1. What "Research Chemical" Means in Laboratory Trade
In laboratory trade usage, a research chemical is a chemical substance manufactured and sold for scientific research use only (RUO) — for in-vitro assay work, animal pharmacology, analytical reference, formulation development, or process chemistry — and explicitly not intended for human or veterinary use, food, or cosmetics. The category covers drug-discovery tool compounds, API intermediates, and analytical reference standards. The term shares a name with the grey-market "novel powder" trade, but the two markets share nothing else: a legitimate B2B research-chemical supplier issues quotations with full CAS identification, ships lot-specific certificates of analysis, and labels every consignment for laboratory use only.
The where-to-buy question in 2026 is therefore not a single decision but a grid of four variables:
- Chemistry cluster. A macrolide immunosuppressant (tacrolimus, sirolimus), a heterocyclic kinase inhibitor (imatinib, upadacitinib), a synthetic peptide (epitalon, semax), and a plant-derived glycoside (icariin) come from four different factories, four different cost structures, and four different export lanes.
- Purity tier. Research grade (≥ 95 – 98 % HPLC) for screening; preclinical grade (≥ 98 – 99 % HPLC with full documentation) for animal PK/PD; commercial cGMP for formulation work.
- Pack size. Milligram aliquots from catalog houses; gram-to-kilogram lots from wholesale suppliers. The per-gram price differential between the two channels runs 10 – 50 ×.
- Documentation set. CoA only at entry tier; CoA + HPLC chromatogram + 1H-NMR + LC-MS at preclinical tier; ICH Q3C residual solvents and stability data above that.
2. The 2026 Supply Landscape — Channels, Regions, and Cost Differentials
The research-chemical market in 2026 is split across three channel types with different economics. The same CAS number can carry a tenfold-to-fiftyfold per-gram price difference depending on which channel it is bought through.
| Channel | Typical scale | Per-gram economics | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalog houses (Sigma-Aldrich/Merck, Cayman, Tocris/Bio-Techne, Toronto Research Chemicals, Selleck, MedChemExpress) | 5 – 100 mg aliquots | 10 – 50 × per-gram premium over wholesale | One-time reference standards, single-assay confirmations, quick turnaround on small aliquots |
| B2B wholesale suppliers (NutraBiotech and peer RUO distributors) | 1 g – 1 kg lots | Baseline | Repeat assays, animal PK/PD, formulation screening, reference-material stock build |
| Open marketplaces (B2B listing platforms) | g – kg lots | 30 – 70 % below baseline, with high variance | High fraud exposure; trader intermediaries dominate listings, documentation quality is inconsistent |
By origin, the manufacturing base divides into four regional pools:
| Origin | Strength | Typical lead time | Cost position |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | Largest synthesis capacity for catalog small molecules and peptides; deep CDMO network | In-stock 3 – 7 working days; custom synthesis 4 – 12 weeks | Lowest baseline, 3 – 10 × below EU/US manufacturing |
| India | API intermediates and DMF-backed scale-up chemistry | 2 – 4 weeks | Low-to-mid, strong on generics intermediates |
| EU (Germany, Switzerland, Italy) | cGMP lots, phytopharmaceutical extraction, reference standards | 2 – 6 weeks | Mid-to-high; regulatory-grade documentation |
| United States | Catalog houses for mg-scale reference standards; domestic rapid dispatch | 1 – 3 days domestic | Highest per-gram at mg scale |
The practical sourcing pattern for most discovery and preclinical groups is a two-channel model: milligram aliquots from a catalog house for method establishment and one-off confirmations, and gram-to-kilogram lots from a wholesale supplier for everything that repeats. The cost crossover sits between the 100 mg and 1 g pack sizes — beyond it, the catalog-house premium compounds with every reorder.
