SS-31 is the research-chemical name for elamipretide, a four-amino-acid peptide that concentrates more than 1,000-fold inside the inner mitochondrial membrane. In September 2025 the FDA granted its clinical version accelerated approval for one ultra-rare disease. The version on peptide vendor sites is not that drug, and almost no buyer's guide tells you the difference.
If you've been searching where to buy SS-31, this guide cuts through the marketing. You'll learn exactly what is being sold, who sells it credibly, what it should cost in 2026, how to read a real certificate of analysis, and which red flags quietly separate a clean batch from an underdosed vial. SS-31 (elamipretide) sits in an unusual spot: a genuine approved medication exists, but the "SS-31 for sale" you find online is research-grade material sold for laboratory use only.
Key Takeaways
- SS-31 and elamipretide are the same molecule, but they are not the same product. The FDA-approved version (Forzinity) is prescription-only for Barth syndrome. Research-grade SS-31 is sold "for research use only" and is not approved for any other purpose.
- The vendors below differ far more in how they document each batch than in their headline purity claims. The comparison table shows which of them publish lot-specific certificates and which publish a product-level one.
- Always demand a batch-specific COA that matches the lot number on your vial, not a generic product certificate. Purity should read ≥98% by HPLC.
- Expect roughly $50–$130 for a 10mg vial. Anything far below that range usually means skipped testing, not a real bargain.
- No prescription exists for research SS-31. It ships as a freeze-dried powder you reconstitute with bacteriostatic water.
Our Pick: Ascension Peptides
Ascension Peptides is our #1 pick for SS-31. It lists SS-31 (10mg) at $79.99 USD.
- Independent testing on every batch. Current batches are tested by Kovera Labs (older batches by MZ Biolabs), with certificates covering HPLC purity, LC-MS identity, net content per vial, endotoxin, a rapid sterility screen and heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury).
- A purity bar you can check. The certificate pass mark is >98% purity, and recent batches tested between 98.9% and 99.9%.
- Public certificates. 85 batch-specific certificates sit in a public COA library. We checked one Kovera report against the lab's own records, and it matched.
- Pricing, shipping and returns. Prices are in USD, with 3% / 5% / 10% off when you buy 3 / 5 / 10 units. Ascension ships within the United States only, with free shipping on orders over $250. All sales are final; damaged or incorrect items are replaced if reported quickly.
- Discount. Code PEPTIDEDECK gives new customers 50% off.
Note that this is research-grade SS-31, not Forzinity, the FDA-approved prescription version covered below.
SS-31 vs Forzinity: Which One Are You Actually Buying?
Most "where to buy SS-31" searches mix up two very different products. The table separates them.
| Forzinity (elamipretide) | Research-grade SS-31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory status | FDA accelerated approval, September 2025 | Not approved for any use |
| Approved indication | Barth syndrome | None |
| Prescription | Required | None, sold for research use only |
| Where it comes from | Prescriber and pharmacy channels | Online peptide vendors |
| What a buyer must check | Nothing, the pharmacy handles it | Batch COA, purity, identity |
The approval is documented in the medical literature: one 2026 review describes elamipretide as the first cardiolipin-directed mitochondrial therapeutic for Barth syndrome approved under accelerated approval (PMID 41260682). It does not change the status of vial powder bought from a research vendor. For what the trial data do and do not show, read our SS-31 elamipretide review.
The image below sets the two products side by side.
What SS-31 (Elamipretide) Actually Is
SS-31 is a synthetic tetrapeptide from the Szeto-Schiller family, originally developed by researchers Hazel Szeto and Peter Schiller. Its sequence is D-Arg-2',6'-dimethyltyrosine-Lys-Phe-NH₂, and the inclusion of a D-amino acid and a non-natural tyrosine residue is what makes it cell-permeable and resistant to rapid breakdown. Once inside a cell it selectively binds cardiolipin, a phospholipid unique to the inner mitochondrial membrane, where it concentrates more than a thousandfold. The research interest centers on whether stabilizing cardiolipin helps preserve mitochondrial structure and energy production under stress.
Vendors and papers use several names for the same molecule: SS-31, elamipretide, MTP-131 and the older name Bendavia. Its molecular weight is about 639.8 g/mol, a number worth remembering because it is what a mass spectrometry report should show for the intact peptide. Under those development codes, the compound has been studied in human trials for primary mitochondrial myopathy, heart failure, dry age-related macular degeneration, and other conditions. Most of those programs did not reach approval. The one that did is Barth syndrome, a rare inherited mitochondrial disorder: in September 2025 the FDA granted elamipretide accelerated approval under the brand name Forzinity, a subcutaneous injection for eligible patients. That approval is narrow and does not make grey-market SS-31 a medicine.
