Size Doesnt Matter... (i mean... are you sure??)
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I bought a 10mg Adalank nasal spray kit from Limitless Biotech. I know Selank pretty well, but have always taken it subQ.
I open everything up and prepare to recon the lyophilized powder and the vial looks all but empty, just a few particles and a microscopic clump of powder.
I email Limitless on a Saturday night, they reply first thing Sunday (today) morning and say that its normal, looks totally fine, and enjoy!
So I recon'ed and converted it to a nasal spray. I havent taken it yet, but thought I'd ask again, having just read Randy's article. I totally get the data. But... does this look like 10mg of Adalank???
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I don't know the answer to your specific question but you bring up a much bigger question overall for the peptide world IMHO and something perhaps Jeff can address in one of his blog posts that I don't think he addressed in "size doesn't matter." But rather, does filler even matter?
So I asked perplexity AI the importance of fillers in the lypophilization manufacturing process for peptides and here is what I got that maybe helps:
"Fillers (excipients) are critical in peptide lyophilization because they provide a physical matrix and chemical protection that preserves peptide structure, potency, and handling properties during freeze drying and storage.
What fillers do in peptide lyophilization
During lyophilization, peptides alone often form fragile, glassy films or “crusts” that can crack, collapse, aggregate, or cake, leading to loss of activity and poor reconstitution. Adding excipients—typically sugars, polyols, amino acids, and buffers—creates a more robust solid matrix that supports the peptide and controls how ice forms, how the cake dries, and how the final plug behaves over time.
Key functional roles
• Structural/bulking matrix: Bulking agents such as mannitol, sucrose, lactose, or glycine increase solid content so you get a stable, self supporting cake rather than a thin film. This bulking prevents collapse and makes the product mechanically robust during shipping and handling.
• Cryo and lyo protection: Sugars like trehalose and sucrose act as cryoprotectants and lyoprotectants, interacting with peptide backbones and side chains to reduce denaturation and aggregation during freezing and drying. They help replace water’s hydrogen bonds and modulate glass transition temperature (Tg′), which is central to setting a safe primary drying temperature.
• Improved reconstitution: A well designed filler system creates a porous, sponge like cake that takes up diluent rapidly and dissolves uniformly. Without fillers, peptide solids can form dense, glassy “bricks” that take much longer to go into solution and may leave visible particulates.
• Protection from oxidation and moisture: Some excipients form a barrier that slows oxygen diffusion and moisture uptake, both of which drive peptide degradation pathways like oxidation, deamidation, and hydrolysis. Proper excipients also help maintain low residual moisture after secondary drying, extending shelf life.
• pH and tonicity control: Buffers (e.g., phosphate systems) maintain pH in the optimal stability range for the specific sequence, while salts (NaCl, dextrose) adjust tonicity when the lyophilized peptide will be used in cell based or in vivo studies.Common filler categories and examples
• Bulking agents: Mannitol is highly favored because it tends to crystallize and produce an elegant, rigid cake with minimal interaction with many peptides. Alternatives like sucrose or lactose can be used where mannitol crystallization behavior is undesirable, or where more amorphous structure is needed.
• Cryo/lyoprotectants: Trehalose and sucrose are classic choices because they are chemically stable, glass forming, and have extensive data supporting their ability to preserve protein/peptide conformation. Glycerol and similar polyols may be used at the liquid stage as cryoprotectants but are less typical in final solid therapeutic formats.
• Buffers and stabilizers: Phosphate buffers are common, but choice depends on sequence specific pH stability and compatibility with other excipients. Surfactants (e.g., polysorbates) are more relevant for proteins but may be included for peptide formulations sensitive to interfacial stress.
What happens if you omit fillers
• Loss of biological activity: Without a protective excipient system, peptide chains are more exposed to freeze concentration, pH shifts, and interfacial stresses, increasing risks of aggregation, misfolding, or chemical degradation during the cycle.
• Poor cake and handling: “Naked” peptides can yield shrunken, cracked, or collapsed plugs that are fragile, tend to shed particles, and can reconstitute poorly with visible clumps or incomplete dissolution.
• Shorter shelf life: Higher residual moisture, greater oxygen access, and an unstable amorphous matrix accelerate degradation, so potency drops faster in storage compared to optimized formulations with appropriate excipients.
Practical implications for research peptidesFor research grade lyophilized peptides, vendors typically include small amounts of bulking agents (commonly mannitol, trehalose, or sucrose) even when labels don’t emphasize it, precisely to ensure stable cakes and reproducible reconstitution. These excipients usually have very low reactivity with peptides and have long histories of safe use in biopharmaceutical formulations."