3. Research Compounds Catalog at a Glance — 30 In-Stock SKUs
The NutraBiotech research-compound catalog currently holds 30 in-stock SKUs organized into five mechanism clusters, each with full CAS identification, lot-specific CoA data, and gram-to-kilogram availability. The consolidated view:
| Compound | CAS | Mechanism class | Cluster | Supply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trans ISRIB A-17 | 1628478-15-8 | eIF2B activator / ISR inhibitor | CNS & Cognition | 100 g+ in stock |
| Ebselen | 60940-34-3 | GPx4 mimetic, ferroptosis inhibitor | CNS & Cognition | 1 g – 1 kg |
| CA77.1 | 2412270-22-3 | Chaperone-mediated autophagy activator | CNS & Cognition | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Semax Acetate | 80714-61-0 | ACTH(4-10) analog, BDNF/trkB upregulator | CNS & Cognition | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Atomoxetine HCl | 82248-59-7 | Selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor | CNS & Cognition | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Guanfacine HCl | 29110-48-3 | α2A-adrenergic agonist | CNS & Cognition | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Basmisanil | 1159600-41-5 | GABAA α5 negative allosteric modulator | CNS & Cognition | 1 g – 1 kg |
| SB216763 | 280744-09-4 | ATP-competitive GSK-3α/β inhibitor | CNS & Cognition | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Duloxetine | 116539-59-4 | Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor | CNS & Cognition | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Tacrolimus | 104987-11-3 | FKBP12-calcineurin inhibitor (FK506) | Immunomodulation | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Sirolimus | 53123-88-9 | Allosteric mTORC1 inhibitor (rapamycin) | Immunomodulation | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Teriflunomide | 108605-62-5 | Reversible DHODH inhibitor | Immunomodulation | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Cladribine | 4291-63-8 | ADA-resistant purine nucleoside analog | Immunomodulation | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Ozanimod | 1306760-87-1 | S1P1/5 receptor modulator | Immunomodulation | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Siponimod | 1230487-00-9 | S1P receptor modulator | Immunomodulation | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Imatinib | 152459-95-5 | BCR-ABL / c-KIT / PDGFR kinase inhibitor | Kinase & Epigenetic | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Vorinostat (SAHA) | 149647-78-9 | Pan-HDAC inhibitor | Kinase & Epigenetic | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Upadacitinib | 1310726-60-3 | Selective JAK1 inhibitor | Kinase & Epigenetic | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Epitalon | 307297-39-8 | Tetrapeptide (AEDG), telomerase activator | Peptide & Mimetic | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Melanotan II | 121062-08-6 | Cyclic melanocortin MC1R/MC4R agonist | Peptide & Mimetic | 1 g – 1 kg |
| EUK-134 | 81065-76-1 | Manganese salen SOD/catalase mimetic | Peptide & Mimetic | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Icariin | 56692-02-5 | Prenylated flavonol glycoside, PDE5 inhibitor | Specialty & Endocrine | 1 g – 1 kg |
| β-Estradiol | 50-28-2 | Endogenous estrogen, ERα/ERβ agonist | Specialty & Endocrine | 1 g – 1 kg |
| R,S-Equol | 94105-90-5 | Soy isoflavone metabolite, selective ERβ agonist | Specialty & Endocrine | 1 g – 1 kg |
| CB-03-01 | 19608-29-8 | Topical androgen-receptor antagonist | Specialty & Endocrine | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Alprostadil (PGE1) | 745-65-3 | Endogenous prostaglandin E1, EP-receptor agonist | Specialty & Endocrine | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Carvedilol | 72956-09-3 | Non-selective β + α1 blocker, antioxidant | Specialty & Endocrine | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Tezacaftor (VX-661) | 1152311-62-0 | CFTR folding corrector | Specialty & Endocrine | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Vadasustat | 1000025-07-9 | HIF prolyl-hydroxylase inhibitor | Specialty & Endocrine | 1 g – 1 kg |
| Tirasemtiv | 1005491-05-3 | Fast skeletal muscle troponin activator | Specialty & Endocrine | 1 g – 1 kg |
The full live inventory, including pack sizes and quotation entry, is browsable through the research-chemical category. Cluster-specific sourcing notes follow in §4 – §8.
4. CNS & Cognition Cluster — ISRIB, Ebselen, Semax, Atomoxetine, Guanfacine, Basmisanil, SB216763, Duloxetine, CA77.1
The CNS cluster is the largest group in the catalog and the one with the widest price dispersion, because it spans both cheap synthetic small molecules (atomoxetine, duloxetine, guanfacine — off-patent drug substances with mature generic chemistry) and expensive specialty probes (ISRIB analogues, CA77.1 — low-volume research-only syntheses with few manufacturers worldwide).