Where to Buy SS-31 in 2026
There is no general pharmacy counter for SS-31. Forzinity is prescription-only and restricted to Barth syndrome, so unless you qualify for that specific indication, the realistic sourcing options are research-chemical peptide vendors. These companies sell SS-31 as a lyophilized powder labeled "for research use only," and they do not require a prescription.
That convenience comes with a catch: the market is unregulated, and quality ranges from genuinely lab-verified to mislabeled and underdosed. Dozens of vendors list SS-31. A handful test every batch through an independent lab and publish the results; many recycle a single generic certificate or publish nothing at all. So the honest answer to "where to buy SS-31" is less about which website has the product and more about which vendor can prove what is in the vial. That verification step is where the entire decision lives.
For the record on where our own money goes: Ascension Peptides is the supplier we buy from for the compounds it stocks, and it does list SS-31 (10mg) at $79.99 USD. Every batch is tested by an independent lab, and the batch-specific certificates are published in a public COA library, so you can apply the checks below to its lot like any other.
Where to Buy SS-31 Safely: Three Routes Compared
| Route | Who it suits | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Prescription (Forzinity) | Eligible Barth syndrome patients | Narrow indication, needs a prescriber |
| Research-grade vendor | Buyers sourcing research material | Quality depends entirely on batch testing |
| Marketplaces and unverified listings | Nobody | No lot-matched certificate, no recourse |
If you are not in the first group, you are in the second, and the rest of this guide is about making that choice carefully.
Best Place to Buy SS-31: What to Demand From Any Vendor
Ascension Peptides is our pick because its paperwork is public, and any guide that crowns a seller without showing the paperwork is selling you something. Judge any vendor, ours included, on four things, in this order.
Batch-specific third-party testing. The certificate should be tied to the actual lot you receive, from an independent lab, rather than a single product-level certificate that may predate your batch by months.
A purity figure you can check. Look for ≥98% by HPLC, backed by a chromatogram. For a tetrapeptide that has to fold and bind correctly, the gap between a tested 98% and an unverified "99%" claim matters for accurate research dosing.
Lyophilized format and honest stock status. It should ship as a freeze-dried powder with clear storage guidance, and availability should be stated plainly rather than left perpetually "back soon."
Shipping and pricing that reflect the lab work. You want to pay for the testing that separates a clean vial from cheap material, not for marketing. The vendor comparison table further down shows how the sellers we looked at line up on each of these points, and the section immediately below shows how to read the certificate they hand you.
How to Verify SS-31 Quality: The COA
Most guides say "look for third-party testing" and stop there. Here is what actually separates a real certificate from a decorative one.
Batch-specific, not product-level. A product-level COA covers a product line and could reflect a synthesis run from six months ago. A batch-specific COA references the exact lot number printed on your vial, with a testing date and results that correspond to what you received. The lot on the vial should match the lot on the certificate. If it doesn't, or there's no lot number at all, treat it as unverified.
The checklist below turns the certificate checks into five items to confirm before you buy.
Five checks for an SS-31 certificate of analysis
- 1Lot number matches
The lot on the certificate is the lot printed on your vial. - 2HPLC purity 98% or higher
With a chromatogram, not just a stated percentage. - 3Mass about 639.8 g/mol
Mass spectrometry should show the intact tetrapeptide. - 4Endotoxin and sterility
Contaminant results matter more than a second decimal of purity. - 5A lab you can look up
An independent lab with a public portal to cross-check the ID.
HPLC for purity, MS for identity. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) tells you what percentage of the sample is actually SS-31. Look for ≥98%; 95% is borderline, and lower is a red flag. Mass spectrometry confirms the molecular weight matches the tetrapeptide's structure, so you know it's the right compound and not just a pure something-else. The best COAs include both, and the strongest also add amino acid analysis.
Identity beyond purity. For SS-31 specifically, a strong certificate shows the measured mass matching the roughly 639.8 g/mol of the intact tetrapeptide. Purity alone cannot tell you the sample is the right compound.
Contaminant testing. Endotoxin, sterility and heavy metals results matter more than a second decimal of purity, especially for anything you plan to reconstitute.
Verifiable labs. Names like Janoshik and Colmaric Analyticals run public portals where you can cross-check a certificate ID. If the "lab" has no website and the certificate has no chromatogram image, it proves nothing.