And don't get me started on the whole Nexaph thing because I did a deep dive on variance in fill levels within a batch that Jeff was addressing... he wouldn't have liked the response so I stayed silent and let it alone.
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Damn did they yell the name of the pep into the vial?
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I don't know the answer to your specific question but you bring up a much bigger question overall for the peptide world IMHO and something perhaps Jeff can address in one of his blog posts that I don't think he addressed in "size doesn't matter." But rather, does filler even matter?
So I asked perplexity AI the importance of fillers in the lypophilization manufacturing process for peptides and here is what I got that maybe helps:
"Fillers (excipients) are critical in peptide lyophilization because they provide a physical matrix and chemical protection that preserves peptide structure, potency, and handling properties during freeze drying and storage.
What fillers do in peptide lyophilization
During lyophilization, peptides alone often form fragile, glassy films or “crusts” that can crack, collapse, aggregate, or cake, leading to loss of activity and poor reconstitution. Adding excipients—typically sugars, polyols, amino acids, and buffers—creates a more robust solid matrix that supports the peptide and controls how ice forms, how the cake dries, and how the final plug behaves over time.
Key functional roles
• Structural/bulking matrix: Bulking agents such as mannitol, sucrose, lactose, or glycine increase solid content so you get a stable, self supporting cake rather than a thin film. This bulking prevents collapse and makes the product mechanically robust during shipping and handling.
• Cryo and lyo protection: Sugars like trehalose and sucrose act as cryoprotectants and lyoprotectants, interacting with peptide backbones and side chains to reduce denaturation and aggregation during freezing and drying. They help replace water’s hydrogen bonds and modulate glass transition temperature (Tg′), which is central to setting a safe primary drying temperature.
• Improved reconstitution: A well designed filler system creates a porous, sponge like cake that takes up diluent rapidly and dissolves uniformly. Without fillers, peptide solids can form dense, glassy “bricks” that take much longer to go into solution and may leave visible particulates.
• Protection from oxidation and moisture: Some excipients form a barrier that slows oxygen diffusion and moisture uptake, both of which drive peptide degradation pathways like oxidation, deamidation, and hydrolysis. Proper excipients also help maintain low residual moisture after secondary drying, extending shelf life.
• pH and tonicity control: Buffers (e.g., phosphate systems) maintain pH in the optimal stability range for the specific sequence, while salts (NaCl, dextrose) adjust tonicity when the lyophilized peptide will be used in cell based or in vivo studies.Common filler categories and examples
• Bulking agents: Mannitol is highly favored because it tends to crystallize and produce an elegant, rigid cake with minimal interaction with many peptides. Alternatives like sucrose or lactose can be used where mannitol crystallization behavior is undesirable, or where more amorphous structure is needed.
• Cryo/lyoprotectants: Trehalose and sucrose are classic choices because they are chemically stable, glass forming, and have extensive data supporting their ability to preserve protein/peptide conformation. Glycerol and similar polyols may be used at the liquid stage as cryoprotectants but are less typical in final solid therapeutic formats.
• Buffers and stabilizers: Phosphate buffers are common, but choice depends on sequence specific pH stability and compatibility with other excipients. Surfactants (e.g., polysorbates) are more relevant for proteins but may be included for peptide formulations sensitive to interfacial stress.
What happens if you omit fillers
• Loss of biological activity: Without a protective excipient system, peptide chains are more exposed to freeze concentration, pH shifts, and interfacial stresses, increasing risks of aggregation, misfolding, or chemical degradation during the cycle.
• Poor cake and handling: “Naked” peptides can yield shrunken, cracked, or collapsed plugs that are fragile, tend to shed particles, and can reconstitute poorly with visible clumps or incomplete dissolution.
• Shorter shelf life: Higher residual moisture, greater oxygen access, and an unstable amorphous matrix accelerate degradation, so potency drops faster in storage compared to optimized formulations with appropriate excipients.
Practical implications for research peptidesFor research grade lyophilized peptides, vendors typically include small amounts of bulking agents (commonly mannitol, trehalose, or sucrose) even when labels don’t emphasize it, precisely to ensure stable cakes and reproducible reconstitution. These excipients usually have very low reactivity with peptides and have long histories of safe use in biopharmaceutical formulations."
And don't get me started on the whole Nexaph thing because I did a deep dive on variance in fill levels within a batch that Jeff was addressing... he wouldn't have liked the response so I stayed silent and let it alone.
@matthewwalsh
Matt
Can you point me to ‘the Nexaph thing’?
I just started my research and purchased my BPC 157 and TB 500 from them.
I had not seen anything negative so, if there is something I might oughta know I would appreciate the hint.