- Trans ISRIB A-17 (CAS 1628478-15-8). The integrated-stress-response inhibitor and eIF2B activator; the reference tool compound for protein-translation and memory research. Sourcing depth is limited — the synthesis is multi-step and the qualified-manufacturer pool is small, so lead-time reliability matters more than per-gram price. NutraBiotech holds 100 g+ inventory, which is unusual for a specialty probe at this tier.
- Ebselen (CAS 60940-34-3). The organoselenium GPx4 mimetic and ferroptosis inhibitor, also studied as a SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitor. Selenium chemistry narrows the qualified-supplier pool relative to ordinary heterocycles.
- CA77.1 (CAS 2412270-22-3). The first-in-class brain-penetrant chaperone-mediated-autophagy activator for neurodegeneration models — a genuinely scarce compound where supply consolidation behind one or two manufacturers is the norm.
- Semax Acetate (CAS 80714-61-0). The ACTH(4-10) analog peptide; supplied as the acetate salt with cold-chain handling.
- Atomoxetine HCl (82248-59-7), Duloxetine (116539-59-4), Guanfacine HCl (29110-48-3). Off-patent CNS drug substances with deep generic chemistry; the sourcing question is documentation grade (impurity profile, residual solvents) rather than availability. Duloxetine is quoted as the free base (the hydrochloride salt carries CAS 136434-34-9) — a salt-form mismatch between quotation and delivery is a recurring quality finding in this class.
- Basmisanil (1159600-41-5) and SB216763 (280744-09-4). Research-stage probes: a GABAA α5 negative allosteric modulator and an ATP-competitive GSK-3α/β inhibitor, both used heavily in cognition and Wnt/β-catenin signaling work.
Cluster-level sourcing note: for the specialty probes (ISRIB, CA77.1, basmisanil), batch-to-batch consistency and a complete impurity profile outweigh price — switching lots mid-study invalidates assay comparability. For the off-patent drug substances, the differentiator is documentation grade at the preclinical tier. Background chemistry on the ISRIB line is covered in the trans-ISRIB eIF2B activator explainer.
5. Immunomodulation & Transplant-Science Cluster — Tacrolimus, Sirolimus, Teriflunomide, Cladribine, Ozanimod, Siponimod
The immunomodulation cluster splits into two supply structures. Tacrolimus (CAS 104987-11-3) and sirolimus (CAS 53123-88-9) are fermentation-derived macrolides: the manufacturing base is a small number of fermentation sites (the same structural bottleneck documented for the wider rapalog family), cold-chain handling applies, and purity conversation centers on related-substance profiles of co-produced macrolides rather than simple assay percentage. Tacrolimus also carries the anhydrous/monohydrate dual-CAS trap — specifications written against one form and goods shipped against the other produce real assay discrepancies.
Teriflunomide, cladribine, ozanimod, and siponimod are synthetic small molecules from the multiple-sclerosis pharmacology line. All four have approved-drug counterparts, so reference standards are widely available and HPLC method development is straightforward; the sourcing question is the purity/documentation tier, not the molecule itself. HS classification for the macrolides runs under 2941.90 (other antibiotics), while the synthetic immunomodulators fall under the heterocyclic subheadings (2933 / 2934).
6. Kinase & Epigenetic Inhibitor Cluster — Imatinib, Vorinostat, Upadacitinib
All three members are heterocyclic synthetic molecules with mature chemistry. Imatinib (CAS 152459-95-5) — the first-generation BCR-ABL inhibitor and the founding molecule of targeted oncology — is quoted here as the free base (the mesylate salt carries CAS 220127-57-1); generic-drug chemistry is deep, so the price ladder is flat and the competition happens on impurity profiling and genotoxic-impurity control (the α-chloro-pyrimidine and anilino impurities from the route are the watch items). Vorinostat (149647-78-9), the pan-HDAC inhibitor and epigenetics reference tool, is a hydroxamic acid — hydroxylamine-line impurities are the analytical watch item. Upadacitinib (1310726-60-3), the selective JAK1 inhibitor, is the newest of the three; fewer qualified manufacturers exist and lot-release documentation matters more than for the two older molecules.
