HPLC purity, LC-MS identity, endotoxin, and heavy metals testing for research peptides. A complete Certificate of Analysis accepted by partner testing programs and regulatory agencies.
Transparent Pricing
Published per-sample rates — no quote wall. Volume & batch pricing for recurring vendors.
The Testing Panel
Research peptides require purity, identity, and safety testing to verify the compound is what it claims to be and is safe for its intended use. Without independent analytical verification, a vial labeled "BPC-157" could contain a different peptide, a degraded sequence, or a contaminated batch — none of which would be detectable by visual inspection alone.
Our standard peptide testing panel covers four independent analyses that together answer the four critical questions: Is this the right compound? Is it pure? Is it safe to inject? Are there elemental contaminants from synthesis?
Results are issued as a Certificate of Analysis, which carries evidentiary weight with partner vendor qualification programs, compounding pharmacies, and regulatory bodies.
Reversed-phase separation at 214 nm or 220 nm. Purity reported as % main peak area vs. all detected impurities including truncation products and oxidized forms.
Molecular weight confirmation by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Confirms the compound matches the expected sequence — rules out substitution or wrong-compound contamination.
Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) or recombinant Factor C (rFC) method. Results in EU/mg. Required for injectable compounded peptides under USP <797>.
ICP-MS panel for Pb, As, Cd, and Hg. Raw material synthesis reagents can introduce trace metals — ICP-MS detection at ppt levels confirms absence or quantifies levels vs. USP <232> limits.
Compound Coverage
Our testing covers a wide range of research peptides across therapeutic areas. If the molecular formula or sequence is known, we can test it.
Regulatory Note
BPC-157 and TB-500 were removed from FDA Category 2 classification in April 2026, removing a previously cited barrier to testing. Testing for compounds under active FDA clinical review — such as Retatrutide — requires acknowledgment of their regulatory status as part of the submission process. We will confirm applicable notices at the time of quote.
Deliverables
Every result is issued as a Certificate of Analysis. The COA documents all analytical results and quality control data required for vendor qualification, compounding batch release, or independent verification.
Tell us your compound, available quantity, and requested tests — we'll confirm the method and quote before you ship anything.
Contact us
Share the compound name or molecular formula, available quantity (typically 5–20 mg for purity + identity), and the tests you need. We confirm the method and return a quote within one business day.
Ship your sample
Lyophilized peptides typically ship at ambient in sealed vials. We provide a chain-of-custody form. Samples are logged in upon arrival at our San Diego facility.
Receive your COA
Results in 5–7 business days for HPLC + LC-MS. Delivered digitally with all chromatographic data, QC records, and the signed COA document.
Who Uses Peptide COAs
Peptide COAs serve a range of customers across commercial, clinical, and research contexts.
Finnrick and similar peptide testing networks require COAs from partner labs as a condition of vendor approval. We supply the full analytical package these programs ask for — HPLC purity, LC-MS identity, and complete QC records — and will confirm accreditation coverage for your specific panel on request.
USP <797> sterile compounding standards require endotoxin testing and identity verification for injectable preparations. Our HPLC + LC-MS + endotoxin panel covers the core analytical release requirements. Results formatted for batch records and regulatory inspection readiness.
Academic labs and preclinical research programs need compound characterization data for publication and protocol documentation. Results carry more evidentiary weight than in-house or unverified testing for IRB submissions, grant reports, and peer-reviewed manuscripts.
Researchers purchasing from peptide suppliers benefit from independent verification that confirms purity and identity before the compound is used in experiments. A COA from an accredited third-party lab eliminates ambiguity about compound quality and supports reproducibility across studies.
Understanding the number
Chromatographic purity is the area of the principal peak divided by the total integrated peak area at the method wavelength, with the solvent front discarded. Peptides are read primarily at 214 nm, where the peptide bond absorbs, with 280 nm as a qualifier.
That definition carries a limit worth internalising: purity tells you what fraction of the UV-absorbing material was your target peak. It does not tell you how much peptide is in the vial. Lyophilised powder carries counterion salt (usually TFA or acetate) and residual moisture, both of which add mass without adding peptide. A vial can be 99% pure and still contain far less peptide than the label claims. That is a content measurement, and it is a different test.
It depends entirely on what the other 5% is, and a purity figure alone will not tell you. The conventional bands are ≥95% for research-grade material and ≥98% where the intended use is closer to pharmaceutical. Those are useful shorthand and they are also where most people stop thinking.
