With hundreds of peptide vendors operating online, evaluating quality is challenging. These 8 criteria are non-negotiable for any vendor you consider — and physician-supervised clinical protocols satisfy all of them by default.
1. Independent Third-Party COA
The COA must come from an independent, accredited laboratory — not the vendor's own in-house lab. ISO 17025 accreditation is the standard. Any vendor that cannot provide an independent COA should be immediately disqualified.
2. Mass Spectrometry Verification
The COA must include MS data confirming molecular weight. HPLC purity alone is insufficient. This is the single most commonly missing quality criterion in the research chemical market.
3. Lot-Specific Documentation
COAs must be specific to the lot you are purchasing — not a generic document. Lot numbers on the COA must match the lot number on the product.
4. Sterile Manufacturing for Injectables
Any injectable peptide must be manufactured under sterile conditions (USP 797 equivalent). Lyophilized powder from non-sterile manufacturing carries endotoxin contamination risk.
5. Transparent Pricing
Prices significantly below market rate indicate underdosing, incorrect compound, or poor manufacturing quality. Legitimate quality has a cost.
6. No Pre-Dissolved Products
Peptides should be sold as lyophilized powder, not pre-dissolved in solution. Pre-dissolved peptides degrade rapidly and indicate poor quality standards.
7. Physician Oversight (Preferred)
Physician supervision is the gold standard — it ensures proper compound selection, dosing, monitoring, and legal compliance. Alukard provides this for all compounds in their catalog.
8. Legal Compliance
Prescription compounds (semaglutide, tesamorelin, gonadorelin) must be dispensed through a licensed pharmacy with a valid prescription. Any vendor selling these without a prescription is operating illegally.