Cluster-level sourcing note: the three molecules share the 2933/2934 heterocyclic HS lanes, so multi-SKU consolidated shipments clear customs as a single entry with one broker filing — a meaningful freight and handling saving versus split orders.
7. Peptide & Geroprotective Mimetic Cluster — Epitalon, Melanotan II, EUK-134
Epitalon (CAS 307297-39-8) is the Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly tetrapeptide studied for telomerase activation and geroprotection; as a short synthetic peptide it is solid-phase synthesized, HPLC-purified to ≥ 99 %, and shipped cold. Melanotan II (CAS 121062-08-6), the cyclic melanocortin MC1R/MC4R agonist, is likewise a synthetic peptide — and one with a compliance dimension: it is an unapproved drug subject to import alerts and regulator warnings in several jurisdictions, and is supplied strictly for laboratory research. EUK-134 (CAS 81065-76-1), the manganese salen catalytic SOD/catalase mimetic, is a small molecule used in oxidative-stress and radioprotection models and increasingly in dermal-research formulations.
Peptide sourcing differs from small-molecule sourcing on three axes: salt form and counterion (acetate vs free base), trifluoroacetate residue from purification (TFA salt content must be stated on the CoA), and net-peptide versus gross-weight assay — a "1 g" peptide lot at 85 % net peptide content is not the same goods as one at 98 %. The peptide-specific tier economics and CDMO benchmarks are consolidated in the peptide API price list.
8. Specialty & Endocrine Cluster — Icariin, β-Estradiol, Equol, CB-03-01, Alprostadil, Carvedilol, Tezacaftor, Vadasustat, Tirasemtiv
The specialty cluster is the most heterogeneous group, and each member carries an individual sourcing angle:
- Icariin (CAS 56692-02-5). Plant-derived prenyated flavonol glycoside from Epimedium; follows the extraction-CDMO cost structure (botanical raw material + chromatographic purification) rather than synthesis economics. Priced in the natural-compound price list tier framework.
- β-Estradiol (CAS 50-28-2) and R,S-Equol (94105-90-5). Steroid and isoflavan estrogen-receptor ligands. Estradiol is a regulated pharmaceutical in most jurisdictions even at RUO scale; import paperwork requirements vary by destination. Equol is the chiral soy metabolite — the R,S racemate quoted here is a distinct article from the enantiopure S-equol used in clinical work.
- CB-03-01 (19608-29-8). Clascoterone, the topical androgen-receptor antagonist for androgenetic-alopecia and acne models; the local-delivery formulation work is the main use case at RUO scale.
- Alprostadil / PGE1 (745-65-3). Endogenous prostaglandin E1; prostaglandin chemistry carries the 2937.50 HS lane and a specialized manufacturing pool — the widest per-gram price spread of any single CAS in the catalog across the open market.
- Carvedilol (72956-09-3). Off-patent cardiovascular drug substance with two chiral centers; enantiomeric purity is the analytical differentiator between lots at the same assay percentage.
- Tezacaftor / VX-661 (1152311-62-0). The CFTR folding corrector from the cystic-fibrosis corrector/potentiator line; one of the newest molecules in the catalog with the narrowest qualified-manufacturer pool in the specialty cluster.
- Vadasustat (1000025-07-9). HIF prolyl-hydroxylase inhibitor for anemia-of-CKD models; research-stage supply.
- Tirasemtiv (1005491-05-3). Fast skeletal muscle troponin activator for ALS and neuromuscular models; research-stage supply with few qualified sources.
