Four checks that decide it. Four more if you want them.
4X Essential is our recommended standard: identity, purity, mass, and a sterility screen. 8X Comprehensive adds optional depth for peace of mind. Below: what each check answers, the exact methods and their validation status, and the quality system behind every report.
What we recommend, and why
4X Essential
$195The standard every compound should actually meet.
Identity, purity, mass, and a sterility screen. These four answer the questions that decide whether a vial is safe to trust: is it the right molecule, is it clean, is the dose real, and is it free of microbial contamination. For the overwhelming majority of vials this is the complete answer - and it is what we recommend by default.
8X Comprehensive
$595Extra depth for peace of mind - not because you need it.
8X adds endotoxin, heavy metals, post-reconstitution stability, and a fentanyl/analog adulterant screen. Worth it when you want maximum assurance or are vetting a brand-new source - but we will not pretend a clean 4X result is somehow incomplete.
Most labs upsell a higher “X” as if more layers automatically means a safer vial. That is a marketing gimmick. A wrong, impure, under-dosed, or contaminated peptide fails at the four essentials - the extra layers rarely change the verdict. We lead with 4X because it is honest, and we offer 8X for when you want belt-and-suspenders, not because the data demands it.
The four essentials
Included in 4X EssentialEach answers one specific question. Every result identifies the sample, method, specification source, quality status, and technical reviewer.
Molecular Mass Fingerprinting
LC-MS/MS (ESI+)LC-MS/MS confirms exact monoisotopic mass and fragmentation identity, ±1 Da. Identity consistent with expected mass.
Homogeneity Profiling
RP-HPLC 214nm (USP 621)RP-HPLC at 214nm isolates the main peak from related substances at the peptide-bond absorbance wavelength.
Net Peptide Mass Quantitation
Quantitative HPLC vs reference stdQuantitative HPLC against a qualified reference standard, stripping moisture, salts, and counter-ions like TFA. Reported as mg per vial.
Sterility Screen
Rapid molecular microarray screenRapid molecular microarray sterility screen. This is a screen, NOT a USP 71 sterility test, and we label it that way. Reported as CFU against a limit.
The four expanded checks
Added by 8X ComprehensiveBelt-and-suspenders depth: endotoxin, heavy metals, post-reconstitution stability, and a fentanyl/analog adulterant screen. Worth it for maximum assurance or a brand-new source, not because a clean 4X result is incomplete.
Bacterial Endotoxin
Kinetic chromogenic LALKinetic chromogenic LAL (USP 85). Reported in EU/mL and EU/mg against a stated limit.
Elemental Catalytic Sweep
ICP-MS (USP 232/233)ICP-MS (USP 232/233) for Pb, As, Cd, Hg at sub-ppb. Each element: result, unit, LOQ, and specification source.
Post-Reconstitution Stability
Forced-degradation stability≥3 independent vials: individual results, mean, SD, CV. Post-reconstitution pH, clarity, and 24h forced-degradation kinetics.
Fentanyl & Analog Screen
LC-MS/MS targeted adulterant screenLC-MS/MS targeted screen for fentanyl and common analogs (acetylfentanyl, carfentanil, and others). A harm-reduction adulterant check reported as detected / not-detected against a method detection limit.
Methods & validation status
Each row is one of the eight layers above. We identify which methods are validated in-house, which compendial procedures were verified for use, and which are research screens. This status appears beside each reported result on every COA.
Method validated by Axiom for the stated analyte, matrix, and range.
An established compendial procedure (e.g. USP) verified as suitable for use.
An informative screening method, not a validated or compendial release assay.
| Layer · Method | Reference | Instrument | Status | Range | LOQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01LC-MS/MS Identity | Intact mass + MS/MS | Thermo Orbitrap Exploris | Validated in-house | ±1 Da | N/A |
| 02RP-HPLC Purity | USP 621 | Agilent 1260 Infinity II | Validated in-house | 0.1–100% | 0.05% |
| 03Net Peptide Content | Quant. HPLC vs ref std | Agilent 1260 + AAA confirm | Validated in-house | 0.1–50 mg | 0.01 mg |
| 04Rapid Sterility Screen | Molecular microarray (not USP 71) | Rapid detection panel | Research screen | 0–10⁴ CFU | 1 CFU |
| 05Bacterial Endotoxin | USP 85 | Kinetic chromogenic LAL | Verified compendial | 0.005–50 EU/mL | 0.005 EU/mL |
| 06Elemental Catalytic Sweep | USP 232/233 | Agilent 7850 ICP-MS | Verified compendial | 0.01–1000 ppb | 0.01 ppb |
| 07Forced-Degradation Stability | Post-reconstitution kinetics | HPLC time-course, pH meter | Research screen | 0–100% degr. | 0.1% |
| 08Fentanyl & Analog Screen | Targeted LC-MS/MS adulterant screen | Thermo Orbitrap Exploris | Research screen | detected / not-detected | method detection limit |
Axiom Analytics does not currently hold ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. Testing is conducted under a documented quality system, and the method-validation status is identified beside each reported result. This statement will be updated upon accreditation.
