SS-31
Barth syndrome drug, taken for energy
Elamipretide (Forzinity)
Match every finding to its exact substance, formulation, route and study population. A related molecule or approved medicine does not validate a catalog vial.
Color key
At a glance
Why people take it. And what backs it up.
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Boost cellular energy
People report it; a patient trial failed
People take short daily courses, often with MOTS-c and NAD+, hoping for more energy and stamina.
Sources (3)
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ForumGLP1Forum: “SS-31 and Mots-c Protocol” (November 2024) (opens in a new tab)
“I am looking for the energy benefits of this protocol, primarily.”
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“I’m taking 3mg of SS-31 daily (along with ghk-cu, kpv, nad+, and 5 amino). I was feeling pretty great, even hitting PRs at the gym”
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TrialKaraa et al., Neurology, 2023: MMPOWER-3 trial (PubMed abstract) (opens in a new tab)
“This study provides Class I evidence that elamipretide does not improve the 6MWT or fatigue at 24 weeks compared with placebo in patients with primary mitochondrial myopathy.”
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Slow aging
Animal studies only
Longevity fans take it hoping to protect aging mitochondria, the cell’s power plants, and stay fitter as they age.
Sources (4)
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“My Anti-Aging/Longevity/Immunity Stack - Epitalon, TA-1, KLOW, SS-31, Glutathione”
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“Mitochondrial health is one of those “deep-root” levers in aging and performance.”
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StudyCampbell et al., Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 2019 (PubMed abstract) (opens in a new tab)
“The gastrocnemius in the age+SS-31 mice was more fatigue resistant with significantly greater mass compared to aged controls.”
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StudyZhang et al., eLife, 2020 (PubMed abstract) (opens in a new tab)
“rejuvenates mitochondrial function by direct association with ANT1 and the mitochondrial ATP synthasome, and leads to substantial reversal of diastolic dysfunction.”
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Ease long COVID fatigue
People report it, not studied
Some with long COVID take it, often with MOTS-c, hoping to ease exhaustion and crashes after exertion.
Sources (2)
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“during this time I’ve also started SS-31 and I’ve noticed no real PEM”
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“I am currently using SS-31 and have ordered MOTS C to cycle after that. (These are to treat long covid fatigue).”
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Treat Barth syndrome
Accelerated approval for Barth syndrome
Approved as Forzinity to improve muscle strength in people with Barth syndrome, a rare inherited disease, who weigh at least 30 kg.
Sources (2)
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LabelForzinity prescribing information (FDA, revised 09/2025) (opens in a new tab)
“FORZINITY is indicated to improve muscle strength in adult and pediatric patients with Barth syndrome weighing at least 30 kg. This indication is approved under accelerated approval”
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“Elamipretide was associated with sustained long-term tolerability and efficacy, with improvements in functional assessments and cardiac function in BTHS.”
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Evidence briefing
Sources checkedWhat the sources support.
SS-31 is elamipretide, a mitochondria-targeted tetrapeptide. FDA granted accelerated approval in September 2025 to the specific Forzinity injection to improve muscle strength in adults and children with Barth syndrome weighing at least 30 kg. The approval relies on knee-extensor strength as a surrogate reasonably likely to predict benefit and requires a confirmatory trial; it does not cover anti-aging, performance or seller SS-31 kits.
Accelerated approval is indication- and product-specific, with confirmatory evidence still required; preclinical or other-condition studies do not expand the approved use.
The research. What’s been studied.
TapClick a dotted word to see what it means.
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Human evidence
Barth syndrome treatment
FDA-approved Forzinity is indicated to improve muscle strength in Barth syndrome patients weighing at least 30 kg. Approval is accelerated and requires a confirmatory trial.
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Animal & lab studies
Mitochondrial effects
Elamipretide binds cardiolipin; clinical benefit beyond the approved Barth syndrome indication is not established.
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Animal & lab studies
Oxidative-stress research
Reduced oxidative stress has been reported in experimental models; this is not a proven anti-aging benefit in people.
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Animal & lab studies
Muscle, heart and kidney research
Preclinical studies have examined muscle, heart and kidney outcomes. These findings do not establish treatment benefit for unapproved uses.
What do these labels mean?
- Human evidence: approved-drug data or larger human studies, within the populations and uses studied.
- Early human studies: small, preliminary or limited human studies.
- Animal & lab studies: animal or laboratory findings that do not establish effects in people.
- Unverified: a proposed use or claim without verified supporting clinical evidence.
How each claim was reviewed (5)
Reported effects and evidence.