Cheers -
@matthewwalsh
Matt
Can you point me to ‘the Nexaph thing’?
I just started my research and purchased my BPC 157 and TB 500 from them.
I had not seen anything negative so, if there is something I might oughta know I would appreciate the hint.
Cheers -
Yeah thanks... Jeff stepped up and was a real savior in the situation which I greatly appreciate and why I'm such a fan of him and his site.
My whole contention with Nexaph was about consistency within the same batch (all small pucks - fine, all large pucks - fine, but an obvious mish mash of contents - not good IMO - indicative of process issues)... After Jeff's lab analysis of the peptide content, that size didn't matter for that aspect - I was relieved for anyone buying from Nexaph but I will never buy from them again and here's why.
I did a deep dive on the manufacturing process of peptides and inconsistencies that present within the same batch and what issues that could pose to the quality of the product. Needless to say - it wasn't good which I knew would be the case. And if a company screws a batch up (meaning the batch was NOT produced according to spec) there IS/was a manufacturing problem and a quality issue whether becoming apparent now or sometime in the future and is NOT just a cosmetic thing.
IMHO Nexaph had NO business/integrity dumping that product on an unsuspecting public - naive me. They should have at a minimum been willing to exchange the product or provide a refund upon request once I brought the obvious inconsistency to their attention which they were COMPLETELY unwilling to do - made me feel like - sorry loser you should have known better before making the purchase.
So, doing my civic duty, I'm just trying to inform the public of the company's actions and apparent core value of profit ahead of quality product before making a purchasing decision. There are plenty of fans of Nexaph out there (also plenty of alternative vendors) and I wanted to be one but was given a different path by them. BUYER BEWARE - don't think it can't happen to do. Their behavior/arrogance in this situation is the type of behavior/thinking that can (and hopefully would never) lead to worse outcomes in the future - I've seen it happen with plenty of companies. In their defense, they eventually got back to me, denied any request I had, and defended themselves in the situation. So, I've moved on to other vendors at half the cost or less and will continue to inform the public of my experience.
-
I bought a 10mg Adalank nasal spray kit from Limitless Biotech. I know Selank pretty well, but have always taken it subQ.
I open everything up and prepare to recon the lyophilized powder and the vial looks all but empty, just a few particles and a microscopic clump of powder.
I email Limitless on a Saturday night, they reply first thing Sunday (today) morning and say that its normal, looks totally fine, and enjoy!
So I recon'ed and converted it to a nasal spray. I havent taken it yet, but thought I'd ask again, having just read Randy's article. I totally get the data. But... does this look like 10mg of Adalank???
@phiberopttic 10mg that is 10/1000th of a gram or for the math nazis 1/100th. A incredibly small amount. So if it recieved little to no salts it would just be a residue on the the vial.
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Thanks for all the feedback and thoughts!!
And I owe Limitless Biotech an apology. I've used the nasal spray 3x now and it works great! Not even a hint of anxiety and I've tested it by going head-first into situations that used to trigger my GAD. I'm very happy with my purchase!
-
Yeah thanks... Jeff stepped up and was a real savior in the situation which I greatly appreciate and why I'm such a fan of him and his site.
My whole contention with Nexaph was about consistency within the same batch (all small pucks - fine, all large pucks - fine, but an obvious mish mash of contents - not good IMO - indicative of process issues)... After Jeff's lab analysis of the peptide content, that size didn't matter for that aspect - I was relieved for anyone buying from Nexaph but I will never buy from them again and here's why.
I did a deep dive on the manufacturing process of peptides and inconsistencies that present within the same batch and what issues that could pose to the quality of the product. Needless to say - it wasn't good which I knew would be the case. And if a company screws a batch up (meaning the batch was NOT produced according to spec) there IS/was a manufacturing problem and a quality issue whether becoming apparent now or sometime in the future and is NOT just a cosmetic thing.
IMHO Nexaph had NO business/integrity dumping that product on an unsuspecting public - naive me. They should have at a minimum been willing to exchange the product or provide a refund upon request once I brought the obvious inconsistency to their attention which they were COMPLETELY unwilling to do - made me feel like - sorry loser you should have known better before making the purchase.
So, doing my civic duty, I'm just trying to inform the public of the company's actions and apparent core value of profit ahead of quality product before making a purchasing decision. There are plenty of fans of Nexaph out there (also plenty of alternative vendors) and I wanted to be one but was given a different path by them. BUYER BEWARE - don't think it can't happen to do. Their behavior/arrogance in this situation is the type of behavior/thinking that can (and hopefully would never) lead to worse outcomes in the future - I've seen it happen with plenty of companies. In their defense, they eventually got back to me, denied any request I had, and defended themselves in the situation. So, I've moved on to other vendors at half the cost or less and will continue to inform the public of my experience.
