The math for this vial
- Concentration: 5 mg ÷ 2 mL = 2.5 mg/mL (2,500 mcg/mL).
- Volume of one U-100 unit: 1 ÷ 100 = 0.01 mL.
- Mass in one unit: 2,500 mcg/mL × 0.01 mL = 25 mcg.
- The whole vial is 200 U-100 units of solution, more than one 1 mL syringe holds.
On a U-40 syringe each unit is 0.025 mL, so each unit holds 2.5 times as much: 62.5 mcg at 2 mL. See U-100 vs U-40 units.
Unit chart
What common U-100 readings hold from a 5 mg vial, by water volume.
| Units | mL | 1 mL water | 2 mL water | 3 mL water |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.01 | 50 mcg | 25 mcg | 16.7 mcg |
| 5 | 0.05 | 250 mcg | 125 mcg | 83.3 mcg |
| 10 | 0.1 | 500 mcg | 250 mcg | 166.7 mcg |
| 20 | 0.2 | 1 mg | 500 mcg | 333.3 mcg |
| 25 | 0.25 | 1.25 mg | 625 mcg | 416.7 mcg |
| 50 | 0.5 | 2.5 mg | 1.25 mg | 833.3 mcg |
| 100 | 1 | 5 mg | 2.5 mg | 1.667 mg |
About this vial size
5 mg is the smallest common MOTS-c vial. Across the water volumes above, one U-100 unit holds between 16.7 mcg (at 3 mL) and 50 mcg (at 1 mL). A 10 mg vial at the same water volume is 2 times as concentrated as this one.
The jump from a 10 mg to a 40 mg vial quadruples concentration at the same water volume. At 40 mg in 2 mL (20 mg/mL), one U-100 unit holds 200 mcg.
Storage and handling
- No approved label or validated in-use stability data exists. Methionine-containing peptides are prone to oxidation, so minimize air exposure and light.
- General practice: refrigerate reconstituted vials (2-8 °C), avoid freezing and repeated warming, label with date and concentration.
MOTS-c is not an approved drug. A 2026 advisory vote recommended it for the pharmacy compounding list, which requires rulemaking before it takes effect.