What we test, and what we do not
Our panels are built for peptides and related compounds supplied as a lyophilized powder or an aqueous solution. If your product is not on this page, ask us before you ship it. We would rather answer a question than return a vial.
ACCEPTED
| Category | Examples | Accepted form |
|---|---|---|
| Peptides | BPC-157, semaglutide, tirzepatide, CJC-1295, ipamorelin, TB-500, KPV, and blends of them | Lyophilized powder, aqueous solution, cartridge |
| Peptide blends | Any combination of the peptides above A blend is certified per component. An area percent across a blend is not a purity figure for any one of them. | Lyophilized powder, aqueous solution |
| Peptide hydrolysates | Cerebrolysin, cerebroprotein hydrolysate These are defined mixtures, not single molecules, so the certificate carries a molecular-weight distribution and a composition profile instead of an accurate mass and a purity percent. Tell us which preparation you sent: Cerebrolysin and the generic cerebroprotein hydrolysates have different peptide profiles, and a result from one says nothing about the other. | Lyophilized powder, aqueous solution |
| Amino acids | L-arginine, L-citrulline, L-methionine, L-ornithine These respond weakly at our purity wavelength, so quantitation is by mass rather than by area percent. | Lyophilized powder, aqueous solution |
| Small molecules with a real chromophore | 5-Amino-1MQ, AICAR, SLU-PP-332, thiamine, pyridoxine, methylene blue | Lyophilized powder, aqueous solution, capsule |
| Vitamins and cofactors | Methylcobalamin and cyanocobalamin (B12), NAD+ B12 is photolabile, and the cyano and methyl forms are distinct molecules. Tell us which one you sent. | Lyophilized powder, aqueous solution |
| Polar small molecules | L-carnitine, choline chloride, myo-inositol These are invisible to a reverse-phase purity method and are quantified on a separate lane. | Lyophilized powder, aqueous solution |
| Copper peptide complexes | GHK-Cu, AHK-Cu The copper is not held by a covalent bond and our standard purity lane strips it. These are quantified on a method that leaves the complex intact, and the copper content is reported separately. | Lyophilized powder, aqueous solution |
NOT ACCEPTED
These are not judgements about the products. Each one is outside what we are licensed to receive, what our sample preparation can handle, or what our instruments can measure defensibly.
Testosterone and its esters are Schedule III controlled substances, and we are not registered to receive or analyse them. They are also supplied in oil, which our sample preparation and columns are not set up for.
These are non-peptide small molecules, usually oral and often suspended in oil or PEG. Our purity method reads at a wavelength chosen for the peptide bond, so a number from it would not be defensible for these.
We accept lyophilized powder, aqueous solution, suspension, capsule and cartridge. An oil vehicle needs different sample preparation, and injecting it would contaminate the column our peptide work runs on.
Cannabinoid potency is a different method on a different matrix, and it is separately regulated at state level. We do not offer it.
We are not set up to receive finished prescription drug product. Ancillary hormone therapy compounds are outside what our panels are built to certify.
An extract has no single molecular identity, so there is no accurate mass to confirm and an area percent would not mean what it appears to mean.
We do not test testosterone or any testosterone ester, and we cannot accept a sample of one. They are Schedule III controlled substances and we are not registered to receive them. They are also supplied in oil, which needs sample preparation and column hardware our peptide work does not use. This is a firm no rather than a maybe, so that nobody ships a vial we would have to refuse on arrival.
Accreditation status, stated plainly
No decorative badges, no claims beyond the evidence. Here is the quality system behind every result, and exactly where we stand on accreditation.
Documented QMS
SOPs, chain-of-custody, equipment qualification, and a controlled retest policy, applied to every sample.
Method Validation
Each method states analyte, matrix, range, specificity, precision, accuracy, quantitation limit, and status.
Reference Standards
Qualified reference standards with documented traceability. Blanks, controls, and suitability checks on every run.
Independent Review
Every COA passes analyst → independent technical reviewer → release. Two pairs of eyes, signed.
Correction Policy
Amendments create a new version; prior versions are superseded but retained. Full revision history is public on verify.
Zero Conflicts
Axiom owns zero retail brands and zero inventory. We are strictly a data-verification laboratory.
Start with 4X. Add 8X only when you want it.
No conflicts of interest, no overselling. 4X Essential results typically release within 4-7 business days of sample arrival (48-hour with rush); 8X Comprehensive within 7-10 business days (4-6 business days with rush).