HomePeptide dosagesMOTS-c
MOTS-c dosage: chart, reported range and vial math
The range reported for MOTS-c is 5 to 10 mg a week. No published study has given MOTS-c to people, so that range is untested. The research on giving it comes from mice and cells. It is not approved in the US or Canada, and WADA lists it as prohibited.
MOTS-c dosage chart
Reported range, not a label dosePick your vial size. Each row shows the dose in milligrams or micrograms, the volume to draw and the mark on a U-100 syringe.
| Dose | Volume | Syringe units |
|---|---|---|
| 5 mg | 0.50 mL | 50 units |
| 10 mg | 1.00 mL | 100 units |
Source Reported as 5 to 10 mg a week, as one 10 mg injection or two of 5 mg. Not a label dose. No published human study has dosed MOTS-c. Vial math is arithmetic.
Which syringe fits each dose
For the 10 mg vial at 10 mg/mL.
| Dose | Volume | Units | 0.3 mL syringe | 0.5 mL syringe | 1 mL syringe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 mg | 0.50 mL | 50 units | No | Yes | Yes |
| 10 mg | 1.00 mL | 100 units | No | No | Yes |
How long a vial lasts
Whole doses in one vial. The row for the size picked above is marked.
| Vial | 5 mg | 10 mg |
|---|---|---|
| 10 mg vial | 2 doses | 1 dose |
How to mix a MOTS-c vial
These steps are for the 10 mg vial picked in the chart. Change the size there and the amounts here change with it.
- Wash your hands. Wipe the stopper of the peptide vial and the water vial with an alcohol swab.
- Draw 1 mL of bacteriostatic water into a syringe.
- Push the needle through the stopper of the peptide vial and let the water run slowly down the glass, not straight onto the powder.
- Swirl the vial gently until the powder is gone. Do not shake it.
- Write the date and 10 mg/mL on the vial, then put it in the fridge.
| Vial | Bacteriostatic water | Concentration |
|---|---|---|
| 10 mg vial | 1 mL | 10 mg/mL |
What MOTS-c is
MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded by a short open reading frame in the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene. In mice it affects insulin sensitivity and metabolic balance. [1]
Other names: mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA-c, MOTS-C, MOTs-C.
How it has been given to people: no human use on record in published studies; one registered Phase 2a trial (recruiting) gives it by subcutaneous injection once daily.
What to know before reading a dose
- No human dosing data. Every published effect of giving MOTS-c comes from animals or cells; the human papers only measure the body's own levels.
- Not an approved medicine in the US or Canada as of the check date. Health Canada lists it among unauthorized injectable peptide drugs it has seized [8].
- WADA-listed. The Prohibited List names it under [4].4.1, activators of the AMP-activated protein kinase [10].
- FDA compounding status: on the FDA page current as of 2026-04-22, MOTS-c is not in the table of substances now in category 2. It is in a separate list of substances that were in category 2 and were then withdrawn by their nominators [7].
- The 2021 mouse paper declares that two of its authors were consultants and shareholders of CohBar, the company that sponsored the CB4211 trial [2], [5].
What the evidence shows
Each finding is tagged by the kind of study it comes from. Human trials are listed first.
Human observational study
In people, exercise raises the body's own MOTS-c in muscle and blood. This measured natural levels; nobody was given MOTS-c. [2]
Human observational study
In 10 lean and 10 obese adults, plasma MOTS-c did not differ between the groups. This also measured natural levels only. [3]
Animal study
In mice, MOTS-c treatment prevented insulin resistance caused by age and by a high-fat diet, and prevented diet-induced obesity. [1]
Animal study
In mice, MOTS-c started late in life and given three times a week increased physical capacity. [2]
Side effects and warnings
Reported in human studies or on a label:
- No human safety data. FDA says it has found no record of MOTS-c being given to humans by any route and cannot say whether it would cause harm. [7]
- FDA names immune reactions and peptide impurities as possible risks of compounded MOTS-c. [7]
MOTS-c has no approved label in the US or Canada for this use, so there is no official list of who should not use it, no interaction list and no missed-dose rule.
Storage
Keep an unmixed vial the way its label says. Once it is mixed, keep it in the fridge, do not freeze it, and write the mixing date on the vial.
MOTS-c dosage questions
How many units is 10 mg of MOTS-c from a 10 mg vial?
Mixed with 1 mL of bacteriostatic water, a 10 mg vial is 10 mg/mL. 10 mg is 1.00 mL, which is 100 units on a U-100 syringe.
How much water goes in a 10 mg MOTS-c vial?
1 mL gives 10 mg/mL. At that strength the doses in the chart sit at 50, 100 units on a U-100 syringe.
How many doses are in a 10 mg vial?
Whole doses in one vial: 2 at 5 mg, 1 at 10 mg.
Is MOTS-c approved in the US?
Not FDA approved. FDA lists MOTs-C among bulk substances that were in compounding category 2 and whose nominations were then withdrawn.
Is MOTS-c authorized in Canada?
No MOTS-c product in the Health Canada Drug Product Database. Health Canada names MOTS-C among unauthorized injectable peptide drugs it has seized.
What human dosing data is there for MOTS-c?
No human dosing data. Every published effect of giving MOTS-c comes from animals or cells; the human papers only measure the body's own levels.
Sources
Each one was opened on 10 Oct 2026 and matched to the line it supports.
- Lee C et al. The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis and reduces obesity and insulin resistance. Cell Metab 2015. PubMed 25738459.
- Reynolds JC et al. MOTS-c is an exercise-induced mitochondrial-encoded regulator of age-dependent physical decline and muscle homeostasis. Nat Commun 2021. PubMed 33473109.
- Cataldo LR et al. Plasma MOTS-c levels are associated with insulin sensitivity in lean but not in obese individuals. J Investig Med 2018. PubMed 29593067.
- Hudson Biotech (sponsor) MOTS-c for Improving Insulin Sensitivity in Adults With Prediabetes and Overweight/Obesity 2026. clinicaltrials.gov. Trial NCT07505745.
- CohBar, Inc. (sponsor) A Phase 1a/1b Study of CB4211 in Healthy Non-obese Subjects and Subjects With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease 2021. clinicaltrials.gov. Trial NCT03998514.
- Miller B et al. Mitochondria-derived peptides in aging and healthspan. J Clin Invest 2022. PubMed 35499074.
- US Food and Drug Administration Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks 2026. fda.gov.
- Health Canada Think twice before injecting peptides bought online: unauthorized products can seriously harm you 2026. recalls-rappels.canada.ca.
- Health Canada Health Canada Drug Product Database, active ingredient search: mots-c 2026. health-products.canada.ca.
- World Anti-Doping Agency The Prohibited List 2026. wada-ama.org.
Looked for and not found
- No published study in which MOTS-c itself was given to humans. PubMed searches for MOTS-c clinical trials returned only studies that measured natural blood or muscle levels.
- No dose from any label or completed human trial, so the doses list is empty.
- The registered Phase 2a trial of MOTS-c in adults with prediabetes [4] gives the regimen as a fixed dose once daily for 12 weeks by subcutaneous injection, with no amount in mg. It is recruiting in China and has no results.
- CB4211 is described in a 2022 review as an analog of MOTS-c [6]. Its Phase 1a/1b trial [5] is completed, but the registry record labels the arms Dose 1 to Dose 6 with no amounts and has no posted results. A PubMed search for CB4211 returned nothing.
- No human half-life figure, so half_life is left out.
- No approved label, so no official contraindications, interaction list or storage instructions.
Change log
10 Oct 2026Page published. 10 sources checked. Vial math added for the 10 mg vial.
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