MOTS-c Dosage: No Human Data Found, Mouse Studies (2026)

Not dosing advice. This page reports doses that studies and approved labels used, with their sources. It does not recommend a dose, and we do not give mixing, injection or unit-conversion instructions. Gray-market vials often do not contain what their label says. How we report doses.

Studies, animals and users: kept apart

Doses below are what studies used or what a label says. They are not advice, and gray-market products may not contain what their label says.

In human studies

None found. FDA found no published study that gave MOTS-c to people by any route, including injection under the skin, so there is no human dose to report³. Doses used for CB4211, a different, modified molecule, do not apply to MOTS-c⁴.

In animal studies

As reported, by injection into the abdominal cavity (IP). Mice: 0.5 mg/kg a day for 8 weeks in mice on a high-fat diet, which gained less weight³⁶; 5 mg/kg a day for 7 days in 12-month-old mice, which restored muscle insulin sensitivity³; 5 or 15 mg/kg a day for 10 days to 2 weeks in young mice (on the treadmill, only the higher dose clearly helped), and 15 mg/kg a day for 2 weeks in middle-aged and old mice, before physical performance tests⁷; 15 mg/kg three times a week from about 23.5 months of age in the late-life study⁷; and 5 mg/kg a day for 12 weeks in mice whose ovaries were removed³. Rats: 5 mg/kg a day in a model of blood-vessel calcification³. FDA noted that the animal studies have not worked out how the effects change with dose³.

What users report Anecdotal · not validated · not a recommendation

A dosing-calculator site works through amounts from 200 to 1,000 µg (micrograms) per dose, which it calls a calculation model, not a validated human dosing protocol. It says public descriptions range from daily to one, two or three times a week, and that no controlled human trial has set a MOTS-c dose⁵.

Half-life and how it is taken

Routes: Subcutaneous injection (the form proposed in the compounding nomination, 5 mg and 10 mg, and the route dosing charts describe; no human data found)
Intraperitoneal injection into the abdominal cavity (animal studies only)
Intravenous drip (FDA found one clinic’s IV ‘cocktail’ listing MOTS-c; no human data found)

CB4211 is not MOTS-c

CB4211 was developed by CohBar, which called it ‘a novel and improved analog of MOTS-c’⁴. An analog is a modified version of a molecule, so CB4211 is a different drug, and its doses and results do not carry over to MOTS-c⁴.

Its trial results come from the company’s own announcement, filed with the SEC⁴. As of 7 October 2026, the trial’s ClinicalTrials.gov record (NCT03998514), last updated on 11 May 2021, showed no posted results⁸.

Doses used in the CB4211 trial (not MOTS-c)

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial ran from July 2018 to April 2021, with every dose given by injection under the skin⁸. CohBar called it its first human trial of CB4211⁴.

First stage (65 healthy adults): single and then repeated rising doses over one week, used to pick the dose for the second stage⁴. Neither the registry record nor the company’s results announcement gives the amounts used⁴⁸.
Second stage (20 adults with obesity and fatty liver disease): 25 mg once a day for 4 weeks (11 people) or placebo (9), while staying in the study unit⁴.
Company-reported results: the liver enzyme ALT fell 21% on CB4211 and rose 4% on placebo, and AST fell 28% and 11%⁴. Liver fat fell by 5.03 and 4.88 points, from starting levels of 21.1% and 15.9%, so both groups improved by about the same amount⁴.
Side effects: no serious adverse events were reported, and in the 4-week stage the only side effects in more than 10% of people on CB4211 were brief, generally mild to moderate reactions where the shot went in⁴.

Why there is no established dose

FDA found no studies of how injected MOTS-c is absorbed or cleared and no animal toxicity studies of any kind³. In a test-tube study it broke down quickly in human blood, so it is unknown whether an injection reaches active levels³. FDA added that the rodent studies had not identified what MOTS-c acts on, and that their relevance to people is unknown³.

Vial quality is also uncertain: of 77 gray-market MOTS-c samples Finnrick tested from 20 February to 24 September 2026, 52 failed its standard for purity and dose⁹. FDA also noted that, for similar products, it has seen different salts and modified forms sold under one common name³.

Questions people ask

How much MOTS-c should I take?

No dose of MOTS-c is established, because FDA found no published study that gave it to people by any route³. FDA said the relevance of the mouse and rat studies to people is unknown, and the 25 mg daily dose in the CB4211 trial was for a different molecule³⁴. MOTS-c is not an approved drug, and US pharmacies may not compound it³¹⁰.

Can you take MOTS-c every day?

FDA found no published study that gave MOTS-c to people, daily or on any other schedule, and no animal toxicity studies, so the safety of daily use is unknown³. Mice in some studies got daily injections for 8 or 12 weeks, and the CB4211 analog was given daily for 4 weeks, but neither shows what daily MOTS-c does in people³⁴⁶.

Is CB4211 the same as MOTS-c?

No. CohBar called CB4211 ‘a novel and improved analog of MOTS-c’, a modified version that is a different molecule⁴. Its trial dose, 25 mg under the skin once a day for 4 weeks, and its company-reported results do not apply to MOTS-c⁴.

What is the MOTS-c dosage for weight loss?

FDA found no published study that tested a dose for weight loss in people³. In mice on a high-fat diet, 0.5 mg/kg a day injected into the abdominal cavity for 8 weeks reduced weight gain, but FDA said the relevance of the rodent findings to people is unknown³⁶.

Go deeper

Sources

1PubMed search: MOTS-c or “mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA” in titles and abstracts, limited to clinical trials, randomized trials, healthy volunteers, phase 1 or first-in-human (9 records on 8 October 2026; none gave MOTS-c to people) National Library of Medicine (PubMed), accessed 8 Oct 2026. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2PubMed search: MOTS-c in titles and abstracts, human studies, with administration, injection, supplementation or dose terms (28 records on 8 October 2026; none gave MOTS-c to people) National Library of Medicine (PubMed), accessed 8 Oct 2026. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3July 23-24, 2026, Meeting of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee – FDA Briefing Document for MOTS-c-Related Bulk Drug Substances (MOTS-c (free base) and MOTS-c acetate) U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 11 May 2026. fda.gov
4CohBar Announces Positive Topline Results from the Phase 1a/1b Study of CB4211 Under Development for NASH and Obesity (Form 8-K, Exhibit 99.2) CohBar, Inc. (SEC EDGAR filing), 10 Aug 2021. sec.gov
5MOTS-C (10 mg Vial) Dosage Protocol PeptideDosages, 24 Sep 2026. peptidedosages.com
6The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis and reduces obesity and insulin resistance Cell Metabolism, 3 Mar 2015. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
7MOTS-c is an exercise-induced mitochondrial-encoded regulator of age-dependent physical decline and muscle homeostasis Nature Communications, 20 Jan 2021. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
8A Phase 1a/1b Study of CB4211 in Healthy Non-obese Subjects and Subjects With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NCT03998514) ClinicalTrials.gov, 11 May 2021. clinicaltrials.gov
9MOTS-c: safety testing results and vendor ratings Finnrick, 24 Sep 2026. finnrick.com
10Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (categories list) U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 14 May 2026. fda.gov

Not medical advice. Talk to a licensed clinician before using any drug. Report an error.