How to reconstitute
research peptides.
A general reference for laboratory reconstitution of lyophilised peptides with bacteriostatic water. Applies to every compound in the PepC.Labs catalogue unless a product-specific note below says otherwise.
For research use only. Not for human or veterinary consumption.
- 1
Bring the vial and bacteriostatic water to room temperature before mixing. Cold peptide powder dissolves poorly.
- 2
Draw the recommended bacteriostatic water volume into a sterile insulin syringe.
- 3
Inject the bacteriostatic water slowly down the inside wall of the vial. Never inject directly onto the lyophilised peptide powder.
- 4
Swirl gently to dissolve. Do not shake. Shaking denatures the peptide.
- 5
Wait for the solution to clear fully. Most peptides dissolve within 30 seconds to a few minutes.
- 6
Store the reconstituted vial refrigerated at 2 to 8°C. Keep it protected from light.
- 7
Reconstituted peptides in bacteriostatic water are generally stable for up to 28 days under refrigeration with sterile draw technique.
Two things that ruin peptides
Shaking (denatures the protein chain) and heat (room-temp fine, warming past ~25°C is not). Everything else is recoverable.
Concentration
Concentration (mcg/mL) = Peptide amount (mcg) ÷ Bacteriostatic water volume (mL)
Syringe units on a U-100 insulin syringe
Syringe units (U-100) = (Target dose in mcg ÷ Concentration in mcg/mL) × 100
Worked example
Example: a 10mg vial with 2mL of bacteriostatic water gives 5,000 mcg/mL. A 250mcg target is (250 ÷ 5000) × 100 = 5 units on a U-100 insulin syringe.
| Product | Add BW | Concentration | Example dose |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAD+ 500mg / vial | 5 mL | 100 mg/mL | 100mg 100 units (1mL) |
| Adamax 10mg / vial | 2 mL | 5 mg/mL | 250mcg 5 units |
| BPC-157 + TB-500 10mg / vial | 1 mL | 10 mg/mL | 500mcg 5 units |
| CJC-1295 (no DAC) 10mg / vial | 2 mL | 5 mg/mL | 100mcg 2 units |
| GHK-Cu 100mg / vial | 3 mL | 33.33 mg/mL | 2mg 6 units |
| GHK-Cu 50mg / vial | 1.5 mL | 33.33 mg/mL | 2mg 6 units |
| Glutathione 1200mg / vial | 6 mL | 200 mg/mL | 600mg 3 mL — use a 3 mL syringe (IM) |
| Melanotan II (MT-2) 10mg / vial | 2 mL | 5 mg/mL | 250mcg 5 units |
| MOTS-C 10mg / vial | 2 mL | 5 mg/mL | 1mg 20 units |
| Retatrutide 10mg / vial | 1 mL | 10 mg/mL | 2mg 20 units |
| DSIP 5mg / vial | 2 mL | 2.5 mg/mL | 250mcg 10 units |
| Selank 5mg / vial | 2 mL | 2.5 mg/mL | 300mcg 12 units (approx) |
| SNAP-8 10mg / vial | 2 mL | 5 mg/mL | 250mcg ≈0.05 mL applied topically |
| Semax 11mg / vial | 2 mL | 5.5 mg/mL | 300mcg 5 units (approx) |
| Tesamorelin 10mg / vial | 2 mL | 5 mg/mL | 1mg 20 units |
| Tirzepatide 15mg / vial | 1.5 mL | 10 mg/mL | 2.5mg 25 units |
| Tirzepatide 30mg / vial | 3 mL | 10 mg/mL | 2.5mg 25 units |
| PT-141 10mg / vial | 2 mL | 5 mg/mL | 1mg 20 units |
| Ipamorelin 10mg / vial | 2 mL | 5 mg/mL | 200mcg 4 units |
| 5-Amino-1MQ 10mg / vial | 2 mL | 5 mg/mL | 1mg 20 units |
| Glutathione 1500mg / vial | 7.5 mL | 200 mg/mL | 600mg 3 mL — use a 3 mL syringe (IM) |
| KPV 10mg / vial | 2 mL | 5 mg/mL | 250mcg 5 units |
| KLOW 80mg / vial | 2 mL | 40 mg/mL | 3mg 8 units |
NAD+
Larger volumes than peptide compounds. Many protocols reconstitute to 50mg/mL with 10mL BW.
