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How SS-31 Works: Mechanism and Pharmacology

How SS-31 works: its target and mechanism as the sources state them, how long it acts, and what is still unknown.

Medical review pendingMitochondria-targeting peptideUpdated
Class
Mitochondria-targeting peptide
FDA status
accelerated approval for Barth syndrome (Sep 2025)
Routes studied
subcutaneous; intravenous
Half-life
[pending]
by route, with source

How long it acts

No published half-life found for SS-31 (PubMed search, 11 Oct 2026)

Full detail, including drug-testing windows, is on the SS-31 half-life page.

Mechanism stated on the approved label

The label describes it as a mitochondrial cardiolipin binder that localizes to the inner mitochondrial membrane and improves mitochondrial morphology and function.[8]

On heart rhythm, the label reports no clinically significant QTc prolongation at 3 times the peak concentration of the maximum recommended dose.[8]

What a human mechanism study measured

A placebo-controlled trial in healthy older adults found a single dose raised in vivo mitochondrial energetic capacity relative to placebo right after a 2-hour infusion.[9]

The same trial found no significant effect on fatigue resistance in the hand muscle, despite the rise in ATPmax.[9]

The authors call the result the first demonstration of a pharmacological intervention that can reverse mitochondrial dysfunction in vivo immediately after treatment in aging human muscle.[9]

What remains unconfirmed

The label's approval is under the accelerated pathway and may depend on verification of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial.[8]

Related peptides

SS-31 vs MOTS-cMitochondrial-derived peptide

Common questions

How long does SS-31 act in the body?

We found no published half-life for SS-31 (PubMed search, 11 Oct 2026), so how long it acts is unknown.

More on SS-31

DosageDoses used in published studies, with the source for each.CalculatorVial, water and dose to syringe units.Side effectsWhat labels and studies report, and what is unknown.ResultsStudy outcomes and when they were measured.PricePrice per mg and per week from dated listings. No vendor links.BenefitsClaimed benefits next to what published studies measured.

Sources

  1. 1PubMed search: (elamipretide[tiab] OR Bendavia[tiab] OR "MTP-131"[tiab] OR Forzinity[tiab] OR (("SS-31"[tiab] OR SS31[tiab]) AND (peptide*[tiab] OR mitochondri*[tiab] OR cardiolipin[tiab] OR Szeto[tiab]))) (526 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  2. 2PubMed search: (elamipretide[tiab] OR Bendavia[tiab] OR "MTP-131"[tiab] OR Forzinity[tiab] OR (("SS-31"[tiab] OR SS31[tiab]) AND (peptide*[tiab] OR mitochondri*[tiab] OR cardiolipin[tiab] OR Szeto[tiab]))) AND (randomized[tiab] OR trial[tiab] OR patients[tiab]) (133 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  3. 3PubMed search: (elamipretide[tiab] OR Bendavia[tiab] OR "MTP-131"[tiab] OR Forzinity[tiab] OR (("SS-31"[tiab] OR SS31[tiab]) AND (peptide*[tiab] OR mitochondri*[tiab] OR cardiolipin[tiab] OR Szeto[tiab]))) AND (half-life[tiab] OR pharmacokinetic*[tiab]) (11 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  4. 4PubMed search: elamipretide[tiab] AND (TAZPOWER[tiab] OR "Barth syndrome"[tiab]) AND (randomized[tiab] OR crossover[tiab]) (6 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  5. 5PubMed search: elamipretide[tiab] AND (macular[tiab] OR "geographic atrophy"[tiab]) (9 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  6. 6PubMed search: elamipretide[tiab] AND (fibromyalgia[tiab] OR fatigue[tiab] OR "chronic pain"[tiab]) (19 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  7. 7PubMed search: (elamipretide[tiab] OR Bendavia[tiab] OR "MTP-131"[tiab] OR Forzinity[tiab] OR (("SS-31"[tiab] OR SS31[tiab]) AND (peptide*[tiab] OR mitochondri*[tiab] OR cardiolipin[tiab] OR Szeto[tiab]))) AND (adverse[tiab] OR "side effect*"[tiab] OR safety[tiab] OR tolerab*[tiab] OR toxicity[tiab] OR "case report"[pt]) (77 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 11 Oct 2026
  8. 8FORZINITY prescribing information (FDA label)FDA label, DailyMed · current labeldailymed.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  9. 9In vivo mitochondrial ATP production is improved in older adult skeletal muscle after a single dose of elamipretide in a randomized trial.PloS one · 2021PMID 34264994Accessed 2 Oct 2026

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