9. Purity Tiers & QC Documentation — What Ships with Every Lot
Documentation is what separates a research-grade supplier from a commodity trader. The standard documentation panel by grade:
| Document | Content | Standard from |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Analysis | Identity, HPLC purity, assay, water content (Karl Fischer), residue on ignition, appearance | Every lot, every grade |
| HPLC chromatogram | Raw instrument trace with method reference, retention times, impurity profile | Every lot, research grade upward |
| 1H-NMR spectrum | Structure confirmation against reference data | Preclinical grade upward |
| LC-MS confirmation | Molecular-weight confirmation (parent ion) | Preclinical grade upward |
| MSDS | Safety, handling, storage, transport classification | Every lot, every grade |
| ICH Q3C residual solvents | Methanol, ethanol, acetone, DCM, ethyl acetate limits | Preclinical grade upward |
| TGA / DSC profile | Thermal behavior, polymorph indication | On request |
| Stability data | Accelerated (40 °C / 75 % RH) and long-term conditions | Commercial cGMP tier |
Two practical verification points sit inside this panel. First, the CoA should be lot-specific with instrument-generated data — a certificate whose batch number and date fields repeat across different compounds is a template, not a document. Second, the HPLC method reference on the chromatogram ties the purity claim to a reproducible method; a purity percentage without a method reference cannot be cross-verified by the receiving laboratory.
10. Tiered Pricing & Pack-Size Economics (1 g → 1 kg)
The catalog runs on the same four-tier wholesale framework as the companion price lists, with pack economics scaling inside each tier:
| Tier | Indicative purity (HPLC) | Documentation pack | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 Research | ≥ 95 – 98 % | CoA + HPLC chromatogram | In vitro screening, assay libraries |
| T2 Preclinical | ≥ 98 – 99 % | CoA + HPLC + 1H-NMR + LC-MS + ICH Q3C solvents | Animal PK/PD, formulation screening |
| T3 Commercial cGMP | ≥ 99 %, single impurity ≤ 0.1 % | GMP documentation, stability data, DMF-referenced where applicable | Generic-drug formulation, clinical-adjacent research |
| T4 Innovator | ≥ 99.5 %, full genotoxic panel | NDA-grade CMC dossier | Registered-drug development programs |
Pack-size scaling within a tier follows the standard wholesale curve: the 1 g pack is the baseline; the 10 g pack typically carries a 5 – 10 % per-gram discount; the 100 g pack 15 – 35 %; and the 1 kg pack 25 – 40 %. The exceptions are the specialty probes (ISRIB-class, CA77.1, tezacaftor, tirasemtiv) where the minimum lot is small and the discount curve is steeper at scale, and the off-patent drug substances (atomoxetine, carvedilol, duloxetine) where the curve is nearly flat because the marginal cost is dominated by QC and documentation rather than synthesis.
For priced benchmarks on adjacent clusters: peptide-tier economics are consolidated in the peptide price list, racetam and eugeroic-class benchmarks in the nootropics price list, and plant-derived single constituents in the natural-compound price list. The peptide-sourcing companion guide covers the channel question for the peptide class specifically: where to buy peptides online.
11. Supplier Verification — Manufacturer vs Trader, and the Red Flags
The single largest quality variable in the research-chemical market is not chemistry — it is whether the counterparty actually makes what it sells. Four structural markers distinguish a manufacturing supplier (or a supplier with contracted manufacturing) from a trading intermediary:
1. Manufacturing-scope license
A business license whose registered scope covers chemical manufacturing or production, not only trading. In China this is the 生产 versus 贸易 scope distinction on the unified business license; the registration number is independently verifiable.
2. Lot-specific raw data
Instrument-generated CoA data with unique batch numbers, dates, and analyst references — and the willingness to share the underlying chromatogram and NMR trace before payment.
3. Route-level discussion
The ability to discuss synthesis route, impurity control strategy, and scale-up constraints in technical terms. A trader can relay a price; a manufacturer can explain why the price is what it is.
4. Third-party audit trail
SGS / TÜV / Intertek reports, customer audit records, or — for the highest tier — regulatory inspection history. An audited facility has a verifiable address and a physical plant behind the quotation.
The counter-image is a recognizable red-flag pattern. Quotations issued without a CAS number; the same batch number appearing on certificates for different compounds; prices 50 % or more below the cluster median with no documentation explanation; payment routed to a personal bank account; absence of a research-use-only statement; and stock photography standing in for facility imagery. Any two of these together are grounds to treat the counterparty as unverified. On open B2B marketplaces this pattern is common rather than exceptional, which is the structural reason the marketplace channel carries the quality variance documented in §2.