Adamax
10mg vial. 2mL BW gives 5mg/mL; 1 unit on a U-100 syringe = 50mcg. Adamax is a Semax/P21-derived nootropic research peptide. For intranasal research protocols, substitute bacteriostatic saline for bacteriostatic water. 3mL BW (3.33mg/mL) is also used for finer unit measurement. Refrigerate the reconstituted solution at 2-8°C and use within 28 days.
BPC-157 + TB-500
Blend contains 5mg BPC-157 + 5mg TB-500 (10mg total per vial). 1mL BW gives 10mg/mL combined; a 5-unit draw delivers 500mcg total, which is 250mcg of each peptide.
GHK-Cu
GHK-Cu ships in a 3ml vial. 3mL of bacteriostatic water fills the vial and gives 1mg = 3 units, 2mg = 6 units. Blue solution after reconstitution is normal, that is the copper complex.
GHK-Cu
50mg vial. 1.5mL BW gives 33.33 mg/mL, the same concentration as the 100mg vial so the dosing card math is identical. 1 unit on a U-100 syringe = ~333mcg.
Glutathione
1200mg vial. Add 6mL bacteriostatic water → 200mg/mL: a 600mg dose is 3mL, drawn into a 3mL luer-lock syringe (NOT an insulin syringe — these volumes far exceed a U-100's 1mL). Glutathione is a slow intramuscular push in research protocols. It oxidises readily once in solution: keep refrigerated, protected from light, and use within 2-3 weeks. Clear/colourless is good — a yellow tint means it has oxidised; discard it.
Selank
For intranasal research protocols, substitute bacteriostatic saline for bacteriostatic water.
SNAP-8
10mg vial. 2mL BW gives 5mg/mL (250mcg ≈ 0.05mL). SNAP-8 (acetyl octapeptide-3) is a cosmetic research peptide for TOPICAL application only — apply to clean skin. Do NOT inject and do NOT use subcutaneously. Bacteriostatic saline may be substituted for bacteriostatic water for topical research. Often paired with GHK-Cu in skin-focused research.
Semax
For intranasal research protocols, substitute bacteriostatic saline for bacteriostatic water.
Tesamorelin
10mg vial. 2mL BW gives 5mg/mL; 1 unit on a U-100 syringe = 50mcg. Reconstituted Tesamorelin is sensitive to heat and light, refrigerate at 2-8 degrees Celsius immediately after mixing and use within 14 days.
Tirzepatide
15mg vial. 1.5mL BW gives 10mg/mL; 1 unit on a U-100 syringe = 100mcg. 2.5mg = 25 units. Refrigerate after reconstitution and use within 30 days.
Tirzepatide
30mg vial. 3mL BW gives 10mg/mL, the same concentration as the 15mg vial so the dosing card math is identical. 1 unit on a U-100 syringe = 100mcg. Refrigerate after reconstitution and use within 30 days.
PT-141
10mg vial. 2mL BW gives 5mg/mL; 1 unit on a U-100 syringe = 50mcg. PT-141 is a melanocortin-receptor research peptide; figures are protocol math, not human dosing advice. Reconstituted solution refrigerate at 2-8 degrees Celsius and use within 4-6 weeks.
5-Amino-1MQ
10mg vial. 5-Amino-1MQ is a small-molecule NNMT inhibitor that is natively orally active and most published protocols use it as a powder or capsule rather than reconstituting it. The figures below are for the minority of rodent IP-injection research protocols: 2mL BW gives 5mg/mL; 1 unit on a U-100 syringe = 50mcg. Store cold and away from light; reconstituted solution use within 2-4 weeks. All figures are research-protocol math, not human dosing advice.
