SavePeptides
SavePeptidesCompound
Re-checked hourly
All peptides
LongevityFDA-approvedVendors pending
FDA-approvedVendors pendingFacts verified · 2026-05-25

Elamipretide

Also known as SS-31, elamipretide, bendavia, mtp-131, mtp-31 · Wikipedia

Elamipretide (SS-31, Bendavia, MTP-131) is a synthetic cell-permeable, mitochondria-targeted aromatic-cationic tetrapeptide developed in the laboratory of Hazel Szeto and Peter Schiller. It selectively binds cardiolipin on the inner mitochondrial membrane and is the first cardiolipin-directed mitochondrial therapeutic approved by the FDA. Marketed as Forzinity by Stealth BioTherapeutics, it received accelerated approval in September 2025 as the first treatment for Barth syndrome in patients weighing at least 30 kg. Outside of Barth syndrome, elamipretide has been investigated in primary mitochondrial myopathy, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, ischemia-reperfusion injury, geographic atrophy in dry age-related macular degeneration, and Friedreich ataxia, with mixed or negative primary endpoints in pivotal trials. It is also widely used as a research-grade mitochondrial-support peptide in self-experimentation contexts.

—

best

price

—

per

mg

—

vendors

tracked

FDA-approved

stage

Vendor data

Coming soon.

Per-vendor pricing and verification tiers populate as the SavePeptides crawler comes online. Until then, browse all approved vendors directly.

Browse all vendors

Mechanism of action

Elamipretide is a 4-amino-acid aromatic-cationic peptide (D-Arg-2',6'-dimethylTyr-Lys-Phe-NH2) that diffuses across cell and mitochondrial membranes in an energy-independent manner and concentrates 1,000-5,000-fold inside mitochondria through electrostatic attraction to the inner membrane (Szeto, Br J Pharmacol 2014). It selectively binds the anionic phospholipid cardiolipin via combined electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions (Birk et al.

Elamipretide is a 4-amino-acid aromatic-cationic peptide (D-Arg-2',6'-dimethylTyr-Lys-Phe-NH2) that diffuses across cell and mitochondrial membranes in an energy-independent manner and concentrates 1,000-5,000-fold inside mitochondria through electrostatic attraction to the inner membrane (Szeto, Br J Pharmacol 2014). It selectively binds the anionic phospholipid cardiolipin via combined electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions (Birk et al., 2014; Mitchell et al., 2020, J Gen Physiol), stabilizing cristae architecture, preserving the cardiolipin-cytochrome c association, and inhibiting peroxidase activity of cytochrome c that would otherwise initiate apoptosis. By protecting the structural lipid environment of the electron transport chain, elamipretide preserves respiratory supercomplex assembly, improves coupling efficiency and ATP synthesis, and reduces mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production under ischemic, hypoxic, and aging-related stress. In Barth syndrome, where cardiolipin remodeling is impaired due to TAFAZZIN mutations, elamipretide is hypothesized to compensate for the resulting cardiolipin structural deficit, restoring respiratory function in cardiac and skeletal muscle (Allen et al., 2024 TAZPOWER extension).

Pharmacokinetic properties

Half-life

Plasma half-life ~2-4 hours after subcutaneous administration; accumulates 1,000-5,000-fold in mitochondria

Routes

subcutaneous · intravenous

Bioavailability

Not orally bioavailable. Subcutaneous bioavailability is high. Preferentially accumulates in mitochondria-rich tissues including heart, kidney, skeletal muscle, and retina.

