Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Head-to-head comparison of MOTS-c and Roxadustat — mechanism, dosing, side effects, legal status, and pricing.
MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid mitochondrial-derived peptide (MDP) encoded within the mitochondrial 12S rRNA, discovered by Lee and Cohen at USC in 2015 (sequence: MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR). It is an investigational, research-only peptide studied as a metabolic regulator; it has not been approved by the FDA for any indication.
Roxadustat (Evrenzo) is a small-molecule HIF-prolyl-hydroxylase inhibitor — not a peptide — that raises endogenous erythropoietin. It is an approved prescription drug for anemia of chronic kidney disease in China, Japan, and the EU, but the US FDA rejected it over safety signals. Because it boosts EPO/hemoglobin, it is diverted to the gray market for endurance doping and is WADA-prohibited at all times.
MOTS-c
Roxadustat
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Dose Range
Route
Frequency
COA-verified vendors · trust score ≥70 required · single-vial price — bulk/bundle deals may be lower
MOTS-c
Roxadustat
No pricing data yet.
Check Roxadustat prices →COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
MOTS-c
193
COAs
99.5%
Avg purity
16
Labs
Roxadustat
3
COAs
99.8%
Avg purity
2
Labs
Lee et al. (Cell Metabolism, 2015; PMID 25738459) identified MOTS-c and showed that exogenous administration in mice prevented diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance via AMPK activation in skeletal muscle. Kim et al. (Cell Metabolism, 2018; PMID 29983246) demonstrated that MOTS-c translocates to the nucleus under metabolic stress and regulates antioxidant response element (ARE) genes. Reynolds et al. (Nature Communications, 2021; PMID 33473109) reported that exercise induces MOTS-c in human skeletal muscle and that MOTS-c treatment improved physical capacity in young, middle-aged, and aged mice. Human clinical data are limited to CohBar's Phase 1a/1b study of the analog CB4211 in healthy volunteers and obese NAFLD subjects, which reported acceptable tolerability and exploratory signals on ALT/AST and glucose; CohBar wound down the program in 2023. No completed Phase 2 or Phase 3 trials exist for MOTS-c or its analogs, and grey-market dosing (typically ~10 mg SubQ 2-3x/week) is not clinically validated.
Key references
Roxadustat is supported by extensive human data as an approved anemia drug (China 2018, Japan 2019–2020, EU 2021 as Evrenzo) with numerous Phase 2/3 CKD trials. The US FDA advisory committee voted against approval in July 2021, citing thrombosis, seizures, infections, and mortality signals. No validated recreational or performance dose exists. Not FDA-approved; not a peptide.
MOTS-c and Roxadustat are both in the Metabolic category and may have overlapping mechanisms. Researchers should review both profiles carefully, understand the mechanisms of action, and monitor the relevant biomarkers when combining compounds in the same class. As always, consult a licensed healthcare provider before making any decisions about combining research compounds.
This platform provides informational tools only, not medical advice. This comparison is for educational purposes only. Consult a licensed provider.
Dosing Notes
Half-life
Side Effects
Contraindications
Lab Testing
Disclosed Labs