**AOD-9604 clinical data:** - One Phase 2b clinical trial was conducted in approximately 300 obese adults in Australia - Results showed **no statistically significant difference** in weight loss between AOD-9604 and placebo groups - The trial was considered a failure, and Metabolic Pharmaceuticals did not advance AOD-9604 to Phase 3 - Total clinical weight loss data in humans: fewer than 500 participants across all studies - Typical AOD-9604 results reported anecdotally: 1-3 kg over several months **Semaglutide clinical data:** - The STEP clinical trial program included over **4,500 participants** across multiple Phase 3 trials - STEP 1 demonstrated **14.9% mean body weight loss** (vs 2.4% placebo) over 68 weeks - STEP 5 confirmed weight loss maintenance of approximately **15.2%** over two full years - STEP 4 showed that discontinuing semaglutide leads to weight regain, confirming its active role in fat loss - The SELECT trial (17,604 participants) demonstrated a **20% reduction in major cardiovascular events** - Total clinical participants: over 20,000 across all weight loss and cardiovascular trials | Metric | AOD-9604 | Semaglutide | |--------|----------|-------------| | Phase 3 weight loss trial | Failed / not completed | Multiple successful trials | | Mean weight loss (%) | Not statistically significant vs placebo | 14.9-16.9% body weight | | Total clinical participants | ~500 | 20,000+ | | FDA approval for weight loss | No | Yes (Wegovy) | | Cardiovascular outcomes data | None | Yes (SELECT trial 20% MACE reduction) | | Long-term data (2+ years) | None | Yes (STEP 5) | | Published in top journals | Limited | NEJM, JAMA, Lancet, Nature Medicine | ### Safety and Side Effects **AOD-9604 side effects:** - Generally well-tolerated in limited studies - Injection site reactions - Headache (infrequent) - No significant GI side effects - **Critical caveat:** The absence of side effects partly reflects the lack of robust biological activity in humans **Semaglutide side effects:** - Nausea (most common, typically transient resolves with dose titration) - Vomiting, diarrhea, constipation - Injection site reactions - Rare reports of pancreatitis - Well-characterized safety profile from extensive clinical trials - Most GI side effects can be managed with proper [dose titration](/guides/semaglutide-dosing-schedule-week-by-week-guide) For guidance on proper **peptide injection** technique to minimize discomfort, see our [GLP-1 injection guide](/guides/how-to-inject-glp1-medications-guide)

In it, the researchers administered MOTS-c to mice at various life stages young (two months old), middle-aged (12 months old), and old (22 months old) and saw that subjects at every life stage exhibited improved physical performance in multiple tests, including those assessing motor coordination and running capacity.21 The findings arent dissimilar to a 2023 study in humans, which found that a higher serum MOTS-c concentration correlated with greater muscle mass, force, and power generated during jumping in healthy subjects.22 Reduced inflammation A 2024 study on mature mice points to MOTS-cs potential as a treatment for acute and chronic inflammatory disorders
That said, we know from patient experiences that getting this care consistently can be tricky
Begin Your Lipotropic Injections Journey with Ivy Rx Start your lipotropic injections journey with Ivy Rx
Lipolysis Enhancement and Lipogenesis Inhibition In obese Zucker rats, daily oral administration of AOD9604 significantly increased lipolytic activity in adipose tissue compared to controls, establishing direct adipocyte-level lipolysis stimulation as a key mechanism of action in pre-clinical models
For anything higher, you would need to either switch to a 1mL syringe or draw two separate injections