SLU-PP-332

Overview

SLU-PP-332 is a synthetic small molecule, not a peptide. It is a low-molecular-weight organic compound (benzamide/hydrazide class) that acts as a pan-agonist of the estrogen-related receptors (ERRα, ERRβ, ERRγ) — a family of orphan nuclear receptors that sit upstream of mitochondrial biogenesis, fatty-acid oxidation, and the aerobic gene program normally switched on by endurance exercise. For that reason it is frequently described as an "exercise mimetic."

It appears here because SLU-PP-332 shows up on peptide and research-chemical vendor sites and is often discussed alongside peptides in the enhancement community. But mechanistically it has nothing to do with peptides: it works through nuclear-receptor signaling, not a peptide/cell-surface receptor. In that respect it is closer in spirit to the mitochondrial-focused compounds it is compared with — such as MOTS-c and SS-31 — while acting by an entirely different route.

The evidence base is strictly preclinical. Everything known about its effects comes from mouse and cell studies. No living human has ever been dosed with it — there are no human clinical trials, no human safety or in-vivo efficacy data, and no regulatory approval anywhere. (The only human-derived data is in vitro: in a 2025 pilot, the compound was applied to cultured muscle cells from older women's biopsies, not given to anyone — see Research below.)

Chemistry and structure

SLU-PP-332 is a small organic molecule built around a naphthalene group linked through a hydrazide/benzamide framework to a 4-hydroxybenzamide.

The CAS number 303760-60-3 is corroborated across multiple vendor listings (e.g. BenchChem, Kimera, MedChemExpress); the formula, weight, and IUPAC name are confirmed via PubChem CID 5338394. The "SLU" prefix is widely assumed to indicate Saint Louis University (the Thomas Burris group), but this was not verified against a primary source in this review — treat the originating lab as unconfirmed.

Mechanism of action

• Pan-agonist of ERRα, ERRβ and ERRγ. SLU-PP-332 binds and activates all three estrogen-related receptors — orphan nuclear receptors that regulate oxidative metabolism. The foundational report describes it as a potent but non-selective ERR agonist acting most strongly at ERRα (EC50 ~98 nM). A 2026 structure-activity study reports assay-dependent cell-based values of ERRα ~0.22 µM and ERRγ ~0.59 µM. [In vitro]
• Activates an acute aerobic-exercise gene program. By turning on the ERR-driven transcriptional program, it increases mitochondrial biogenesis, cellular respiration and oxidative capacity in C2C12 murine myotubes. [In vitro]
• Exercise-capacity effects are ERRα-dependent in vivo. In mice, the enhancement of endurance and the exercise gene signature was reported as specifically ERRα-dependent. [Animal]

Because ERRs sit upstream of the same aerobic/oxidative genes that endurance training activates, the compound is described as mimicking part of the exercise response at the transcriptional level — hence "exercise mimetic." This is a mechanistic, cell-and-animal rationale, not a demonstrated human effect.

Research and evidence

All published evidence is preclinical (mouse and cell). Key findings:

Notably, in the 2024 metabolic-syndrome study there was no significant glucose-metabolism change in normal-weight mice — the metabolic benefits were seen in obese models. The 2025 muscle-atrophy work is explicitly pilot-level and tested the compound on human-derived cells in vitro, not on living participants.

Human clinical evidence: none. No living human has ever been dosed with SLU-PP-332, so there is no human pharmacokinetics, half-life, oral bioavailability, or safety data. The only human-derived data is in vitro: the 2025 pilot applied the compound to cultured muscle cells from older women's muscle biopsies, not to any person. Exact quantitative endurance metrics from the 2023 paper (e.g. percentage increase in running distance) were not extracted verbatim for this entry (the ACS full text returned HTTP 403), so those figures are described only qualitatively.

Status and regulation

SLU-PP-332 is not an approved drug. It has not been approved by the FDA, EMA, or any major regulator for any indication, there is no public IND or NDA, and it is sold only as a research-use / reference reagent. It is not a dietary supplement and not an approved wellness or performance product. Material sold to consumers is outside the manufacturing, purity, and oversight standards of a medicine.

WADA status: not established from an authoritative source. SLU-PP-332 is not explicitly named on the WADA Prohibited List. A supplement/vendor site claims ERR agonists fall under class S4.5 (metabolic modulators), but that is not an official WADA classification for this specific compound, so it is treated as not established. WADA eligibility is a separate axis from legality.

Safety

There is no human safety data for SLU-PP-332 — none. All observations come from rodent and cell studies, which cannot establish a human safety profile, dosing, or long-term risk. No half-life, bioavailability, drug-interaction, or toxicology data in humans were found.

Legal status

SLU-PP-332 is classified as a research reagent, sold "for research use only." That classification is not a statement that it is legal or safe to take. "No specific ban" is not affirmative permission, and a compound becomes an unauthorised medicine the moment it is intended for human use. Legal status is jurisdiction-specific and can change; this page is not legal advice — check the rules in your own jurisdiction.

Legal status has not been formally assessed for this entry (legalityNotAssessed).

How it compares

SLU-PP-332 is grouped with longevity and mitochondrial compounds mainly because it targets oxidative metabolism and is marketed as an "exercise mimetic." But it is chemically and mechanistically distinct from the peptides it is discussed alongside.

The honest distinction: MOTS-c and SS-31 are peptides; SLU-PP-332 is not. SS-31 is the only one with a substantial human trial program, while SLU-PP-332 sits at the earliest end — animal and cell data only.

Common misconceptions

• "SLU-PP-332 is a peptide." No. It is a small-molecule ERR agonist (formula C18H14N2O2, MW ~290.3). It is discussed with peptides but works through nuclear receptors, not a peptide receptor.
• "It's a proven exercise-in-a-pill for humans." No. Every effect is from mice and cells. There are no human trials and no human efficacy or safety data.
• "It's approved / legal / safe to take." No. It is not approved anywhere and is sold as a research reagent. "Research use only" is not permission for human use.
• "It's a banned substance under WADA S4.5." Not established. SLU-PP-332 is not explicitly named on the WADA list; the S4.5 claim comes from a vendor page, not an official WADA classification.
• "Strong receptor mechanism means it works in people." A clear mechanism in cells and mice does not prove human benefit; that step has never been tested here.