Follistatin vs AOD-9604
Side-by-side comparison of key properties, dosing, and research.
Anabolic & IGF
FollistatinFat Loss & Metabolic
AOD-9604- Summary
- Follistatin is an endogenous glycoprotein that acts as a potent inhibitor of myostatin and activin, two proteins that limit muscle growth. By binding and neutralizing myostatin, follistatin removes the primary brake on skeletal muscle hypertrophy, enabling significant muscle growth beyond normal physiological limits. It is distinct from its isoforms Follistatin 315 and Follistatin 344 in tissue distribution and binding affinity.
- AOD-9604 is a modified fragment of human growth hormone (residues 177-191) with an additional tyrosine residue that significantly enhances bioavailability. Originally developed as an anti-obesity drug by Metabolic Pharmaceuticals, it stimulates lipolysis and inhibits lipogenesis without the diabetogenic effects of full GH.
- Half-Life
- ~3–5 hours (endogenous form)
- 30-45 minutes injectable; longer with nasal spray formulation
- Admin Route
- IM, SubQ
- SubQ, Intranasal, Oral
- Research
- —
- —
- Typical Dose
- 50–100 mcg per injection site
- 300-600 mcg
- Frequency
- Every other day or 2–3x per week
- Once daily
- Key Benefits
- Potent myostatin inhibition enabling supraphysiological muscle growth
- Increases skeletal muscle mass and fiber size
- May accelerate recovery from muscle injury
- Potential benefits in muscular dystrophy and sarcopenia
- Synergistic with IGF-1 and growth hormone in anabolic protocols
- Animal studies show dramatic increases in muscle mass
- Reduces muscle fibrosis in dystrophic models
- Selective fat loss without anabolic side effects
- No effect on blood glucose or insulin resistance
- Improved bioavailability over Fragment 176-191
- GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status in Australia
- Potential cartilage repair and anti-inflammatory properties
- Does not suppress natural GH production
- Side Effects
- Potential for excessive muscle growth if doses are not controlled
- FSH suppression with implications for fertility in women
- Theoretical risk of cardiac hypertrophy with prolonged high-dose use
- Limited human safety data available
- +1 more
- Localized injection site reactions
- Headache (rare)
- Hypoglycemia risk in combination with insulin (very rare)
- Stacks With
- —
- —