What SS-31 Costs in 2026: Price Per Milligram
Price tracks vial size and whether the vendor actually pays for testing.
- 5mg vials: roughly $40–$75. A low-commitment way to verify a vendor before buying larger.
- 10mg vials: roughly $50–$130. The most common size; quality vendors sit in the middle of this band.
- 25mg–50mg vials: roughly $100–$200, better per-milligram value but only worth it once you trust the vendor's COAs.
- Bacteriostatic water: $8–$15, needed separately for reconstitution.
The chart below shows the typical price band for each vial size.
SS-31 vial prices in 2026 by size
Across the vendor pages we reviewed, listed prices work out to roughly $3 to $13 per milligram, with small vials costing the most per milligram. Ascension's $79.99 10mg vial is about $8.00 per mg, and some other listings for 10mg sat near $63 to $69. Several vendors list 10mg around $50, and 50mg around $150, with multi-vial boxes (for example, ten-vial cases) bringing the per-vial cost down. Be skeptical of anything dramatically under range. The most common corner to cut is the testing, which is exactly the part you're paying for.
Choosing a Vial Size Before You Buy SS-31
Because reconstituted solution is only good for about 3 to 4 weeks, the vial you buy should match how long you will actually use it. A large vial is only cheaper per milligram if you finish it inside that window.
- 5mg: the cheapest way to test a new vendor and its paperwork, at the highest price per milligram.
- 10mg: the standard size and the one most vendors list first. Good for a first real order.
- 25mg to 50mg: the lowest cost per milligram, but only sensible once a vendor's certificates have held up across batches.
Several vendors also sell 30mg and 50mg vials in the $80 to $170 range, which looks cheap per mg but wastes material if it outlasts the reconstitution window.
The table below summarises how the three size bands compare.
Which SS-31 vial size fits which buyer
| 5mg | 10mg | 25mg to 50mg | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Testing a new vendor and its paperwork | A first real order | Vendors whose certificates have held up across batches |
| Cost per mg | Highest | About $8.00 per mg at Ascension's $79.99 vial | Lowest |
| Catch | Smallest vial, most per milligram | The standard size, so check the batch certificate | Wasted if it outlasts the 3 to 4 week reconstituted window |
Buying SS-31 Online: Shipping, Payment and Return Terms
- Shipping scope. Many US vendors ship domestically only, and free-shipping thresholds commonly sit around $200 to $250. Shipping outside the US adds customs risk.
- Return policy. Several research vendors state that orders are final, with replacement only for damaged or wrong items. Decide on size and vendor before you pay.
- Payment. A card gives you a dispute route that crypto-only checkouts do not. A vendor that accepts only crypto is a red flag.
- Contact details. Look for a real business address, a support channel that answers, and a track record outside the vendor's own site.
Red Flags to Avoid
- No COA, or a generic one only. A product-level certificate with no lot number is a non-answer. No batch-specific COA, no sale.
- Prices that seem too good. A verified 10mg vial costs money to synthesize and test. A $20 vial with free shipping cut something out of that chain.
- Pre-mixed "ready to use" solutions with no batch date. SS-31 should arrive lyophilized; a pre-dissolved product with no documentation is a stability and labeling risk.
- Human-use or cure claims. A vendor that sells a "research chemical" while telling you how to dose it for anti-aging or athletic performance is talking out of both sides of its mouth.
- False approval language. Any site implying SS-31 itself is "FDA-approved" is misrepresenting things. Only the narrow Barth syndrome indication for Forzinity is approved.
- Vendors that only test in-house. Independent labs with public portals are the standard; a certificate from the seller's own bench proves little
- Crypto-only payment or no return or replacement policy. Both leave you with no recourse if the vial is wrong
- No track record. Vendors with zero presence in research and peptide communities, positive or negative, deserve caution.
How to Get SS-31 (and Reconstitute It)
For research-grade SS-31 there is no prescription step. You order online from a vetted vendor, and it arrives as a freeze-dried powder. Before any research use it is reconstituted with bacteriostatic water (the benzyl alcohol preserves the solution for weeks); plain sterile water doesn't offer the same shelf life.
Storage matters because degraded peptide is wasted money. Vendor product pages we reviewed describe long-term storage of the dry powder at -20°C, protected from light and moisture, with 2–8°C acceptable short term; follow the instructions that ship with your vial. Keep the unreconstituted powder refrigerated at 2–8°C (it tolerates brief room-temperature shipping), store reconstituted solution at 2–8°C and use it within about 3–4 weeks, never freeze the reconstituted vial, and keep it out of direct light. Buying decisions follow from dosing: research literature commonly references low single-digit milligram daily amounts, so a 10mg vial doesn't last long, which is why per-milligram pricing and verified purity are worth getting right before you order.