A citation may support, qualify or correct a claim. Read the study scope; a laboratory result is not an established benefit in people. Each review covers a claim as it was first collected; the tiles above show the collection’s current wording.
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FDA accelerated approval; intermediate clinical endpoint
Review of “Barth syndrome treatment”
Forzinity has accelerated approval to improve muscle strength in Barth syndrome in patients weighing at least 30 kg, based on an intermediate endpoint.
Limitations and applicability. Approval is specifically to improve muscle strength in Barth syndrome at body weight ≥30 kg; confirmation of clinical benefit may be required.
Original collected claim and review history
Original title: Barth syndrome treatment
FDA-approved in 2025 (accelerated approval) for this rare inherited mitochondrial disease.
Original label: proven. Preserved for traceability; the reviewed wording above qualifies this record.
Record ss-31:benefit:1 · Annotated 2026-10-01 · Review method
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Preclinical mitochondrial function
Review of “Better cellular energy”
SS-31 improved mitochondrial ATP-production measures in aged mice.
Limitations and applicability. Not a general human energy enhancement claim; avoid extending disease-specific approval to healthy adults.
Original collected claim and review history
Original title: Better cellular energy
Stabilizes the inner mitochondrial membrane, improving ATP production.
Original label: animal. Preserved for traceability; the reviewed wording above qualifies this record.
Record ss-31:benefit:2 · Annotated 2026-10-01 · Review method
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Preclinical redox/mitochondrial findings
Review of “Less oxidative stress”
SS-31 altered redox measures in aged mouse muscle; broader human benefit is not established by that experiment.
Limitations and applicability. Mechanism and model need visibility; ROS is not a clinical anti-aging endpoint.
Original collected claim and review history
Original title: Less oxidative stress
Reduces leakage of damaging reactive oxygen species.
Original label: animal. Preserved for traceability; the reviewed wording above qualifies this record.
Record ss-31:benefit:3 · Annotated 2026-10-01 · Review method
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Preclinical aged-mouse intervention
Review of “Muscle function with age”
An aged-mouse study reported better exercise tolerance after SS-31 treatment.
Limitations and applicability. Correct animal scope; keep it distinct from the approved Barth-syndrome endpoint.
Original collected claim and review history
Original title: Muscle function with age
Improved muscle performance in old mice.
Original label: animal. Preserved for traceability; the reviewed wording above qualifies this record.
Record ss-31:benefit:4 · Annotated 2026-10-01 · Review method
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Preclinical renal-ischemia experiment; heart source unresolved
Review of “Heart and kidney protection”
SS-31 protected mitochondrial/renal measures in a rat ischemia model; attach a separate original source for cardiac claims.
Limitations and applicability. Verified rat renal-ischemia findings do not establish heart benefit or human organ protection.
Original collected claim and review history
Original title: Heart and kidney protection
Protected heart and kidney tissue in animal models of injury.
Original label: animal. Preserved for traceability; the reviewed wording above qualifies this record.
Record ss-31:benefit:5 · Annotated 2026-10-01 · Review method
The research in detail
Evidence category
FDA-approved (US)
Human results vary by condition. FDA granted Forzinity for improving muscle strength in Barth syndrome patients weighing at least 30 kg, based on knee-extensor strength as a surrogate reasonably likely to predict benefit. A confirmatory trial is required. Other proposed uses, including anti-aging and performance, are not approved.
Evidence is assessed claim by claim above. Regulatory approval, study design, findings and relevance are separate questions; there is no single evidence score.
Risks and unknowns. What to know first.
Collected cautions follow. These are not an exhaustive or independently validated safety assessment; claim references do not automatically support every caution.
- Injection-site reactions (redness, itching, pain) were the most common side effect in trials and sometimes led people to stop.
- Headache and dizziness were also reported.
What people report
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Study
A telehealth clinic notes there is no approved or established dose for wellness, energy or longevity use, and that trials at 40 mg a day reported injection-site reactions among the common adverse events.
Source: Chia (telehealth): “SS-31 Peptide Dose: What the Research Actually Shows” (opens in a new tab)
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User reports
A forum user said starting at 4 mg caused trouble focusing and switched to a slow build-up; others say 4 mg is too much for them.
Source: GLP1Forum: “SS-31 and Mots-c Protocol” (November 2024) (opens in a new tab)
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User reports
Users report strong sleepiness and lack of energy on SS-31 (often taken with MOTS-c), whatever time of day it is taken.
Show all 4 cautionsShow fewer cautions
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User reports
A user on 5 mg SS-31 reported a sharp rise in appetite despite taking 6 mg retatrutide.