Glutathione
1500mg vial. Add 7.5mL bacteriostatic water → 200mg/mL: a 600mg dose is 3mL, drawn into a 3mL luer-lock syringe (NOT an insulin syringe — these volumes far exceed a U-100's 1mL). Glutathione is a slow intramuscular push in research protocols. It oxidises readily once in solution: keep refrigerated, protected from light, and use within 2-3 weeks. Clear/colourless is good — a yellow tint means it has oxidised; discard it.
KPV
10mg vial. 2mL BW gives 5mg/mL; 1 unit on a U-100 syringe = 50mcg. 3mL BW (3.33mg/mL) is also common, with 1 unit = ~33mcg.
KLOW
80mg blend vial (GHK-Cu 50mg + BPC-157 10mg + TB-500 10mg + KPV 10mg). 2mL BW gives 40mg/mL combined; the four peptides sit in a 5:1:1:1 ratio, so a 3mg combined draw delivers approximately 1.9mg GHK-Cu plus ~375mcg each of BPC-157, TB-500 and KPV — putting the GHK-Cu fraction inside its 1-2mg research range. 1 unit on a U-100 syringe = 400mcg combined. 3-4mL BW lowers the concentration if you prefer larger draws.
A general conservative starting point for researchers new to each compound, summarised from published protocols. Always pause the ramp if you observe side effects, and hold at the current dose for an extra interval before stepping up.
- Start
- 25mg once daily for week 1 — 25 units (0.25mL)
- Ramp
- Week 2 step up to 50mg daily (50 units). Weeks 3-4 hold at 75mg (75 units). Week 5 onward 100mg daily (100 units) if tolerated.
- Cycle
- Continuous daily dosing, with periodic rest weeks at the researcher's discretion
- Start
- 100mcg once or twice daily (weeks 1-2) — 2 units
- Ramp
- If tolerated, titrate toward 200-300mcg per administration (4-6 units).
- Cycle
- 4-8 weeks on, short wash-out between runs
- Start
- 500mcg once daily for the first 1-2 weeks — 5 units
- Ramp
- If tolerated, scale up to 1000mcg daily (10 units) by weeks 3-8.
- Cycle
- 6-8 weeks on, 2+ weeks off
- Start
- 100mcg once daily pre-bed on an empty stomach — 2 units
- Ramp
- Can step up to 200-300mcg (4-6 units) once tolerance is confirmed.
- Cycle
- 5-6 days on, 1-2 days off to preserve GH receptor sensitivity
- Start
- 1mg once daily for the first 2 weeks — 3 units
- Ramp
- Days 15 onward increase to 2mg daily (6 units) if tolerated.
- Cycle
- 30 days on, 30 days off
- Start
- 1mg once daily for the first 1-2 weeks — 3 units
- Ramp
- If tolerated, scale to 2mg daily (6 units) for ongoing research use.
- Cycle
- 8-12 weeks on, 2 weeks off
- Start
- 200mg per session (weeks 1-2) — 1 mL on a 3 mL syringe
- Ramp
- Step up gradually to 400-600mg per session (2-3mL) if tolerated, with 1200mg as an upper bound for advanced protocols.
- Cycle
- 2-3 sessions per week; many protocols run 8-12 week blocks
- Start
- 100mcg once daily to test tolerance — 2 units
- Ramp
- Increase 100mcg every 2-3 days to 500mcg (10 units) target if well tolerated.
- Cycle
- Loading 2-3 weeks, then maintenance 2-3x weekly
- Start
- 100mcg once daily for the first 2 weeks — 2 units
- Ramp
- Increase ~200mcg every 2 weeks, targeting 1mg daily (20 units) by week 10.
- Cycle
- 10-week ramp, then cycle off for 2-4 weeks
- Start
- 0.5mg once weekly for weeks 1-4 — 5 units
- Ramp
- Increase every 4 weeks by 0.5-1mg as tolerated. Realistic research range tops out around 4-6mg weekly. The 8-12mg figures come from clinical trials and are rarely run outside formal studies.
- Cycle
- Continuous weekly dosing while titrating; pause or hold longer at any step if side effects arise
- Start
- 100mcg pre-sleep (weeks 1-2) — 4 units
- Ramp
- Increase to 250mcg pre-sleep if tolerated.
