Building a Beginner Peptide Protocol: 5 Compounds | Prescott Bio

Prescott Bio Editorial · ·
  • beginner
  • canada
  • buying-guide
  • research-use

Key takeaways

  • Five compounds show up repeatedly in first-time-buyer questions to Canadian vendors.
  • This guide covers sourcing and handling only — not protocols, dosing, or use recommendations.
  • Start with one compound and get comfortable with reconstitution before adding more.

Canadian buyers new to research peptides tend to ask about the same handful of compounds. This guide covers the five most common starting points, what to know about sourcing each one in the Canadian market, and the handling basics for each.

What are the five compounds new Canadian buyers ask about most?

Based on the pattern of questions Canadian vendors receive from first-time buyers, the top five are:

These aren’t a “beginner protocol” in any medical sense — that would be dosing and use guidance, which this article deliberately doesn’t provide. They’re the compounds new buyers most often want to understand in terms of what they are and how they’re sold in Canada.

BPC-157: what should Canadian buyers know?

BPC-157 is a small peptide fragment derived from a longer protein. In the research literature it’s most studied for effects related to tissue and gastrointestinal research contexts. It’s typically sold as 5mg or 10mg vials of lyophilized powder.

For Canadian sourcing, BPC-157 is widely available from essentially every serious Canadian vendor. Prices per mg have stabilized over the last few years as production has scaled. Look for HPLC purity of 98%+ and mass spec confirming the BPC-157 molecular weight (around 1419.5 daltons) on any batch you buy.

Reconstitution is straightforward — bacteriostatic water, slow injection down vial wall, gentle swirl. Storage is standard: freezer for lyophilized, refrigerator for reconstituted, 3-4 weeks refrigerated shelf life.

Semaglutide: what should Canadian buyers know?

Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that’s been widely studied for glucose regulation research. It ships as 2mg, 5mg, or 10mg lyophilized vials from most vendors.

Canadian availability is broad. Prices reflect that the compound has been in the research market for years and manufacturing is at scale. Batch CoAs should show HPLC purity of 98%+ and mass spec matching the semaglutide molecular weight (around 4113.6 daltons).

Standard reconstitution technique. Refrigerated shelf life of 3-4 weeks once mixed. Standard storage otherwise.

Retatrutide: what should Canadian buyers know?

Retatrutide is a triple agonist covering GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon receptors. It’s the newer of the two GLP-1 family compounds most Canadian buyers ask about. Available as 5mg, 10mg, or 20mg vials.

Canadian availability has expanded significantly over the last two years. Not every vendor stocks it but most serious operators do. Prices per mg are higher than semaglutide because production scale is smaller, but the gap has been shrinking.

CoA specs: HPLC 98%+, mass spec matching retatrutide molecular weight (around 4731 daltons). Same reconstitution and storage as other lyophilized peptides.

GHK-Cu: what should Canadian buyers know?

GHK-Cu is a copper-peptide complex. The blue colour of the reconstituted solution comes from the copper component — that’s normal, not degradation. Typically sold as 50mg or 100mg vials.

Widely available from Canadian vendors. Pricing per mg is generally reasonable because the compound has been around for a long time.

Reconstitution technique is standard. The larger vial size means the powder puck takes a bit longer to dissolve completely. Refrigerated shelf life is 2-4 weeks in solution. GHK-Cu is somewhat more light-sensitive than average peptides so darker storage helps.

NAD+: what should Canadian buyers know?

NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is not a peptide in the strict sense but shows up in peptide vendor catalogues because it’s frequently studied alongside them. Typically sold as 500mg or 1000mg vials.

Canadian availability is broad. Per-mg pricing usually favours the larger vial size, but reconstituted shelf life is shorter than most peptides — 1-2 weeks refrigerated — so match your vial size to your consumption.

Reconstitution is standard technique. Store dark, refrigerated, upright.

What should Canadian buyers do before ordering any of them?

Basic setup checklist for anyone new to research peptides:

Get bacteriostatic water (not just sterile water — the bacteriostatic version has the preservative that makes multi-day use possible). Insulin syringes for measurement. Alcohol prep pads for sterile technique. Clean workspace. Refrigerator with a stable shelf.

Read the CoA for the specific batch you’ll be ordering. Confirm the vendor operates domestically within Canada. Understand the shipping windows for your province.

Start with one compound to build reconstitution and storage fluency. Adding a second and third compound is easier once the mechanical routine is second nature.

What are common first-order mistakes?

Buying too much variety at once. Ordering four different compounds simultaneously means four different reconstitution decisions, four different labels to keep track of, and four different shelf-life clocks to manage. One or two at a time is easier.

Buying vial sizes too large for consumption. A 1000mg NAD+ vial that expires before it’s used up wastes the per-mg savings from the larger size. Match vial size to weekly use.

Buying from vendors without batch-matched CoAs. First orders should always be with vendors who can produce lot-specific documentation for the specific batch shipping to you.

Skipping bacteriostatic water in favour of plain sterile water. This dramatically shortens the usable shelf life and increases contamination risk. Bacteriostatic water is the standard for a reason.

How do you decide what to order first?

That depends entirely on the research context, which is beyond the scope of this handling guide. The compounds above are the ones new Canadian buyers ask about most often — that’s a signal about market interest, not a recommendation for any specific first purchase.

For someone brand-new to the mechanical handling of research peptides, starting with a stable well-established compound like BPC-157 lets you get comfortable with reconstitution and storage before moving to more complex compounds or larger vial sizes.

Whatever you order first, order it from a vendor with batch-matched CoAs, ship it domestically within Canada, and set up proper storage before it arrives.

Questions Canadian buyers ask about this

Which of these five is easiest to source?

BPC-157 and semaglutide are the most broadly stocked. Both are available from essentially every serious Canadian vendor.

Which has the shortest reconstituted shelf life?

NAD+ — typically 1-2 weeks refrigerated. The other four all sit in the 2-4 week range.

Are these five compounds sold as a bundle?

Some vendors offer bundle discounts for buying multiple compounds together. The physical products are still individual vials — there’s no combined-compound vial.

Do I need a fridge dedicated to peptides?

No. A regular household fridge works fine as long as vials sit on a stable shelf (not the door) and don’t get bumped around.

Where should I read next?

Check the Prescott Bio methodology page for how each batch is tested and handled, or the individual product pages for current pricing and availability.

Published 2026-08-03. Refreshed as needed.