Is MOTS-c with SS-31 legal?
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
- US: Investigational, not approved
- UK: Investigational, not licensed
- AU: Investigational, not registered
- CA: Investigational, not approved
The US comes first because most people ask about it. Each country has its own page. It names the agency, the law or rule, and what the legal category means in real life.
All four countries, side by side
| What we list | United States · FDA | United Kingdom · MHRA | Australia · TGA | Canada · Health Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Not approved | Not approved | Not approved | Not approved |
| Legal category | Investigational, not approved | Investigational, not licensed | Investigational, not registered | Investigational, not approved |
| Note | Elamipretide is investigational. MOTS-c is sold as 'research use only', and no one is testing it as a drug in people. Only research chemical sellers supply the blend. | Neither is licensed. Supplying them for human use is illegal. | None recorded | None recorded |
| Agency | Check FDA directly | Check MHRA directly | Check TGA directly | Check Health Canada directly |
US FDA status: Neither is approved. Elamipretide has been through final-stage studies without an approval for this use. MOTS-c has never started human testing as a drug.. Reviewed Sep 2026.
Country by country
Is MOTS-c with SS-31 legal in the United States?
No. MOTS-c with SS-31 is not approved for any medical use in the United States. Its legal category is "Investigational, not approved". The only legal way to get it is to join a registered clinical trial (an official study in people). A "research use only" label on vials sold online does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, no completed trial in people is cited on its profile (1 human record with no result or no dose given).
The full United States answerIs MOTS-c with SS-31 legal in the United Kingdom?
No. MOTS-c with SS-31 is not approved for any medical use in the United Kingdom. Its legal category is "Investigational, not licensed". The only legal way to get it is to join a registered clinical trial (an official study in people). A "research use only" label on vials sold online does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, no completed trial in people is cited on its profile (1 human record with no result or no dose given).
The full United Kingdom answerIs MOTS-c with SS-31 legal in Australia?
No. MOTS-c with SS-31 is not approved for any medical use in Australia. Its legal category is "Investigational, not registered". The only legal way to get it is to join a registered clinical trial (an official study in people). A "research use only" label on vials sold online does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, no completed trial in people is cited on its profile (1 human record with no result or no dose given).
The full Australia answerIs MOTS-c with SS-31 legal in Canada?
No. MOTS-c with SS-31 is not approved for any medical use in Canada. Its legal category is "Investigational, not approved". The only legal way to get it is to join a registered clinical trial (an official study in people). A "research use only" label on vials sold online does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, no completed trial in people is cited on its profile (1 human record with no result or no dose given).
The full Canada answerMOTS-c with SS-31 in sport and the military
Whether MOTS-c with SS-31 is banned in sport is set by the World Anti-Doping Code and by military rules, not by its legal status. Before you compete or get tested, look up MOTS-c with SS-31 by name on the Prohibited List, or look up a named product in Global DRO. Under the World Anti-Doping Code, category S0 bans, at all times, any drug-like substance that meets two tests. No other section of the List covers it. And no government health regulator anywhere has a current approval for it as a treatment in people. Many substances that are approved somewhere are banned by name in another section. So approval does not mean a substance is allowed in sport.
- WADA Prohibited List
- Global DRO (check a named product)
- USADA (US athletes)
- Operation Supplement Safety (US service members)
The rules you compete or serve under decide this, not this page.
Related compounds
General information, current as of Sep 2026. Not legal advice. Legal status changes. For your own situation, check with the agency or a lawyer. Educational use only. This database summarizes published research and is not medical advice. Where a dose appears it is a record of what a trial or clinic ran, or what people describe doing, with its source attached. Nothing here is a recommendation for personal use. Sellers named on the price pages are ranked by certificate tier, then price, and any affiliate income is disclosed there. Naming a seller is not a recommendation to buy or use anything.