12. Regulatory, HS Classification & Export Workflow
None of the 30 catalog SKUs is a scheduled substance under the United States Controlled Substances Act or the UN conventions. Modafinil-class eugeroics — Schedule IV in the United States (21 CFR 1308.14) — are deliberately excluded from the RUO catalog. Two members carry jurisdiction-specific flags: β-estradiol is a regulated pharmaceutical in most markets even at research scale, and melanotan II is an unapproved drug subject to import alerts and regulator warnings in several jurisdictions; both ship strictly for laboratory use with end-use documentation where the destination requires it.
HS classification runs by chemistry, and the catalog spans six lanes:
| Chemistry | HS subheading | Catalog examples |
|---|---|---|
| N-heterocyclic compounds | 2933.39 / 2934.99 | Imatinib, vorinostat, upadacitinib, teriflunomide, cladribine, ebselen, ozanimod, siponimod, basmisanil |
| Amino-alcohols / amino-ketones | 2922.19 | Atomoxetine HCl, carvedilol, duloxetine, guanfacine HCl |
| Peptides | 3504.00 (or 2937 where hormone-classified) | Epitalon, semax acetate, melanotan II |
| Prostaglandins | 2937.50 | Alprostadil (PGE1) |
| Estrogens | 2937.23 | β-Estradiol; R,S-Equol as oxygen heterocycle 2932.99 |
| Antibiotic-class macrolides | 2941.90 | Tacrolimus, sirolimus |
| Glycosides | 2938.90 | Icariin |
The export workflow for a standard in-stock order runs: quotation against CAS + purity + pack size → proforma invoice → production of lot documentation → consignment packing with RUO labeling → courier dispatch (DHL / FedEx / UPS) with commercial invoice, packing list, CoA, and MSDS attached for customs. In-stock orders dispatch in 3 – 7 working days; custom synthesis runs 4 – 12 weeks depending on route complexity and non-catalog intermediate availability. Cold-chain lines (macrolides, peptides) consolidate on refrigerated dispatch. Destination-country specifics — Section 301 duties on China-origin chemicals entering the United States, EU import documentation, and end-use statements on pharmaceutical-class compounds — are confirmed with the destination customs broker before dispatch, and the shipping terms page carries the carrier and delivery detail.
13. Selection Guidance by Application
The cluster and tier framework resolves into a short decision grid by application:
| Application | Cluster fit | Tier | Pack size |
|---|---|---|---|
| In vitro target screening, assay libraries | Any | T1 | 1 – 10 g |
| Animal PK/PD studies | Any | T2 (full documentation panel) | 10 – 100 g |
| Formulation and stability screening | Off-patent drug substances (atomoxetine, carvedilol, duloxetine classes) | T2 / T3 | 100 g – 1 kg |
| Signal-transduction research tools | CNS probes, kinase inhibitors | T2 | 1 – 10 g, lot-consistent |
| Reference-standard stock build | Any | T2 | Consolidated multi-SKU lots |
| Geroprotection / longevity research | ISRIB, epitalon, EUK-134, sirolimus | T2 | 1 – 100 g |
Two cross-references complete the decision set: the purchasing guide for nootropic ingredients covers the cognition-class sourcing workflow in depth, and the FAQ hub carries the consolidated commercial terms.
14. Frequently Asked Questions
What does the term "research chemical" mean in laboratory trade?
In laboratory trade usage, a research chemical is a chemical substance manufactured and sold for scientific research use only (RUO) — for in-vitro assay work, animal pharmacology, analytical reference, or process development — and not intended for human or veterinary use, food, or cosmetics. The category covers drug-discovery tool compounds, API intermediates, and analytical reference standards. A legitimate B2B research-chemical supplier issues quotations with full CAS identification, ships lot-specific certificates of analysis, and labels every consignment for laboratory use only.
Are the 30 catalog compounds legal to buy and import?
