Research peptides in Canada run from about $15 to $150 a vial. The spread has almost nothing to do with quality and almost everything to do with chemistry: a 3-amino-acid peptide is cheap to make, a 43-amino-acid protein is not, and a multi-component blend costs what its components cost.
The number that actually matters is not the sticker price. It is price per milligram, plus the costs people forget: diluent, shipping, and — for anything crossing a border — brokerage fees and the real chance of a customs seizure. Below is the full Canadian price list, the arithmetic, and the one case where a low price is a genuine warning sign.
The full price list
Current TrueLabs pricing, October 2026. Starting prices, smallest vial size.
| Compound | Category | From |
|---|---|---|
| IGF1-LR3 | Growth factor | $15 |
| BPC-157 | Repair | $22 |
| AOD-9604 | Metabolic | $23 |
| HCG (5000 IU) | Gonadotropin | $24 |
| Epithalon | Longevity | $26 |
| NAD+ Buffer | Mitochondrial | $26 |
| CJC-1295 w/DAC | GH secretagogue | $31 |
| Kisspeptin | Reproductive | $34 |
| DSIP | Neuropeptide | $35 |
| KPV | Anti-inflammatory | $36 |
| Tesamorelin | GH secretagogue | $37 |
| Cagrilintide | Metabolic | $40 |
| Ipamorelin | GH secretagogue | $40 |
| Selank | Neuropeptide | $40 |
| Semax | Neuropeptide | $41 |
| Pinealon | Longevity | $44 |
| MT-1 | Melanocortin | $45 |
| MT-2 (Melanotan II) | Melanocortin | $45 |
| PT-141 | Melanocortin | $45 |
| GHK-Cu | Copper peptide | $49 |
| MOTS-C | Mitochondrial | $55 |
| TB-500 | Repair | $55 |
| AHK-Cu | Copper peptide | $65 |
| SS-31 | Mitochondrial | $69 |
| BPC/TB-500 blend | Blend | $70 |
| TZ-2 (Tirzepatide) | Metabolic | $73 |
| CJC/IPA blend | Blend | $75 |
| RT3 (Retatrutide) | Metabolic | $90 |
| GLOW70 | Blend (3 components) | $130 |
| KLOW80 | Blend (4 components) | $150 |
| Bacteriostatic water | Diluent | $7 |
Why prices vary so much
A seven-fold spread between the cheapest and most expensive single compound looks arbitrary until you know what drives synthesis cost.
| Factor | Effect on price | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Chain length | The dominant factor. Solid-phase synthesis adds each amino acid in a separate step, and yield drops with every step. | KPV is 3 amino acids. Full-length thymosin beta-4 is 43. |
| Difficult sequences | Some sequences fold or aggregate during synthesis and need specialised handling. | Long GLP-1 class compounds |
| Modifications | Fatty-acid chains, linkers, cyclisation and metal complexes all add steps. | CJC-1295’s DAC linker; GHK-Cu’s copper complex |
| Purification | Reaching 99% rather than 95% means discarding more material. | Applies across the board |
| Testing | Independent HPLC and mass spectrometry per lot is a real per-batch cost. | Applies across the board |
| Blends | A blend costs roughly what its components cost, plus mixing and verification. | KLOW80 contains four compounds |
This is why IGF1-LR3 at $15 and SS-31 at $69 are not a quality statement about either. IGF1-LR3 is produced recombinantly at scale for cell-culture use worldwide, which makes it unusually cheap. SS-31 contains non-standard amino acids and is now an approved drug in the US under the name elamipretide, which keeps demand and production standards high.
Price per milligram, and why it misleads
Dividing price by milligrams is the obvious comparison, and it is the right starting point — a $22 vial of 2 mg and a $22 vial of 10 mg are not the same purchase.
But price per milligram has two traps:
- Milligrams are not potency. Compounds are not interchangeable by weight. Comparing cost per mg across different peptides tells you nothing useful.
- The label is a claim, not a measurement. A 2026 analysis of consumer research peptides found extensive variability in both purity and measured abundance — how much was actually in the vial. Price per mg assumes the mg are there.
Use price per mg to compare vial sizes of the same compound from the same supplier. Beyond that, it stops meaning much.
Blends vs separate vials: the real arithmetic
Blends are usually cheaper per total milligram. Here is the comparison with actual numbers rather than assertions.
| Approach | What you buy | Starting cost |
|---|---|---|
| BPC-157 + TB-500 separately | Two vials, independent ratio control | $22 + $55 = $77 |
| BPC/TB-500 blend | One vial, fixed ratio, 10–30 mg total | $70 |
| CJC-1295 + ipamorelin separately | Two vials, independent schedules | $31 + $40 = $71 |
| CJC/IPA blend | One vial, 10 mg total | $75 |
| GHK-Cu + BPC-157 + TB-500 separately | Three vials | $49 + $22 + $55 = $126 |
| GLOW70 blend | One vial, 70 mg total | $130 |
Blends are not automatically cheaper. On starting prices, the BPC/TB blend saves money, while CJC/IPA and GLOW70 cost slightly more than their components — but they contain far more total material. The honest summary: blends buy convenience and usually a better price per total milligram, while separate vials buy control and the ability to tell which compound did what. Neither is scientifically superior. Detail in the BPC-157 and TB-500 guide.
