# MOTS-c Philippines: Mitochondrial-Derived Peptide Guide Source: https://www.philippinespeptides.com/peptides/mots-c Updated: 2026-11-03 > MOTS-c in the Philippines: the mitochondrial-derived peptide studied in mice for insulin resistance and age-related decline. Evidence level and status. On this page - [What is MOTS-c](#what) - [How it works](#how) - [Benefits studied](#benefits) - [Side effects reported](#side-effects) - [MOTS-c in the Philippines](#in-the-philippines) - [Regulatory status](#regulatory) - [Who should not use MOTS-c](#contraindications) - [FAQ](#faq) - [Where to get MOTS-c in the Philippines](#sourcing) - [Primary sources](#sources) Longevity · Compound # MOTS-c Philippines Peptides editorial desk Updated 3 November 2026 Trial data checked 23 September 2026 8 min read 5 sources **Class** - Mitochondrial-derived peptide **Targets** - Folate cycle and purine synthesis in skeletal muscle, activating AMPK (mouse and cell work) **Evidence level** - Animal and cell **FDA Philippines** - Not established **US FDA** - No record found **Checked** - 23 September 2026 The strongest evidence found for MOTS-c comes from animal and cell studies, and every finding below carries its evidence level. ## What is MOTS-c MOTS-c (mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA type-c) is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA, one of a small group of known mitochondrial-derived peptides. It was first described in 2015 by Lee and colleagues at the University of Southern California (Cell Metab 2015). Browse the full [peptide library](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/peptides) for related compounds. MOTS-c is sometimes called an exercise mimetic because, in mouse and cell studies, it activates AMPK, a cellular energy sensor that exercise also activates (Lee 2015). In people, exercise raises the body's own MOTS-c levels, and in a mouse study MOTS-c treatment started late in life increased physical capacity (Reynolds 2021). No published human study has given MOTS-c. In cell studies, MOTS-c moved from the mitochondria to the nucleus under metabolic stress and regulated nuclear gene expression (Kim 2018), which is why researchers describe it as a signal from mitochondria to the nucleus. ## How it works AMPK activation: in mouse and cell studies, MOTS-c acts mainly on skeletal muscle, where it inhibits the folate cycle and linked purine synthesis, which activates the energy sensor AMPK (Lee 2015). Fat tissue thermogenesis: in a mouse study, MOTS-c increased thermogenic activation of fat tissue and cold adaptation (Lu 2019). Nuclear translocation: in cell studies, MOTS-c translocated to the nucleus in response to metabolic stress and regulated nuclear gene expression (Kim 2018). ## Benefits studied - Insulin sensitivity: Animal and cell In mice, MOTS-c prevented insulin resistance linked to age and a high-fat diet, and prevented diet-induced obesity. No human trial has tested this. [Source: Cell Metab 2015](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2015.02.009) - Physical capacity in old age: Animal and cell In an animal study, mice started on MOTS-c late in life showed greater physical capacity. This is animal evidence only. [Source: Nat Commun 2021](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-20790-0) - Autoimmune diabetes: Animal and cell In non-obese diabetic mice, MOTS-c reduced high blood sugar and immune-cell infiltration of the pancreatic islets. This is animal evidence only. [Source: Cell Rep 2021](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109447) ## Side effects reported No human trial in the datasets reports adverse-event rates for MOTS-c, which has been studied in animals and cells only. Without controlled data, its safety in people is unknown rather than established. ## MOTS-c in the Philippines MOTS-c is a peptide the body makes itself, encoded in mitochondrial DNA, and what is sold in the Philippines under the name is a synthetic research compound. This site has not published an FDA Philippines registration result for MOTS-c: the 23 September 2026 portal search behind the regulation hub did not include the name, and the store's own search the same day timed out. No FDA Philippines advisory in this site's regulation dataset, checked 23 September 2026, names MOTS-c. Primara Labs, our partner and supplier, lists MOTS-c as "Lyophilized powder, 10 mg / vial", and the sourcing card on this page links it. The legal research behind this site found no Philippine FDA, DOH, BOC or DDB document that addresses products labelled research use only. In the United States, the FDA lists MOTS-c on its page of bulk drug substances for compounding that may present significant safety risks (current as of 22 April 2026); that page concerns