None of the 30 catalog SKUs is listed as a scheduled substance under the United States Controlled Substances Act or the UN drug conventions, and modafinil-class eugeroics (Schedule IV in the US, 21 CFR 1308.14) are deliberately excluded from the catalog. Import rules still vary by jurisdiction: β-estradiol is a regulated pharmaceutical in most markets even at research scale, melanotan II is an unapproved drug subject to import alerts in several jurisdictions, and prescription-drug-class compounds (atomoxetine, duloxetine, carvedilol, imatinib) may require end-use statements at some destination customs authorities. The destination customs broker is the authoritative source for a given shipment.
What is the minimum order quantity and pack-size range?
The standard minimum order is 1 g for the catalog SKUs, with 100 mg sample packs available for qualification orders. The standard pack ladder runs 1 g, 5 g, 10 g, 25 g, 100 g, 500 g, and 1 kg. Trans ISRIB A-17 is carried at 100 g+ inventory depth — unusual for a specialty probe — and the off-patent drug substances (atomoxetine, carvedilol, duloxetine) are available to the full 1 kg pack without lot-splitting.
What QC documentation ships with each order?
Every lot ships with a lot-specific Certificate of Analysis (identity, HPLC purity, assay, water content by Karl Fischer, residue on ignition, appearance), the raw HPLC chromatogram with method reference, and the MSDS. Preclinical-grade orders add the 1H-NMR spectrum and LC-MS molecular-weight confirmation, plus the ICH Q3C residual-solvent panel (methanol, ethanol, acetone, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate). TGA/DSC thermal profiles and stability data are available on request. Peptide lots additionally state the counterion identity and the trifluoroacetate content from purification.
How is the 30-compound catalog organized?
The catalog is organized into five mechanism clusters: CNS and cognition (9 SKUs — ISRIB, ebselen, CA77.1, semax, atomoxetine, guanfacine, basmisanil, SB216763, duloxetine); immunomodulation and transplant science (6 SKUs — tacrolimus, sirolimus, teriflunomide, cladribine, ozanimod, siponimod); kinase and epigenetic inhibitors (3 SKUs — imatinib, vorinostat, upadacitinib); peptides and geroprotective mimetics (3 SKUs — epitalon, melanotan II, EUK-134); and specialty and endocrine (9 SKUs — icariin, β-estradiol, R,S-equol, CB-03-01, alprostadil, carvedilol, tezacaftor, vadasustat, tirasemtiv). Each cluster follows its own supply structure and documentation emphasis.
What is the difference between a catalog house and a B2B wholesale supplier?
Catalog houses (Sigma-Aldrich/Merck, Cayman, Tocris/Bio-Techne, Toronto Research Chemicals, Selleck, MedChemExpress) sell 5 – 100 mg aliquots at a 10 – 50 × per-gram premium over wholesale, suited to one-time reference-standard use and single-assay confirmations. B2B wholesale suppliers sell 1 g – 1 kg lots at the baseline price point, suited to repeat assays, animal PK/PD studies, and formulation screening. The same CAS number is the same molecule in both channels; the cost crossover sits between the 100 mg and 1 g pack sizes, beyond which the catalog-house premium compounds on every reorder.
How does pack size affect the per-gram price?
The 1 g pack is the pricing baseline. The 10 g pack typically carries a 5 – 10 % per-gram discount, the 100 g pack 15 – 35 %, and the 1 kg pack 25 – 40 %. The exceptions run in both directions: specialty probes (ISRIB-class, CA77.1, tezacaftor, tirasemtiv) have small minimum lots and steeper discount curves at scale, while off-patent drug substances (atomoxetine, carvedilol, duloxetine) have nearly flat curves because marginal cost is dominated by QC and documentation rather than synthesis.
Which SKUs require cold-chain shipping and refrigerated storage?
The fermentation-derived macrolides (tacrolimus, sirolimus) and the peptide SKUs (epitalon, semax acetate, melanotan II) ship with ice packs and store at 2 – 8 °C. Ambient shipping and room-temperature storage apply to the stable small-molecule SKUs — the heterocyclic inhibitors (imatinib, vorinostat, upadacitinib), the CNS drug substances (atomoxetine, guanfacine, duloxetine), and the natural-product small molecules (icariin, equol). A quotation line for a cold-chain SKU that does not state the shipping and storage condition of the lot is incomplete: ambient transit in summer months measurably degrades the related-substance profile of the macrolides.