Source: Reddit r/Peptides: “SS-31 and appetite” (September 2026) (opens in a new tab)
Published dosing records. What the approved label says.
Historical label and trial records for the named product, route, population and indication. These records are not a personal schedule or a validated regimen for a catalog vial. Source attribution does not establish applicability.
Forzinity
Improving muscle strength in adults and children with Barth syndrome who weigh at least 30 kg (accelerated approval)
Source: Forzinity prescribing information (FDA, revised 09/2025) (opens in a new tab)
- Every day
- 40 mg
- How
- Injection under the skin (belly, at least 2 inches from the navel, or outer thigh)
- How often
- Once a day, at the same time each day
- How long
- Ongoing
- It is approved only for Barth syndrome, a rare inherited disease, and only for people who weigh at least 30 kg. No dose is set for anyone lighter.
- Adults with severe kidney disease (a kidney filtering rate, or eGFR, under 30) who are not on dialysis get 20 mg once a day. The label gives no dose for people on dialysis.
- Missed dose: it is skipped and the next dose is taken at the usual time. No double doses.
- This is an accelerated approval based on knee muscle strength. Keeping the approval may depend on a confirmatory trial.
These are the label’s doses for the approved medicine, started and adjusted by a prescriber. A research vial is not that medicine: no regulator has checked what’s in it, or how much.
Community protocols. Reported online. Not clinically validated.
Community reports Collection date: 30 Sep 2026Community SS-31 use is mostly short daily courses of about 1–5 mg injected under the skin (often built up from 0.5 mg to about 4 mg) for 10–20 days, sometimes followed by MOTS-c.
More about this
Others use 1–5 mg two or three times a week, or a low 0.5–1 mg daily for up to 8 weeks. All of these are far below the 40 mg a day used in trials.
Short daily course
Collected report · exact form and route are only as reported below. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01.
- Forum: GLP1Forum: “SS-31 and Mots-c Protocol” (November 2024)
- Forum: GLP1Forum (same thread)
- Vendor: Epic Genetics (UK longevity-testing company) blog: “SS-31 (Elamipretide) Experience” (author’s self-experiment)
- Forum: Reddit r/Peptides: “Peptide stack help/advice” (September 2026)
Frequency labels describe this collection, not a measured population. Contradictory records remain available.
Details and sourcesHide details
- Dose
- About 3–5 mg a day (built up from 0.5 mg)
- How often
- Once a day
- Route
- Injection under the skin
- How long
- About 10–20 days
- Cycle
- Repeated as “cycles”; one shared protocol runs SS-31 for about 2 months, then adds MOTS-c
- Ramp
- Some start at 0.5 mg and increase daily to 4 mg over about 2 weeks
- Mixing
- 10 mg vials are common (one user used three 10 mg vials over 9–10 days)
- Often run as part of a “mitochondrial” stack with MOTS-c and NAD+.
- Some find 4 mg too strong and stay at 3 mg or lower.
Sources (4)
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ForumGLP1Forum: “SS-31 and Mots-c Protocol” (November 2024) (opens in a new tab)
“SS-31 dosing of 4mg per day for 10 -20 days”
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ForumGLP1Forum (same thread) (opens in a new tab)
“I started at .5 and titrated up to 4mg over about two weeks.”
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“Later I ran a more moderate cycle: three 10 mg vials across about 9–10 days (~3.3 mg per shot).”
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ForumReddit r/Peptides: “Peptide stack help/advice” (September 2026) (opens in a new tab)
“Ss-31: 5mg/daily”
Two or three times a week
Collected report · exact form and route are only as reported below. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01.
- Practitioner: Jay Campbell (peptide author and educator): “MOTS-c and SS-31” (updated August 2025)
- Practitioner: Jay Campbell (same article)
Frequency labels describe this collection, not a measured population. Contradictory records remain available.
Details and sourcesHide details
- Dose
- 1–5 mg (“advanced”: 5–10 mg)
- How often
- Two or three times a week (“advanced”: daily)
- Route
- Injection under the skin
- How long
- 2–8 weeks
- The author advises starting SS-31 before MOTS-c rather than together.
Sources (2)
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PractitionerJay Campbell (peptide author and educator): “MOTS-c and SS-31” (updated August 2025) (opens in a new tab)
“Beginner 1-5mg subcutaneous 2-3 times weekly 2-8 weeks”
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PractitionerJay Campbell (same article) (opens in a new tab)
“Advanced 5-10mg subcutaneous Daily or 2-3x weekly 2-8 weeks”
Show all 3 protocolsShow fewer protocols
Low daily dose for weeks
Collected report · exact form and route are only as reported below. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01.