compounding, not approval. For research context, MOTS-c is a compound where the human record is almost entirely about measurement rather than administration. Human papers measure the body's own circulating levels; the insulin resistance, obesity and physical decline findings are in mice. A phase 1 trial of the analogue CB4211 completed in 2021 without posted results, per the evidence dataset. Until results from people exist, any claim about what it does in adults runs ahead of the data. [NAD+](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/peptides/nad) is the related compound with human trial data on this site, and the guide to [SS-31 in the Philippines](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/peptides/ss31) covers a mitochondria-targeted peptide whose phase 3 trial missed its endpoints. ## Regulatory status **FDA Philippines** - Not published Could not be established: the FDA Philippines verification portal search timed out on 23 September 2026, retried the same day in a browser with the same result. **US FDA** - No record found Drugs@FDA returned no approved or tentatively approved application for this substance. Drugs@FDA does not list investigational products. Separately, the FDA lists it on its page of bulk drug substances for compounding that may present significant safety risks (current as of 22 April 2026); that page concerns compounding, not approval. **European Medicines Agency** - No record found No row for this substance in the EMA medicines report generated 22 September 2026. That report does not cover national authorisations in EU member states. **Next milestone** - No sponsor identified in any record read. Checked 23 September 2026. [Primary source](https://api.fda.gov/drug/drugsfda.json?search=openfda.generic_name:%22MOTS-c%22&limit=10) How Philippine registration and prescription rules work, and what an unregistered product is under the law, is covered in the [regulation hub](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/legal), and every compound's status side by side is on the [status page](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/legal/status). This is general information, not legal advice. ## Who should not use MOTS-c Do not use if - Type 1 diabetes - Pregnancy or breastfeeding - Active cancer Everything above is research framing. For the material itself, our partner and supplier lists [MOTS-c 10mg at Primara Labs](https://www.primaralabs.com/marketplace/mots-c-10mg?utm_source=philippinespeptides&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=inline) for ₱2,100 (₱1,890 with 10% off), from stock inside the Philippines. ## FAQ ### Is there a clinical trial of MOTS-c in people? No published human study has given MOTS-c; human papers measure the body's own levels. A phase 1 trial of the analogue CB4211 completed in 2021 without posted results, and a phase 2a trial of MOTS-c is recruiting. No human trial of MOTS-c has published results in the dataset this site draws on. ### Has FDA Philippines issued an advisory on MOTS-c? No FDA Philippines advisory in this site's regulation dataset, checked 23 September 2026, names MOTS-c. This site has not published an FDA Philippines registration result for MOTS-c: the 23 September 2026 portal search behind the regulation hub did not include the name, and the store's own search the same day timed out. ### Can MOTS-c be brought into the Philippines from abroad? This site has no Philippine registration result on record for MOTS-c. DOH-FDA-BOC Joint Circular No. 1, dated 22 June 2015, lets travellers bring listed FDA-regulated products into the Philippines without prior FDA clearance if the products are for personal use and within set limits. For prescription drugs, Joint Circular No. 1 sets the allowed quantity as the amount stated on a prescription that carries the physician's PRC licence number or a foreign equivalent. Joint Circular No. 1 does not say whether its prescription-drug allowance covers drugs without a Philippine CPR. No FDA circular that answers this was found. The Bureau of Customs lists pharmaceutical products as regulated imports that require a valid Certificate of Product Registration and/or an FDA License to Operate as importer. This is general information, not legal advice. ### Can MOTS-c replace exercise? No study shows that. MOTS-c is called an exercise mimetic because, in mouse and cell studies, it activates AMPK, a pathway exercise also activates. In people, exercise raises the body's own MOTS-c levels; no published human study has given MOTS-c. ### How does MOTS-c differ from NAD+? ### What evidence exists for MOTS-c? The evidence dataset this site draws on (checked 2026-09-23) rates MOTS-c at the level "Animal and cell", with 0 completed human randomised controlled trials