Research peptides, explained — and priced.
In short: ClearCost Wellness explains four research peptides — MOTS-c, Semax, KPV, and Epithalon — in plain English, and tracks what vendors charge for them. None of the four is FDA-approved; all are sold for laboratory research use only. Prices here are tracked across vendors and date-checked, most recently on 24 October 2026.
Interest in research peptides is growing fast, but most of what ranks in search is sales copy. This site does two things instead: explains what each compound actually is and what the laboratory evidence does and does not show, and tracks what the market charges for it across vendors.
Start with the four most-researched compounds right now
What is MOTS-c?
A mitochondrial-derived peptide at the center of the longevity-research conversation. Tracked at 22 vendors with a wide price spread — a sign of an immature market. In July 2026 an FDA advisory committee voted to recommend it for the compounding bulks list; FDA staff recommended against it, the recommendation is advisory only, and it is not approval.
Tracked price (10 mg): $20.34–$49.50 across 22 vendors (PeptideComp, 9 Oct 2026 snapshot).
What is Semax?
A synthetic heptapeptide studied in cognitive research; the market sells it mostly in nasal format. It received one of the strongest votes at the FDA's July 2026 advisory committee — FDA staff recommended against it, the vote was advisory only — and it has still never been reviewed by the FDA itself.
Price: nasal bottle ~$42 (single-vendor listing, checked 24 Oct 2026); vial retail median not tracked.
What is KPV?
A three-amino-acid fragment of alpha-MSH studied in preclinical inflammation models. Standalone supply is scarce — most buyers encounter KPV inside the KLOW blend — which makes pricing and quality harder to compare.
Found mainly in blends: no recoverable vendor-counted retail range; KLOW trade benchmark $17.08 per 80 mg vial (checked 24 Oct 2026).
What is Epithalon?
A synthetic tetrapeptide studied for telomerase activity in cell cultures. The human evidence is the weakest on this list — we say so plainly — yet prices vary widely between vendors for the same catalogue item.
Tracked price: nasal format listed at $52; 10 mg wholesale benchmarks under $6, checked 24 Oct 2026.
What the market charges
Retail prices for identical catalogue items routinely differ by 2–3× between vendors. Our price-comparison page tracks the compounds above plus market context items (BPC-157, GHK-Cu, GLOW/KLOW blends, NAD+, Selank), with the vendor count, the tracked range, and the date we checked — so you can see the spread yourself instead of taking any single store's word for it.
How we work
- Evidence first. Every explainer separates what has been shown in human studies, in animal and cell models, and what is simply claimed. Where the human evidence is thin, the page says so.
- Regulatory status, stated accurately. An advisory committee recommendation is not FDA approval, and "recommended for compounding" is not "legal to compound." FDA staff recommended against all six compounds the July 2026 committee recommended. We track the July 2026 votes and what they actually changed — which, so far, is nothing in law.
- Prices with dates and sources. Market figures come from published vendor listings and price trackers, date-stamped on the page. We never publish a placeholder as a real price.
- No protocols, ever. You will find no dosing schedules, no cycle plans, and no usage instructions here. That content is exactly what regulators cite when they act against sellers, and it has no place on an educational site.
Looking to buy? Our store is in preview and is not taking orders yet. Its planned catalog covers the compounds on this site, benchmarked against the tracked market medians on the price page. Batch documentation publishes at launch.
See the store preview Partner store: Bench Grade Peptides
All products are intended for laboratory research use only.
Common questions
What "research use only" actually means, what happened at the FDA's July 2026 advisory committee, how to read a COA, and why we deliberately do not list certain high-demand compounds — answered on the FAQ page.
Last updated: October 2026