Amino-acid sequence

H-D-Arg-Dmt-Lys-Phe-NH2 (D-Arg-2',6'-dimethylTyr-Lys-Phe-amide)

Use & research dosing

Mitochondrial SupportCellular EnergyEnergyCardioprotection

FDA-approved Forzinity label (September 2025) prescribes 40 mg subcutaneously once daily for adults and pediatric Barth syndrome patients weighing ≥30 kg, with weight-adjusted dosing for smaller patients. Trial doses across other indications have ranged from 4-60 mg/day subcutaneous (MMPOWER-3 used 40 mg/day; ReCLAIM and ReCLAIM-2 used 40 mg/day SC). Off-label and longevity-focused self-experimentation protocols commonly reported online typically use 5-10 mg subcutaneous daily in cycles of 4-12 weeks, but no validated dose-response data exist for non-Barth indications and durable benefit outside Barth syndrome has not been demonstrated in randomized trials.

Research-use framing only. SavePeptides sells nothing for human consumption. Doses above reflect reported research / self-experimentation ranges, not clinical recommendations.

Editorial perspective

Developed by Stealth BioTherapeutics based on the Szeto-Schiller peptide platform from Weill Cornell. After more than a decade of mixed late-stage trial outcomes—negative primary endpoints in MMPOWER-3 (primary mitochondrial myopathy, 2020), PROGRESS-HF (heart failure), and ReCLAIM-2 (dry AMD Phase 2, 2024)—elamipretide received FDA accelerated approval on September 19, 2025 as Forzinity for Barth syndrome based on the TAZPOWER trial and 168-week open-label extension. The Phase 3 ReNEW trial in dry AMD started May 2024 with the EZ-attenuation endpoint accepted by FDA. Efficacy data outside ultra-rare mitochondrial disease remain weak, and research-chemical marketing has frequently overstated the evidence. Note: brief input referenced March 2025 approval; primary FDA records confirm September 19, 2025 as the accelerated-approval date.

— SavePeptides editorial desk · last updated 2026-05-25

Cautions & contraindications

Before researching this compound, note:

  • Injection-site reactions (most common adverse event in clinical trials; can be severe)
  • Hypersensitivity reactions reported
  • Long-term safety beyond trial durations (~3-4 years open-label extension) not established
  • Use in mitochondrial-disease patients outside Barth syndrome is not supported by positive randomized data (MMPOWER-3 negative)
  • Avoid in pregnancy and lactation (no human data)
  • Drug interactions not fully characterized
  • Risk of medication errors with multiple presentations (Forzinity vial requires reconstitution)
  • Theoretical concern in active malignancy due to mitochondrial protection (no clinical signal)
  • Pediatric dosing requires weight-based adjustment for patients <30 kg
  • Cost and access: Forzinity is an orphan drug with limited specialty distribution
  • Compounded or research-grade material is not bioequivalent to Forzinity and quality is variable

Research foundation

The papers behind the page.

  1. [01]https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-grants-accelerated-approval-first-treatment-barth-syndrome
  2. [02]https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2025/215244s000lbl.pdf
  3. [03]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38602181/
  4. [04]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10382259/
  5. [05]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39605874/

Facts verified

2026-05-25

Confidence

high

What this means

  • Forzinity approval based on small Barth-syndrome trial (n<20 randomized); confirmatory study required under accelerated-approval pathway
  • input file listed March 2025 approval; verified as September 19, 2025
  • efficacy outside Barth syndrome unproven; multiple Phase 3 failures
  • common_stacks_unmapped 'coenzyme Q10' and 'methylene blue' dropped (not in peptide index)

How we check →

Vendor data coming soon

All vendors

001 — Independent

We don't list what we wouldn't research.

SavePeptides lists vendors after an initial review and distinguishes verified vendors where additional checks have been completed. We may earn commissions from referral links, and sponsored placements will be clearly disclosed.

002 — Vendor-funded

Free to browse. Supported by referrals.

SavePeptides is free for buyers. We may earn a commission when you order through our links, but we do not lock deals behind a paywall, require an email to view codes, or inflate comparison prices.

003 — Research use

Research-use disclaimer.

SavePeptides surfaces vendor, pricing, and coupon information for research compounds. These products are not intended, approved, or recommended for human consumption. Our content is informational only and does not constitute medical advice.