation. Source purity, dose accuracy, and user-reported outcomes are unverifiable. We display this only because the information is publicly available elsewhere — visitors should absolutely consult a licensed clinician familiar with experimental peptides before any use.
Notes from the source: HGH Fragment 176-191 corresponds to the same C-terminal region as AOD-9604. The AOD-9604 Phase 2 obesity trial (Ng et al., 2007) was NEGATIVE.
FDA enforcement & recalls
Live · openFDA Drug Enforcement APIMechanism & targets
ChEMBL · UniProt · Open TargetsMolecule (ChEMBL)
View on ChEMBLLive research
PubMed · ClinicalTrials.gov · Europe PMC · OpenAlexClinical trials (ClinicalTrials.gov)
- Two Types of Single-use Flexible Ureteroscopies for the Treatment of Upper Urinary Tract Stones in ChildrenRECRUITINGNCT06628765 · NA · n=52 · 2024-10-08
- Using Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease Patients: a Multicenter Clinical TrialCOMPLETEDNCT02948179 · NA · n=459 · 2016-09-02
- Liquid Biopsy Based Multiomics Study for Colorectal Cancer Early ScreeningUNKNOWNNCT06258434 · N/A · n=1000 · 2024-02-10
- Full-Course ECMO Strategy for Moderate-to-Severe ARDSRECRUITINGNCT07726953 · NA · n=500 · 2026-06-16
- The IGFBP-3 Stimulation Test: A New Tool for the Diagnosis of Growth Hormone Deficiency in Children.COMPLETEDNCT00235599 · N/A · n=10 · 2005-09
Europe PMC — 158 additional records
Includes EU/UK studies and PubMed Central full-text articles. Often surfaces research weeks before PubMed indexes it.
- Abstracts of the 12th International Conference on Children's Bone Health· 2026Open access
- Transdermal needle-free drug delivery approaches and activation mechanismSasikala A, Tran DT, Zhang J, et al. · 2026Open access· cited 1×
- ICE2026/JES2026 Abstract Book· 2026Open access
- Amino acid composition drives aggregation during peptide synthesisTamás B, Alberts M, Laino T, et al. · 2026Open access· cited 2×
Human clinical evidence
Semantic Scholar · AI TLDRs · influence-rankedHuman-study summaries for “HGH fragment 176-191” are available on Semantic Scholar but the shared free-tier API quota is exhausted right now. Try refreshing in a few minutes, or check the PubMed and Europe PMC panels above for the same literature.
Research funding & verification
NIH RePORTER · CrossRef DOI registryNIH-funded research
U.S. National Institutes of Health- 5P41RR010888-13$94KDIFFERENTIATION OF ISOMERIC AMINO ACID RESIDUES IN PEPTIDES USING ECDPETER B. O'CONNOR · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · FY2009
Publication landscape
CrossRef · DOI registry- National Natural Science Foundation of China12,164 works
- National Institutes of Health1,943 works
- National Science Foundation1,735 works
- National Key Research and Development Program of China1,520 works
- Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities1,422 works
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology1,131 works
Funder diversity is a credibility signal. Research concentrated in a single drug company's funding warrants more scrutiny than research funded across NIH, charities, and academic grants.
Preprints — cutting edge
bioRxiv · medRxiv · via Europe PMCKnown risks
Phase 2 obesity development (under AOD-9604) failed to demonstrate clinically meaningful weight loss vs. placebo. Source quality varies. Long-term safety in non-trial use is unestablished.
Reported side effects
Injection-site reactions, mild headache. Generally well-tolerated at studied doses but those doses didn't produce strong weight-loss effects.
FDA adverse event reports (FAERS)
Updated quarterly by FDAWhat requires medical supervision
Not FDA-approved. Discuss with a clinician — be honest about the negative Phase 2 evidence.
Questions for your clinician
- Given the AOD-9604 Phase 2 was negative, what's the rational case for using this?
- What FDA-approved obesity options should we discuss instead?
- What's our stop criteria?