Five percent of a truncated sequence that is one residue short is a very different finding from five percent of an unidentified late-eluting species, and both report as 95%. The number is a screen, not a verdict. What makes it meaningful is the chromatogram behind it and whether the impurities were characterised or merely counted.
Peptide impurities are not random contamination. They fall into recognisable classes, and which class you are looking at changes what you should do about it:
Whoever issued it, the same questions apply. Work down in this order:
Every Prodigy certificate carries a QR code resolving to a public record, and our acceptance criteria are published in full — the system suitability limits, the identity windows, and how purity and content are calculated — so you can read the rules before you send a sample rather than after.
No. Reconstitution checks, appearance, pH strips and freeze-dried-cake inspection tell you whether something is obviously wrong; they cannot tell you whether it is right. Purity is a chromatographic separation measured against a reference standard of known potency on a qualified instrument, and identity requires either co-injection against that standard or mass spectrometry. There is no home equivalent, and there is no test kit that substitutes for one.
What you can do at home is send the vial somewhere that will answer the question properly, and know what to ask for before you do.
Common Questions
Research peptides are tested for purity by HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography), which separates the peptide of interest from impurities including truncated sequences, deletion products, oxidized forms, and synthesis byproducts. Purity is expressed as a percentage of the main peak area at the appropriate UV wavelength (typically 214 nm or 220 nm).
HPLC purity measures the percentage of the target compound relative to all detected species — it tells you how much of your sample is the correct peptide. LC-MS identity uses mass spectrometry to confirm the molecular weight of the peptide matches the expected sequence, ruling out wrong-sequence contamination or substitution. Both tests together provide a complete characterization: purity + identity.
ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited labs can test any peptide where the expected molecular weight and sequence are known. Common research peptides include BPC-157, TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4), Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, Retatrutide, CJC-1295, Ipamorelin, PT-141, and custom synthesized sequences. The lab needs the molecular formula or sequence to prepare calibration references and validate the method.
For injectable compounded peptides, endotoxin testing is required by USP <797> sterile compounding standards. Endotoxins from gram-negative bacterial contamination can cause fever or septic shock when injected. Endotoxin levels are reported in EU/mg and must meet the limit calculated for the intended dose and route before batch release.
It depends on what the other 5% is. The conventional bands are 95% or better for research-grade material and 98% or better where the intended use is closer to pharmaceutical. But 5% of a truncated sequence one residue short is a very different finding from 5% of an unidentified late-eluting species, and both report as 95%. Purity is a screen, not a verdict — what makes it meaningful is the chromatogram behind it and whether the impurities were characterised or merely counted.
No. Appearance, reconstitution behaviour and pH strips can tell you something is obviously wrong, but they cannot tell you a peptide is right. Purity is a chromatographic separation measured against a reference standard of known potency on a qualified instrument, and identity requires either co-injection against that standard or mass spectrometry. There is no home equivalent and no test kit that substitutes for one.
Send a vial to an independent analytical laboratory that does not also sell peptides. Prodigy Labs is a US laboratory in San Diego; we run RP-HPLC purity, identity confirmation by co-injection with optional intact-mass MS, and content per vial, and we do not manufacture or resell peptides. Look for a lab that publishes its acceptance criteria, reports content as well as purity, and gives you a certificate you can verify yourself rather than one forwarded to you by a seller.
Prodigy pricing starts at $195 per sample for the Basic package (retention-time identity and purity) and $295 for Tier 1, identity confirmed by co-injection with purity and content, with intact-mass MS confirmation as a $350 add-on. Injectable panels that add endotoxin, bioburden and true USP <71> sterility run $750 and $1,195. Across the market, a basic purity-only HPLC run is generally the cheapest option and full multi-test panels cost several hundred dollars more; compare what is included, particularly whether content per vial is bundled or charged separately.
Standard peptide testing (HPLC purity + LC-MS identity) has a turnaround time of 5–7 business days from sample receipt, measured from when the sample lands, not from when you ship it. Injectable screening panels run 7–10 business days. Rush turnaround options may be available — contact us to discuss your timeline.
Free Tool
Use our free Peptide Purity Calculator to get a recommended test panel and cost estimate for your compound.
Open the Peptide Calculator →Send us your compound information and available sample quantity — we'll confirm the method, turnaround, and quote within one business day.
We put our published price, turnaround, accreditation status and certificate contents side by side with other peptide testing labs — sourced to what each lab publishes, with no claims about anyone else's results.