Building FS Peptides. Manufacturing, testing and the business behind the vials. Notes from China.
Joined December 2011
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In China this week looking at lyophilizers for a new peptide production line.
Around $120,000 per machine, and that’s just one piece of the equipment we’ll need.
One of the easiest ways to make a private-label vial look less generic is the cap.
We can emboss the logo so it sits raised, or deboss it into the cap for a cleaner look
A 2025 study demonstrated a programmable system that builds and chemically modifies peptides, carrying out 1,635 operations over 85 hours.
Imagine connecting that to AI: propose a design, make a small amount, test it, then use the results to choose what to try next.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4078…
Molecula says it destroyed an entire tesamorelin lot after Freedom reported “No Analyte Detected.” They’ve put the failed report on their website.
Someone has to decide whether to release stock, reject it or throw it away.
The later positive results don’t explain the original failures. I’d like to see Freedom address those directly: do they still stand behind them, and what did their investigation show?
Freedom Diagnostics and the Case of the Reappearing Peptides
On 18 September, Freedom Diagnostics reported “No Analyte Detected” in Marathon Peptide Solutions’ tesamorelin and BPC-157 samples. Both failed identity testing.
The supplier says they sent another pair of vials from the same kits to ILS. Results on 24 September:
• Tesamorelin: 96.63% purity, 10.04 mg
• BPC-157: 99.91% purity, 10.56 mg
After being contacted, Freedom offered a complimentary expedited retest. Its 30 September reports, carrying the same lot numbers, now showed:
• Tesamorelin: 99.05% purity, 10.52 mg
• BPC-157: 99.24% purity, 9.42 mg
From “no analyte detected” to roughly 10 mg of each peptide. Quite a comeback.
These were separate submissions, so the reports alone cannot establish what caused the discrepancy. But what changed, and where is Freedom’s explanation for the original failures?
“Label created” is doing a remarkable impression of “shipped” for something that can happen while the parcel is still on a shelf.
In a study of three cationic peptides at 1 µM, only 10–20% was recovered after an hour in ordinary glass or polypropylene. Most had stuck to the container.
An expensive way to coat a tube.
journals.plos.org/plosone/ar…
139.7 litres of waste down to 28.4. Same 25 mmol liraglutide scale, similar 77–78% crude purity.
This 2023 wash-free synthesis paper is a reminder that the solvent drum deserves a place in the peptide cost conversation.
nature.com/articles/s41467-0…
A label can survive the freezer and still fail if you apply it cold. Adhesives have separate temperature limits for application and service. A freezer-rated label may need a warmer surface to bond.
label.averydennison.com/cont…
At 99% efficiency per coupling, 30 peptide coupling steps leave about 74% of chains completing every step. At 99.5%, it’s 86%. This simple model assumes perfect deprotection and no other losses.
gyrosproteintechnologies.com…
Freeze-drying continues after the ice is gone. Primary drying removes ice by sublimation; secondary drying removes water still associated with the solids by desorption.
documents.thermofisher.com/T…
Confirmed kit volume, July 10–October 5:
1. Retatrutide
2. HGH
3. BPC-157
4. MOTS-c
5. Glutathione
6. SS-31
7. KPV
8. GHK-Cu
9. Semax
10. TB-500
A sample can be sterile and still contain endotoxin. Routine steam sterilization can kill bacteria while leaving these Gram-negative bacterial components behind. A sterility test doesn’t measure endotoxin.
fda.gov/media/71026/download
CBL-514 is designed to trigger apoptosis: programmed death of fat cells.
The proposed pathway starts with inhibiting DYRK1B. That shifts the balance toward Bax, which promotes cell death, and away from Bcl-2, which supports survival. Caspase-3 then helps dismantle the cell.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/article…
Take two 10 mg powder samples, both 99% HPLC purity.
Using Bachem’s calculation, 80% net peptide content gives ~7.92 mg of target peptide; 90% gives ~8.91 mg.
Water and counterions add weight without appearing in that purity percentage.
bachem.com/knowledge-center/…
Josh’s 10 reported results span 108.6–138.6% of label claim. A one-vial result could have made this order look very different, depending on which vial was picked.
Trying to get quantities locked before we send samples for testing. Otherwise you can get the report back and find there isn’t enough stock left from that batch.
I’ve spent an unreasonable amount of time clarifying what someone means by “pen”. Empty device, filled cartridge, dual chamber, liquid, disposable/reusable. We’ve discussed prices before realizing we were talking about different products.
CBL-514 is crazy
Phase 2b: ~20% mean reduction in abdominal fat volume by MRI, and 76.7% of treated patients improved by at least one clinical grade vs 18.9% placebo. Most responders saw improvement after only 1–2 treatments.
We’ve got CBL-514 in stock now.