What are the lead times for in-stock and custom-synthesis orders?
In-stock catalog orders dispatch in 3 – 7 working days after documentation production, by courier (DHL / FedEx / UPS) with commercial invoice, packing list, CoA, and MSDS attached for customs. Cold-chain lines consolidate on refrigerated dispatch, typically weekly. Custom synthesis and non-catalog compounds run 4 – 12 weeks depending on route complexity, intermediate availability, and purification requirements; a feasibility response on a custom target is normally issued within 5 working days of receiving the target CAS, quantity, purity target, and any reference-standard availability.
Can compounds outside the 30-SKU catalog be sourced?
Yes. Custom synthesis and catalog-extension sourcing are standard services. The workflow runs: target CAS + quantity + purity target + reference-standard availability → feasibility and route assessment → quotation with impurity-profile specification → synthesis → full documentation release on the same CoA / HPLC / NMR / LC-MS panel as the catalog SKUs. Route-scouting compounds from the same mechanism clusters as the catalog (additional kinase inhibitors, additional CNS probes, additional peptide sequences) carry the shortest feasibility cycles because the chemistry is established.
How is a genuine manufacturer distinguished from a trading intermediary?
Four structural markers distinguish them: a business license whose registered scope covers manufacturing rather than trading only; lot-specific instrument-generated CoA data with unique batch numbers and the willingness to share raw chromatograms and NMR traces before payment; the ability to discuss synthesis route, impurity control, and scale-up constraints in technical terms; and a third-party audit trail (SGS / TÜV / Intertek reports or customer audit records) behind a verifiable facility address. The red-flag pattern is the mirror image: quotations without CAS numbers, repeated batch numbers across different compounds, prices 50 % or more below cluster median without documentation explanation, payment to personal bank accounts, and missing research-use-only statements.
What payment terms and quote validity apply?
Standard payment runs by telegraphic transfer (T/T), with trade-assurance or escrow arrangements available for first orders. Quote validity is 14 days for off-patent drug substances and standard catalog SKUs, and up to 30 days for specialty-probe lots where the manufacturing pool is narrow. 100 mg sample packs are available for qualification orders before a bulk commitment. Commercial terms in consolidated form are carried on the FAQ hub, and the quotation desk responds to standard enquiries within 2 working days.
15. Request a Quotation
Enquiries are handled by the NutraBiotech quotation desk against CAS number, purity tier, pack size, documentation requirements, and destination market. Standard response time is 2 working days; custom-synthesis feasibility responses are issued within 5 working days.
Talk to the NutraBiotech research-compound desk
30 in-stock SKUs across five mechanism clusters — CoA + HPLC + 1H-NMR + LC-MS documentation on every preclinical-grade lot — pack sizes 1 g – 1 kg — in-stock dispatch in 3 – 7 working days — custom synthesis 4 – 12 weeks — RUO only
Request a Quotation16. Conclusion
The where-to-buy question for research chemicals resolves into four decisions — chemistry cluster, purity tier, pack size, and documentation set — and the 2026 answer runs through a two-channel model: mg-scale catalog houses for one-time reference use, and a verified B2B wholesale supplier for everything that repeats. Within the wholesale channel, the differentiators are lot-specific instrument data, route-level technical capability, and an audit trail behind a real facility — the markers that separate the 30-SKU verified catalog documented on this page from the trader listings that dominate open marketplaces.
Three closing observations:
- Cluster economics dominate molecule economics. A fermentation macrolide (tacrolimus), a heterocyclic kinase inhibitor (imatinib), and a synthetic peptide (epitalon) come from three different cost structures; per-gram price tracks the cluster before it tracks the molecule.
- Verification is analytical, not commercial. LC-MS and 1H-NMR confirmation on the received lot — run in-house or at a third-party laboratory — is the standing defense against substitution fraud on high-visibility compounds.
- Documentation grade compounds with volume. The per-gram premium of a catalog house over a wholesale supplier is 10 – 50 × at mg scale; consolidating repeat orders into a verified wholesale relationship captures that differential on every reorder after the first.