AOD-9604 Certificate of Analysis (COA): How to Read It

What a COA is — and why it matters for AOD-9604

A Certificate of Analysis is a per-batch lab report a supplier (or an independent lab) issues for a specific lot of AOD-9604. It documents identity and purity from instrumental testing — typically HPLC for purity and mass spectrometry for molecular identity. Without a batch-specific COA you are trusting a label, not data.

COA freshness matters more for AOD-9604 than for shelf-stable compounds. Refrigerate after reconstitution; used within 30 days in most research protocols. Because this compound is in the metabolic category and degrades on the timeline above, a COA tells you about the batch on the day it was tested — not necessarily the vial in your hand months later. That makes a recent test date and proper cold-chain handling part of how you read the document, not an afterthought.

What purity to expect on a AOD-9604 COA

A legitimate AOD-9604 COA should show at least 98% HPLC purity — the benchmark the research community treats as the floor for research-grade material. Anything materially below 98% on AOD-9604 warrants a second batch or a different supplier.

Purity is read off the HPLC chromatogram as the AOD-9604 peak area relative to total peak area. A COA that states a percentage but does not attach the chromatogram is giving you a claim, not evidence — see the red flags below. For the underlying method, our explainer on HPLC and visual guide to reading a chromatogram walk through what a clean AOD-9604 peak should look like.

What a real AOD-9604 COA must show

Run any AOD-9604 COA against this six-point checklist. A document that misses any line is incomplete for verification purposes:

• Compound identity — the document names AOD-9604 (HGH fragment 176-191; confirmed by mass spec, not just printed on the page).
• Batch / lot number — a unique identifier tying the COA to the exact lot the vial came from.
• Test date within 6 months — especially important for AOD-9604, which is refrigerate after reconstitution; used within 30 days in most research protocols.
• HPLC purity % — a number at or above the 98% benchmark, with the chromatogram attached.
• Testing lab name — a named third-party lab (see the three labs below).
• Mass spec confirmation — molecular-weight verification proving the vial holds AOD-9604 and not a cheaper or mislabeled substitute.

The 3 labs the community trusts

Not every “lab tested” claim carries the same weight. For research peptides, three independent labs have earned community trust for AOD-9604 and similar compounds:

• Janoshik Analytical — the most widely cited third-party peptide lab.
• MZ Biolabs — frequently used for independent HPLC and mass-spec work.
• Colmaric Analyticals — a recognized name for batch verification.

A AOD-9604 COA from an unnamed or in-house lab is a red flag: there is no independent party to hold accountable, and the result cannot be cross-checked. A named third-party lab is the difference between a COA you can verify and a COA you can only hope is honest. Our deep dive on Janoshik vs MZ Biolabs compares two of them directly.

Red flags on a AOD-9604 COA

Reject — or at minimum re-verify — a AOD-9604 COA that shows any of these:

• Generic, not batch-specific — one COA reused across every order, with no lot number tying it to your vial of AOD-9604.
• Missing test date — no date at all, so you cannot tell how old the result is.
• Test date older than 6 months — stale data, which matters more for AOD-9604 given its storage profile above.
• No lab name — “tested” with no named third-party lab behind the number.
• Purity claimed, no chromatogram — a percentage with no HPLC trace attached to back it up.

This is reference guidance for evaluating laboratory documentation, not medical or dosing advice. AOD-9604 and all compounds referenced are for laboratory research use only — not for human consumption.

Keep reading

The canonical reference for this whole topic is our guide on how to read a peptide COA — it covers the eight required elements, the independent-verification steps, and which 2026 suppliers ship batch-specific COAs, then links out to the deeper chromatogram, HPLC, and red-flag explainers as you need them.

Working with a AOD-9604 vial directly? Use our AOD-9604 reconstitution calculator to compute concentration per insulin-syringe unit. For background on the compound itself, see our AOD-9604 research guide.

Other compound COA guides

Semaglutide COA guide · Tirzepatide COA guide · Retatrutide COA guide