SS-31 Vendor Comparison
Top Vendors
Ranked by purity, third-party testing, COA availability, and price.
>98% HPLC (certificate pass mark) · Kovera Labs, every batch · US only
≥99% HPLC/MS · COA + AAA · US
99%+ (lot tracked) · HPLC per batch · US
99%+ · COA included · US
Listed · Claimed · US/intl
Prices are approximate and change frequently. Always confirm current pricing and batch-specific COA availability before purchasing.
Related Buying Guides
Use these next if you are comparing adjacent research-peptide sourcing decisions:
Want the science or the head-to-head before you buy? Start here:
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy SS-31?
Research-grade SS-31 (elamipretide) is sold by peptide vendors as a lyophilized powder for research use only. Buy from one that publishes a batch-specific third-party COA matching the lot number on your vial, shows ≥98% HPLC purity, and ships domestically; the comparison table above lists the vendors we looked at and how they document their batches. The FDA-approved version, Forzinity, is prescription-only and limited to Barth syndrome.
Is SS-31 legal to buy?
SS-31 sold as a research chemical is not a scheduled substance, and buying it for laboratory research from a domestic vendor carries low legal risk in practice. It is not approved for human use outside the narrow Barth syndrome indication, so you are operating outside the standard pharmaceutical system. Laws vary by jurisdiction, so check local rules before ordering, especially internationally.
How much does SS-31 cost?
Expect roughly $40–$75 for a 5mg vial, $50–$130 for a 10mg vial, and $100–$200 for 25–50mg sizes in 2026. Bacteriostatic water for reconstitution runs $8–$15 separately. Prices well below these ranges usually signal skipped testing rather than a genuine discount.
How do I know my SS-31 is real and high purity?
Demand a batch-specific certificate of analysis whose lot number matches your vial. It should show ≥98% purity by HPLC with a chromatogram, and ideally mass spectrometry confirming identity. Verify the testing lab exists and has a public portal (Janoshik and Colmaric are examples). No lot number or an unverifiable lab means the certificate is unproven.
Do I need a prescription for SS-31?
Not for research-grade SS-31, which vendors sell without a prescription for research use only. A prescription only applies to the approved drug elamipretide (Forzinity) for Barth syndrome, which is dispensed through normal pharmaceutical channels.
Can I buy SS-31 at a pharmacy?
Only the approved drug, Forzinity, goes through pharmacies, and only for its Barth syndrome indication on a prescription. Research-grade SS-31 is not stocked by pharmacies.
How much is SS-31 per milligram?
Across the vendor pages we reviewed, roughly $3 to $13 per mg. Small 5mg vials sit at the expensive end and 50mg vials at the cheap end.
How should SS-31 be stored?
Vendor documentation commonly specifies the dry powder at -20°C, away from light and moisture, with 2–8°C acceptable for short periods. Once reconstituted, keep it refrigerated and use it within about 3 to 4 weeks. Follow the instructions that come with your vial.
What other names does SS-31 go by?
Elamipretide, MTP-131 and Bendavia are the other names you will see. They refer to the same tetrapeptide.
Are SS-31 and elamipretide the same thing?
Chemically, yes, they are the same tetrapeptide. The distinction is regulatory and practical: "elamipretide/Forzinity" refers to the FDA-approved, manufactured, prescription medication for Barth syndrome, while "SS-31" on a vendor site refers to research-grade material sold for laboratory use that has not gone through that approval and manufacturing process.
The Bottom Line on Where to Buy SS-31
SS-31 is one of the more scientifically interesting peptides on the market, and the September 2025 approval of elamipretide for Barth syndrome shows the underlying mechanism is real, not marketing. But the vial in a research vendor's catalog is not that approved drug, and the market around it rewards buyers who verify rather than trust. The order of operations is simple: COA first, vendor reputation second, price last.
Run that order on whichever vendor you are considering. Ask for the batch-specific certificate before you pay, check that the lot number on it matches the vial that arrives, and walk away from anyone who answers with a product-level PDF and a discount code. If you're ready to buy SS-31, that request is where I'd start.
Medical Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Research-grade SS-31 is sold for laboratory research use only and is not approved to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The approved drug elamipretide (Forzinity) is limited to its labeled indication and requires a prescription. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before beginning any new compound or protocol. The purchase and use of research peptides carries legal and health risks that vary by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