The costs people forget
| Cost | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bacteriostatic water | $7 | Not optional. Lyophilized powder is unusable until reconstituted, and sterile water without preservative is single-use. |
| Domestic shipping | $19 standard | Free on orders over $200 |
| Overnight shipping | $39.95 | Only worth it for genuinely time-sensitive orders |
| Shipping to the USA | $19.95 | — |
| Brokerage and duties on imports | Variable, often $20–$60 | Applies to anything crossing a border, and is charged on delivery |
| A seized shipment | 100% of the order | See below |
Why imported peptides cost more than they look
An overseas vial at half the price stops being cheaper once you account for what can happen between the warehouse and your door.
Health Canada states that it works with the Canada Border Services Agency “to stop unauthorized shipments” of these peptides from entering the country. A seized order is a total loss, not a partial one, and there is no refund mechanism on the importing side. Add brokerage fees on anything that does arrive, two to four weeks of transit, and no practical recourse if the product is wrong, and the arithmetic usually inverts.
The full breakdown, including what CBSA actually does with these shipments, is in Canadian vs imported peptides.
When a low price is a warning
Being cheap is not a red flag on its own — IGF1-LR3 is genuinely inexpensive to produce. What matters is whether the price is explainable.
The 2026 purity analysis is the reason this matters: when content varies between products, the cheapest vial may simply contain less. A vial at 60% of the price containing 60% of the stated amount is not a discount. Our eight checks for spotting fake or underdosed peptides covers how to tell.
What a first order actually needs
If the order is heading toward $200, the free-shipping threshold usually makes a second small item cheaper than paying for delivery.
Why Canadian suppliers only take Interac
This confuses almost every first-time buyer, so it is worth stating plainly: card networks do not process payments for research peptide companies. This is an industry-wide position, not a decision any individual supplier made, and it is why every Canadian supplier in this category runs on Interac e-Transfer.
Practically, Interac is free with most Canadian banks, settles instantly, and your banking details never reach the supplier. A site in this category advertising Visa or Mastercard checkout is worth a second look — either the processor does not know what is being sold, or the descriptor is not accurate.
Legitimate ways to pay less
- Buy the larger vial of a compound you have already verified. Price per mg almost always improves with size.
- Consolidate orders to clear the free-shipping threshold rather than paying $19 twice.
- Consider a blend if you were going to buy the components anyway and do not need to attribute results.
- Do not pay for overnight shipping unless the timing genuinely matters. Standard tracked delivery is 2–4 business days domestically.
- Buy the diluent in the same order. Shipping a $7 item on its own is poor value.
- Avoid buying volume before verifying. The most expensive vial is the one you cannot use.
Frequently asked questions
Cliquez sur une question pour afficher la réponse.
How much do research peptides cost in Canada?
Roughly $15 to $150 per vial depending on the compound. Short peptides such as KPV are inexpensive to synthesise, while long chains, modified compounds and multi-component blends cost considerably more.
Why is TB-500 more expensive than BPC-157?
Chain length. BPC-157 is 15 amino acids; full-length thymosin beta-4 is 43. Solid-phase synthesis adds each amino acid in a separate step and yield falls with every step, so cost rises steeply with length.
Are peptide blends cheaper than buying separately?
Usually per total milligram, but not always on sticker price. The BPC/TB blend starts below its two components; CJC/IPA and GLOW70 start slightly above theirs while containing more total material.
Do I have to buy bacteriostatic water separately?
Yes. Lyophilized peptide must be reconstituted before use, and a vial used more than once needs a preserved diluent. It is about $7 and is cheapest added to an existing order.
Is cheap peptide always bad?
No. Some compounds are genuinely inexpensive to produce. The warning sign is a price that cannot be explained by chain length, vial size or a stated promotion, especially with no batch COA or named testing lab.
Is it cheaper to import peptides from overseas?
Often not, once brokerage fees, transit time and the risk of seizure are counted. Health Canada says it works with the CBSA to stop unauthorized peptide shipments, and a seized order is a total loss.
Why can’t I pay by credit card?
Card networks do not process payments for research peptide companies. This is industry-wide, which is why Canadian suppliers use Interac e-Transfer, which is free with most banks and settles instantly.
How much is shipping?
At TrueLabs, $19 standard within Canada, free on orders over $200, $39.95 for overnight, and $19.95 to the USA.
What does price per milligram actually tell me?
It is useful for comparing vial sizes of the same compound from the same supplier. It is not useful across different compounds, since milligrams are not interchangeable between molecules.
Related reading
- How to spot fake or underdosed peptides
- Canadian vs imported peptides
- How to read a peptide COA
- Buying research peptides in Canada
- Peptide reconstitution calculator
References
- Mendias CL, Awan TM. Evaluation of research grade peptides marketed directly to consumers reveals extensive variability in purity and measured abundance. Preprints.org. April 2026 (not peer-reviewed). Preprint
- Health Canada. Think twice before injecting peptides bought online. Public advisory, April 9, 2026. Health Canada
- US FDA. FDA grants accelerated approval for first treatment for Barth syndrome (elamipretide). September 19, 2025. FDA
Prices are current as of October 2026 and subject to change. All TrueLabs products are sold for in vitro and laboratory research use only and are not intended for human or veterinary use.