identified. No published human study has given MOTS-c; human papers measure the body's own levels. A phase 1 trial of the analogue CB4211 completed in 2021 without posted results, and a phase 2a trial of MOTS-c is recruiting. It has been studied for: Insulin resistance, diet-induced obesity, age-related physical decline and autoimmune diabetes in mice; circulating levels as a biomarker in people. ### What is the regulatory status of MOTS-c? ## Where to get MOTS-c in the Philippines Our partner and supplier Our partner and supplier Primara Labs lists MOTS-c 10mg at ₱2,100 a vial, or ₱1,890 with 10% off. Stock sits in Metro Manila, so Metro Manila addresses are same-day and the rest of the country is 1 to 5 business days. If the reading is done and the next step is a plan rather than another article, you can [build a protocol around your goal](https://www.longevitymanila.com/energy?ref=pp) at Longevity Manila, which hands off to our partner and supplier, Primara Labs. The supply index covers what to ask a seller before paying, and why quoted prices vary so widely. [View Supply Index](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/supply) ## Primary sources Citations supporting the clinical claims on this page. Each entry links to the primary record. - 1. MOTS-c discovery, Lee 2015 Mechanism Lee C, Zeng J, Drew BG, et al. "The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis and reduces obesity and insulin resistance." Cell Metab 2015;21(3):443–454. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2015.02.009](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2015.02.009) - 2. MOTS-c as exercise-induced regulator, Reynolds 2021 Mechanism Reynolds JC, Lai RW, Woodhead JST, et al. "MOTS-c is an exercise-induced mitochondrial-encoded regulator of age-dependent physical decline and muscle homeostasis." Nat Commun 2021;12:470. [DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20790-0](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-20790-0) - 3. MOTS-c and adipose thermogenesis, Lu 2019 Mechanism Lu H, Tang S, Xue C, et al. "Mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c increases adipose thermogenic activation to promote cold adaptation." Front Endocrinol 2019;10:858. [DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00858](https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2019.00858) - 4. MOTS-c nuclear translocation, Kim 2018 Mechanism Kim KH, Son JM, Benayoun BA, Lee C. "The mitochondrial-encoded peptide MOTS-c translocates to the nucleus to regulate nuclear gene expression in response to metabolic stress." Cell Metab 2018;28(3):516–524. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2018.06.008](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2018.06.008) - 5. FDA Philippines drug registry: MOTS-c not listed Reference FDA Philippines Registered Drug Products Database. Verified 2026-05-07: MOTS-c has no Philippine drug registration; available only as research-grade peptide. [Source](https://verification.fda.gov.ph/) How this was gathered Findings, evidence levels and sources are from the Research Desk datasets published by [Primara Labs, our partner and supplier](https://www.primaralabs.com/research/evidence?utm_source=philippinespeptides&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=inline), synced 23 September 2026 and summarised here in this site’s own words. Risk · Disclosure · Editorial Status This page is editorial information for adults researching peptide therapy. It is not medical advice, not a prescription, and not an endorsement of any specific product, supplier, or protocol. Side effects can be serious and individual response varies. Talk to a licensed physician (ideally one with peptide-specific clinical experience) before starting any compound, adjusting a dose, or discontinuing therapy. In the Philippines, GLP-1 medications are prescription-only under FDA Philippines regulation. Research-grade peptides occupy a regulatory gray area: import for personal research use is generally tolerated, but the Bureau of Customs reserves the right to inspect and detain shipments. Do not import for resale. **Editorial Status** - Non-clinical **Affiliation** - Not a clinic · Not a pharmacy **Last Updated** - November 3, 2026 ### Related peptides - [Compound NAD+](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/peptides/nad) - [Compound SS-31](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/peptides/ss31) - [Compound Epitalon](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/peptides/epitalon) - [Compound 5-Amino-1MQ](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/peptides/5-amino-1mq) --- Philippines Peptides sells nothing. Primara Labs is our partner and supplier. This is general information, not medical or legal advice.