- Vendor: Epic Genetics (UK longevity-testing company) blog (author’s self-experiment)
- Forum: GLP1Forum (same thread, user MingHenry)
Frequency labels describe this collection, not a measured population. Contradictory records remain available.
Details and sourcesHide details
- Dose
- 0.5–1 mg
- How often
- Once a day
- Route
- Injection under the skin
- How long
- 10 days to 8 weeks
- Chosen to save money; some forum users claim the same benefit as 4 mg.
Sources (2)
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VendorEpic Genetics (UK longevity-testing company) blog (author’s self-experiment) (opens in a new tab)
“1 mg daily for 10 days.”
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ForumGLP1Forum (same thread, user MingHenry) (opens in a new tab)
“there is anecdotal evidence that I’ve read that many do well and get all the same benefits dosing at 500mcg or 1mg.”
Where the numbers come from
Practitioner and self-experimenter conventions. They are far lower than the 40 mg a day used in trials and in the Barth-syndrome approval, partly because of cost (one self-experimenter is testing a “budget-friendly dose”) and because no dose has been studied in healthy people.
Research notes
SS-31 is now an approved drug (Forzinity, for Barth syndrome) but not for anti-aging; grey-market doses (0.5–5 mg) are a small fraction of the 40 mg label dose. Evidence of benefit at these doses is anecdotal, and one self-experimenter, blogging on a longevity-testing company’s website, reports results as “kidney age” test scores.
Taken with
What it is. In plain English.
Elamipretide (SS-31) is FDA-approved as Forzinity under accelerated approval for a narrow Barth syndrome indication.
Elamipretide (SS-31) is a mitochondria-targeted tetrapeptide. FDA approval applies to Forzinity, the regulated injection for adults and children weighing at least 30 kg with Barth syndrome; the accelerated approval relies on a muscle-strength endpoint and requires a confirmatory trial. This does not approve seller SS-31 kits or anti-aging use.
It binds cardiolipin, a fat found almost only in the inner mitochondrial membrane, where the energy-producing electron transport chain sits. Stabilizing cardiolipin keeps that machinery organized, improving ATP production and reducing leakage of damaging reactive oxygen species.
Reviewed 2026-10-01.
Structure. Nothing to show yet.
No experimental 3D structure of SS-31 (elamipretide) is in the .
The name matches are unrelated molecules, and the unusual building block in its chain, Dmt, appears in the Protein Data Bank only in opioid peptides.
Checked 30 Sep 2026.
Specs. The facts at a glance.
- Length
- 4 amino acids
- Sequence
- r-Dmt-K-F-NH₂
- Sold as
- NXP-ATP kit · 30 mg
- Regulatory status
- Forzinity (elamipretide) is FDA-approved under accelerated approval to improve muscle strength in adults and children with Barth syndrome who weigh at least 30 kg. Confirmatory testing is required. This does not approve seller SS-31 kits, anti-aging or performance use.
- Also known as
- Elamipretide (Forzinity)
Sources. What this page rests on.
Every source behind this page, with what it says and when it was checked, is in the Source library.
Original overview and research notes · annotated 2026-10-01
Historical collection text. Read alongside the claim corrections above; identity or evidence qualifications may supersede this wording.
Mitochondrial energy support
A tiny peptide that targets the energy-making membrane inside mitochondria. Recently FDA-approved for a rare mitochondrial disease.
A synthetic four-amino-acid peptide developed by Hazel Szeto and Peter Schiller (“SS” stands for Szeto-Schiller). Its alternating positive charges and ring-shaped side chains let it slip through cell membranes and concentrate in mitochondria. The vendor sells it under the code NXP-ATP, after ATP, the energy molecule mitochondria make.
It binds cardiolipin, a fat found almost only in the inner mitochondrial membrane, where the energy-producing electron transport chain sits. Stabilizing cardiolipin keeps that machinery organized, improving ATP production and reducing leakage of damaging reactive oxygen species.
Animal studies show benefits in aging muscle, heart failure and kidney injury. Human results are mixed: it missed its main goals in primary mitochondrial myopathy (MMPOWER-3) and in some heart-failure studies, but helped in Barth syndrome, a rare inherited disorder of cardiolipin. It has also been studied for dry age-related macular degeneration.
Original status record: FDA granted accelerated approval in September 2025 as Forzinity, a daily injection for Barth syndrome. Not approved for anti-aging or performance uses.