How people get it: By prescription, as a daily injection. FDA-approved (as Forzinity) only for Barth syndrome, a rare inherited disease.
FDA status, evidence and safety
Prescription drugPrescription, as a daily injection
- FDA status
- FDA-approved on September 19, 2025 (as Forzinity), under accelerated approval, to improve muscle strength in people with Barth syndrome who weigh at least 30 kg (66 lb). Not approved for aging. FDA announcement ↗Drugs@FDA ↗FDA label ↗
- Its research stage
- Stage 2 although FDA-approved: the approval covers only Barth syndrome, a rare inherited disease. For aging, the trials in people are small and early. The counts behind it
- In people so far
- 39 healthy adults aged 60 to 85: one infusion raised the muscles' maximum energy output right afterwards, but not a week later, and it didn't change how fast the muscles tired. PubMed ↗
- A phase 3 trial in 218 people with inherited muscle disease of the mitochondria found no improvement in walking or tiredness. PubMed ↗
- A phase 2 trial in 30 healthy older adults is recruiting. ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
- Safety
- The most common side effects in trials were mild to moderate reactions where it was injected. Serious reactions have also been reported. FDA announcement ↗
- In sport
- Not named on the World Anti-Doping Agency's 2026 Prohibited List. WADA ↗
One of the peptides we follow. We don't give doses or say where to buy. Talk to your doctor before trying any of them.
The basics
We're still gathering this from reference sources like the NIH and MedlinePlus. Sections appear here once every sentence is checked against its source.
What it is
Not enough reliable information yet.
How it's thought to work
Not enough reliable information yet.
What people use it for
Not enough reliable information yet.
What the research has found so far
On Elamipretide and aging, PubMed lists 7 trials in people, 10 studies that watched people over time, 24 animal and lab studies. See the counts and searches
Stage 2 because 7 published trials and 31 registered trials in people have been found, but no large ones yet.
A stage shows how far research has got, not whether it will work for you. How stages work
Side effects and risks
Not enough reliable information yet.
Who should be careful, and drug interactions
Not enough reliable information yet.
What to expect
Not enough reliable information yet.
Amounts used in studies
What studies or labels describe, not a recommendation.
Not enough reliable information yet.
Roughly what it costs
We don't have prices for this yet.
Questions to ask your doctor
- Is Elamipretide a sensible option for me, given my health and the medicines I take?
- Could Elamipretide interact with any medicine or supplement I already take?
- What side effects should I watch for, and when should I stop or call you?
- Would Elamipretide be used for its approved purpose, or off-label for aging?
- How would we tell whether it is helping, and when should we review it?
This is general information gathered from the sources listed, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before starting anything new.
What experts say
No expert views collected yet. Each one we add names the person and links to where they said it.
Recent research
A young child with a rare heart condition improved on elamipretide
Doctors treated one 5-year-old boy with elamipretide, and his heart and daily life improved over six months.
A trial testing elamipretide in healthy older adults is still recruiting
A daily dose of this drug will be given for 4 weeks to about 30 people.
Peptide SS31 eased chemotherapy-related ovarian damage in mice
In mice given cisplatin, a peptide called SS31 helped protect the ovaries and improved follicle counts.
A peptide helped older mice have more pups and improved aged egg cells
Researchers gave a peptide to older female mice and their egg cells looked healthier.
Two mitochondria-targeted drugs studied in aged female mice with fatty liver disease
Researchers gave two drugs to older mice with fatty liver disease caused by a rich diet.
A peptide eased signs of aging in heart cells damaged by a cancer drug
Researchers treated heart muscle cells in a dish with a cancer drug, then a peptide called SS-31.
Trials
None of the registered trials of Elamipretide is one we have linked as aging-related yet.
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 31 registered trials that mention Elamipretide, for any condition (the count in The science below). Here we show the ones about aging. See them all ↗
The science
Counted from PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov on Oct 30, 2026, using one search for Elamipretide in relation to aging. Each link opens the exact search.
- Randomized trials in people
- 7 search ↗
- Large trials (multicenter or phase 3)
- 2 search ↗
- Phase 3 trials
- 1 search ↗
- Trials in people
- 7 search ↗
- Studies that watched people over time
- 10 search ↗
- Animal and lab studies
- 24 search ↗
- Registered trials
- 31 search ↗
PubMed search used
(elamipretide[tiab] OR "SS-31"[tiab] OR "MTP-131"[tiab] OR bendavia[tiab]) AND (aging[tiab] OR ageing[tiab] OR longevity[tiab] OR healthspan[tiab] OR "older adults"[tiab] OR "older people"[tiab] OR elderly[tiab] OR "Aged"[mh])
Counts are search results, so they include some records that only mention Elamipretide. How we count
Cite or share this page
Longevity Progress. (n.d.). Elamipretide (SS-31): Research stage and evidence. Retrieved October 30, 2026, from https://longevityprogress.com/treatments/elamipretide
<iframe src="https://longevityprogress.com/embed/stage/elamipretide" title="Elamipretide (SS-31): research stage on Longevity Progress" width="340" height="72" style="border:0" loading="lazy"></iframe>
The badge shows this treatment's current research stage and links back here. It updates by itself when the stage changes.