- Cycle
- Nightly for 2-4 weeks, break as needed
- Start
- 200mcg once daily (weeks 1-2) — 8 units (approx)
- Ramp
- Weeks 3-4 increase to 300-500mcg daily (12-20 units) if tolerated.
- Cycle
- 4-8 weeks on, short wash-out between runs
- Start
- 200mcg applied topically daily for the first 2 weeks — ≈0.04 mL
- Ramp
- If tolerated, increase to 500mcg daily (≈0.1 mL). Often paired with GHK-Cu in skin-focused research protocols.
- Cycle
- 8-12 weeks on, 4 weeks off
- Start
- 200mcg once daily (weeks 1-2) — 4 units (approx)
- Ramp
- Weeks 3+ can titrate up to 300-600mcg daily (5-11 units) based on response.
- Cycle
- 4-8 weeks on, short wash-out between runs
- Start
- 1mg once daily, evening administration in published research protocols — 20 units
- Ramp
- Standard research protocol holds 1mg daily for 12-26 weeks. No common up-titration above 1mg.
- Cycle
- 12-26 weeks continuous, then assess
- Start
- 2.5mg once weekly for weeks 1-4 — 25 units
- Ramp
- Increase every 4 weeks: 5mg (50 units), 7.5mg (75 units), 10mg (100 units), 12.5mg (125 units), 15mg (whole vial). Hold any step longer if side effects arise.
- Cycle
- Continuous weekly dosing through titration; pause or hold longer at any step as needed
- Start
- 2.5mg once weekly for weeks 1-4 — 25 units
- Ramp
- Increase every 4 weeks: 5mg (50 units), 7.5mg (75 units), 10mg (100 units), 12.5mg (125 units), 15mg (150 units). Hold any step longer if side effects arise.
- Cycle
- Continuous weekly dosing through titration; pause or hold longer at any step as needed
- Start
- 0.5mg per session for the first 2-3 sessions — 10 units
- Ramp
- If tolerated in research models, scale to 1mg (20 units) or up to 1.75mg (35 units) per session. Spacing of 24-48 hours between sessions is the common published interval.
- Cycle
- Used as-needed per protocol rather than a continuous daily cycle
- Start
- 200mcg 1-3 times daily on an empty stomach — 4 units per injection
- Ramp
- Can scale to 300mcg per injection once tolerance is established.
- Cycle
- 5-6 days on, 1-2 days off
- Start
- 500mcg per administration for the first 1-2 sessions — 10 units
- Ramp
- If continuing IP-injection research, scale to 1-2mg per administration (20-40 units). Oral protocols typically run 50-150mg daily in capsule form, which sits well above what a single reconstituted vial provides.
- Cycle
- 8-12 weeks on, 2-4 weeks off
- Start
- 200mg per session (weeks 1-2) — 1 mL on a 3 mL syringe
- Ramp
- Step up gradually to 400-600mg per session (2-3mL) if tolerated.
- Cycle
- 2-3 sessions per week; many protocols run 8-12 week blocks
- Start
- 200mcg once daily for the first week — 4 units
- Ramp
- If tolerated, increase to 500mcg daily (10 units) by weeks 2-4.
- Cycle
- 4-6 weeks on, 2 weeks off
- Start
- 1.5mg combined per administration for the first 1-2 weeks (~1mg GHK-Cu fraction) — 4 units
- Ramp
- If tolerated, scale to 3-3.5mg combined per administration (8-9 units), delivering ~1.9-2.2mg GHK-Cu plus the BPC-157/TB-500/KPV fractions proportionally.
- Cycle
- 8-12 weeks on, 2 weeks off
- 01The peptide vial you’re reconstituting, at room temperature.
- 02Bacteriostatic water (0.9% benzyl alcohol). Available in our catalogue as a separate SKU.
- 03Sterile U-100 insulin syringes for most compounds. Exception: glutathione is a larger-volume intramuscular push — use a 3 mL luer-lock syringe with a drawing/IM needle, not an insulin syringe.
- 04Alcohol swabs for vial-stopper sterilisation between draws.
This guide is provided as a laboratory reference for research use only. It is not medical advice and not for human or veterinary consumption.