SS-31

SS-31 (also known as Elamipretide or Bendavia) is a synthetic tetrapeptide that targets the inner mitochondrial membrane. It was developed by Hazel Szeto and Peter Schiller (SS = Szeto-Schiller). In plain language: it helps your mitochondria produce energy more efficiently and protects them from oxidative damage. It has undergone clinical trials for heart failure and Barth syndrome (a mitochondrial disease). Browse the full peptide library for related longevity compounds.

The mechanism: SS-31 concentrates in the inner mitochondrial membrane and stabilizes cardiolipin, a lipid that is required for the electron transport chain to function properly. By stabilizing cardiolipin, SS-31 improves the efficiency of ATP production and dramatically reduces the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS are the primary driver of mitochondrial oxidative damage and aging. Less ROS means less cellular damage over time.

What does the research actually show? Clinical trials for Barth syndrome showed measurable improvements in cardiac function. Broader longevity applications are being studied but are earlier stage. In aging animal models, old mice given SS-31 showed improvements in exercise tolerance, heart function, and kidney function that returned them to levels seen in young animals. The question is whether supplementation in healthy people provides meaningful benefit or whether it is mainly useful for people with existing mitochondrial dysfunction.

What distinguishes SS-31 among these compounds is its targeting: it accumulates in the inner mitochondrial membrane rather than distributing generally through the cell. It is commonly grouped with NAD+ and MOTS-c on the argument that each acts at a different point, substrate, machinery and signalling (community practice, no trial). No study has tested those three together in people, so the grouping is a rationale rather than a demonstrated result, and this page does not publish combination guidance.

On dosing: the published human figures come from trials in diagnosed mitochondrial disease, not from wellness use. The MMPOWER phase 1/2 trial infused elamipretide intravenously at 0.01, 0.1 and 0.25 mg per kg per hour over 2 hours for 5 days in 36 adults with primary mitochondrial myopathy (trial doses, not a recommendation, PMID 29500292). Community figures for subcutaneous use are extrapolations from that, by a different route, in a different population, and are community practice with no trial behind them. There is no established human dose outside the trial setting and no approved label anywhere. Whether to use it at all, and at what amount, is a decision for a licensed clinician.

In Vietnam, SS-31 is available research-grade from regional suppliers. It is one of the more expensive research peptides due to synthesis complexity. For verified suppliers, see the supply index. Verify purity via the COA guide. For legal context, see the peptide legality guide. For combining SS-31 with NAD+ IV therapy in Vietnam, see the NAD+ longevity guide.

SS-31 is commonly reported alongside Epitalon or thymosin alpha-1 in longevity routines (community practice, no trial). The reasoning is that each targets a different mechanism of decline, telomeres, mitochondria and immune function. No published study has tested any of those pairings, in animals or in people, so this page describes the pattern without endorsing it.