All seven vendors we compared in September list MOTS-c for laboratory research, and Peptide Plugs documents its testing best: its product page gives the lot, a Freedom Diagnostics accession code, purity and measured content. Alpha Pro Peptides, PSPeptides and Ascension Peptides also post MOTS-c certificates with a named lab and a lot or batch number. No vendor has independent Finnrick data for MOTS-c.
Notice: Research peptides are sold for in-vitro laboratory research only. They are not FDA-approved, not for human or animal consumption, and this page is not medical advice.
Our criterion: a MOTS-c-specific COA with a named lab and lot number beats a generic "third-party tested" claim. We don't test products; we check what each vendor publishes.
Regulatory status of MOTS-c
- FDA: MOTS-c isn't an approved drug. FDA's Category 2 compounding page (updated April 22, 2026) lists MOTs-C among nominations "withdrawn by the nominators." HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s February 27, 2026 announcement named MOTS-c among peptides expected to leave Category 2 (Pharmacy Times).
- July 2026 advisory vote: the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted 7 yes, 5 no, 2 abstaining to recommend MOTS-c for the 503A bulks list (McDermott Will & Schulte; NCPA). It's non-binding, FDA would still need rulemaking, and it concerns licensed pharmacy compounding, not research-use sales.
- WADA: the 2026 Prohibited List names "mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA-c (MOTS-c)" under S4.4.1, activators of AMP-activated protein kinase, prohibited at all times (2026 list text).
- DEA: not on DEA's controlled substances list dated August 27, 2026.
More: are peptides legal? and FDA peptide regulation in 2026.
MOTS-c by vendor
Single-vial prices shown on September 26, 2026, including any displayed sale price. $/mg is price divided by labeled mg. Vendors appear in our editors' order, which isn't sorted by score.
| Vendor | Stocks it | Vial size(s) | Price | $/mg | MOTS-c COA / lab | Review |
|---|
| American Peptides | Yes (10 mg; 40 mg sold out) | 10, 40 mg | $100 (10 mg list) | $10.00 | Lots MOTS10-0803, MOTS40-0803; lab not shown | Review |
| NextGenPeps | Yes | 10 mg | $42 | $4.20 | BioRegen, Jan 28, 2026, 99.64%; no lot shown | Review |
| PSPeptides | Yes | 10, 50 mg | $69.99 / $189.99 | $7.00 / $3.80 | North American Diagnostics, batch PSP-06112026MC, June 11, 2026 | Review |
| Ascension Peptides | Yes | 10 mg | $62.00 | $6.20 | Kovera Labs, batch 24-05260628, June 26, 2026 | Review |
| Peptide Plugs | Yes | 10, 40 mg | $30 / $90 | $3.00 / $2.25 | Freedom Diagnostics, lot 03510L-DK, accession code | Review |
| Swiss Chems | Yes | 10 mg | $69.95 | $7.00 | HPLC report April 25, 2026; lab not named on page | Review |
| Alpha Pro Peptides | Yes | 10, 40 mg | $44.99 / $84.99 | $4.50 / $2.12 | Freedom Diagnostics (10 mg); Horizon Analytical (40 mg) | Review |
Notes on the table:
- American Peptides: the MOTS-c page listed 10 mg at $100, with an automatic daily discount showing $80 when we checked. The 40 mg size was sold out.
- NextGenPeps: the product page lists one 10 mg size. Its COA library entry names BioRegen but shows no lot.
- PSPeptides: the 10 mg certificate reports 99.94% purity and 9.89 mg measured. It also sells MOTS-c sprays, which this page doesn't cover.
- Ascension Peptides: the product page lists Kovera Labs (June 2026) and MZ Biolabs (March 2026) batches (checked September 26, 2026).
- Peptide Plugs: the 10 mg page reports 99.88% purity and 11.09 mg measured. Lower advertised prices are for 10 or more vials.
- Swiss Chems: the product page shows one HPLC report. Finnrick has no MOTS-c tests for it.
- Alpha Pro Peptides: the 10 mg certificate (lot AP-MS10-0426) is from Freedom Diagnostics: 99.75% purity, 12.57 mg. The 40 mg certificate (lot AP-5011515, August 8, 2026) comes from a different lab, Horizon Analytical: 99.37% purity, 40.16 mg.
- Licensed Peptides (added to our list September 28, 2026; not in the table): we couldn't confirm whether it stocks MOTS-c, because its full catalog and prices require a free account (research access, checked September 28, 2026). Review
What is MOTS-c?
MOTS-c is "a 16-amino-acid peptide" encoded by a short open reading frame within the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene, as described in the 2015 Cell Metabolism paper that named it. The paper describes it as a mitochondrial-derived peptide. It has been studied mainly in metabolic research, which is also why WADA classes it as a metabolic modulator.
How to check a MOTS-c COA
- Match the lot on the certificate to your vial label.
- Read the lab name on each PDF. As Alpha Pro shows, one vendor can use different labs for different sizes.
- Check identity by mass spectrometry, not just HPLC purity.
- Compare measured content to the label, which feeds directly into concentration math.
See how to read a peptide COA, the COA checklist and the reconstitution calculator.
Independent test data
None of the seven vendors we compared had independent Finnrick results for MOTS-c on September 26, 2026. Licensed Peptides, which we added on September 28, 2026, has no Finnrick profile. Finnrick has ten tests for Swiss Chems, none of them MOTS-c, and the other six vendors we compared have no Finnrick tests. Every certificate above was commissioned by the vendor, which chooses the sample it sends. That leaves lot matching and lab-side verification as the checks you can run yourself. More on how community testing works: what is Finnrick?
Vendor links
In our editors' order. Each review covers the vendor's policies, red flags and full testing record.
Bottom line
For MOTS-c, Peptide Plugs has the strongest documentation and the lowest price per mg we found. Alpha Pro Peptides, PSPeptides and Ascension Peptides also name labs on MOTS-c certificates. NextGenPeps names its lab, but its only MOTS-c entry is from January 2026. American Peptides and Swiss Chems don't show the lab on the page. For the full comparison, see best peptide vendors in the USA and third-party tested peptides.
Rank 1
