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Peptides / MOTS-c / United States

MOTS-c in the United States

Legal status, what it is, and the listed suppliers in the United States that list it.

Legal status in the United States

Not an approved medicine.

As understood at 2026-09-22. Verify with the FDA.

What MOTS-c is

MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded not in the cell nucleus but inside the mitochondrial genome, in the 12S rRNA region. It was identified in 2015. It occurs naturally in tissue and in blood, and the reviewed literature reports that circulating levels fall with age. The synthetic version sold by suppliers is a copy of that natural peptide.

Full MOTS-c page: targets and research →

Listed suppliers in the United States

9 of the 10 suppliers we list in the United States list MOTS-c. Listed, not endorsed: each row is the supplier’s own stated terms.

BioLongevity Labs United States All products are manufactured for research use only. Research Use Only products sold here are intended solely for laboratory research. Core Peptides United States Products are for laboratory, research or analytical purposes only, and are not for human consumption. Direct Peptides United States All products are sold strictly for laboratory research use only and are not for human or animal consumption. Direct Peptides is a chemical supplier, not a compounding pharmacy or 503A/503B facility. HEEZ Research United States All products are for laboratory developmental research use only. Products are not for human consumption. HEEZ Research is a chemical supplier. Licensed Peptides United States Supplied strictly for laboratory research use only. Not intended for human consumption, veterinary use, therapeutic applications, or diagnostic use. No dosing instructions are provided. Nationwide Peptides United States For Research Use Only. Products are not intended for human or animal consumption, ingestion, injection, or any form of administration. Peak Lab Peptides United States All products on this site are for research and development use only. Products are not for human consumption of any kind. Protide Health United States All products are supplied for laboratory research only and are not for human or animal consumption, medical use, veterinary use, or any therapeutic, diagnostic, or clinical purpose. Sigma Compounds United States Products are for research and development purposes only and are not for human consumption.

Clinical Research

The Mitochondrial-Derived Peptide MOTS-c Promotes Metabolic Homeostasis and Reduces Obesity and Insulin Resistance
Lee C, Zeng J, Drew BG, et al. (2015). Cell Metabolism. animal cell culture, then mice (age-related and high-fat-diet models of insulin resistance)
MOTS-c is an exercise-induced mitochondrial-encoded regulator of age-dependent physical decline and muscle homeostasis
Reynolds JC, Lai RW, Woodhead JST, et al. (2021). Nature Communications. animal young, middle-aged and old mice, plus measurement of MOTS-c in human skeletal muscle and blood after exercise
The Mitochondrial-Encoded Peptide MOTS-c Translocates to the Nucleus to Regulate Nuclear Gene Expression in Response to Metabolic Stress
Kim KH, Son JM, Benayoun BA, Lee C (2018). Cell Metabolism. in-vitro cultured cells under glucose restriction and other metabolic stress
MOTS-c: A promising mitochondrial-derived peptide for therapeutic exploitation
Zheng Y, Wei Z, Wang T (2023). Frontiers in Endocrinology. review n/a (narrative review)