@matthewwalsh I would you mind sharing which vendor you are referencing that is at half the cost of Nexaph? It would be much appreciated! Ty.
Happy Researching,
DRTasCanB -
I don't know the answer to your specific question but you bring up a much bigger question overall for the peptide world IMHO and something perhaps Jeff can address in one of his blog posts that I don't think he addressed in "size doesn't matter." But rather, does filler even matter?
So I asked perplexity AI the importance of fillers in the lypophilization manufacturing process for peptides and here is what I got that maybe helps:
"Fillers (excipients) are critical in peptide lyophilization because they provide a physical matrix and chemical protection that preserves peptide structure, potency, and handling properties during freeze drying and storage.
What fillers do in peptide lyophilization
During lyophilization, peptides alone often form fragile, glassy films or “crusts” that can crack, collapse, aggregate, or cake, leading to loss of activity and poor reconstitution. Adding excipients—typically sugars, polyols, amino acids, and buffers—creates a more robust solid matrix that supports the peptide and controls how ice forms, how the cake dries, and how the final plug behaves over time.
Key functional roles
• Structural/bulking matrix: Bulking agents such as mannitol, sucrose, lactose, or glycine increase solid content so you get a stable, self supporting cake rather than a thin film. This bulking prevents collapse and makes the product mechanically robust during shipping and handling.
• Cryo and lyo protection: Sugars like trehalose and sucrose act as cryoprotectants and lyoprotectants, interacting with peptide backbones and side chains to reduce denaturation and aggregation during freezing and drying. They help replace water’s hydrogen bonds and modulate glass transition temperature (Tg′), which is central to setting a safe primary drying temperature.
• Improved reconstitution: A well designed filler system creates a porous, sponge like cake that takes up diluent rapidly and dissolves uniformly. Without fillers, peptide solids can form dense, glassy “bricks” that take much longer to go into solution and may leave visible particulates.
• Protection from oxidation and moisture: Some excipients form a barrier that slows oxygen diffusion and moisture uptake, both of which drive peptide degradation pathways like oxidation, deamidation, and hydrolysis. Proper excipients also help maintain low residual moisture after secondary drying, extending shelf life.
• pH and tonicity control: Buffers (e.g., phosphate systems) maintain pH in the optimal stability range for the specific sequence, while salts (NaCl, dextrose) adjust tonicity when the lyophilized peptide will be used in cell based or in vivo studies.Common filler categories and examples
• Bulking agents: Mannitol is highly favored because it tends to crystallize and produce an elegant, rigid cake with minimal interaction with many peptides. Alternatives like sucrose or lactose can be used where mannitol crystallization behavior is undesirable, or where more amorphous structure is needed.
• Cryo/lyoprotectants: Trehalose and sucrose are classic choices because they are chemically stable, glass forming, and have extensive data supporting their ability to preserve protein/peptide conformation. Glycerol and similar polyols may be used at the liquid stage as cryoprotectants but are less typical in final solid therapeutic formats.
• Buffers and stabilizers: Phosphate buffers are common, but choice depends on sequence specific pH stability and compatibility with other excipients. Surfactants (e.g., polysorbates) are more relevant for proteins but may be included for peptide formulations sensitive to interfacial stress.
What happens if you omit fillers
• Loss of biological activity: Without a protective excipient system, peptide chains are more exposed to freeze concentration, pH shifts, and interfacial stresses, increasing risks of aggregation, misfolding, or chemical degradation during the cycle.
• Poor cake and handling: “Naked” peptides can yield shrunken, cracked, or collapsed plugs that are fragile, tend to shed particles, and can reconstitute poorly with visible clumps or incomplete dissolution.
• Shorter shelf life: Higher residual moisture, greater oxygen access, and an unstable amorphous matrix accelerate degradation, so potency drops faster in storage compared to optimized formulations with appropriate excipients.
Practical implications for research peptidesFor research grade lyophilized peptides, vendors typically include small amounts of bulking agents (commonly mannitol, trehalose, or sucrose) even when labels don’t emphasize it, precisely to ensure stable cakes and reproducible reconstitution. These excipients usually have very low reactivity with peptides and have long histories of safe use in biopharmaceutical formulations."
And don't get me started on the whole Nexaph thing because I did a deep dive on variance in fill levels within a batch that Jeff was addressing... he wouldn't have liked the response so I stayed silent and let it alone.
And don't get me started on the whole Nexaph thing because I did a deep dive on variance in fill levels within a batch that Jeff was addressing... he wouldn't have liked the response so I stayed silent and let it alone.
Trust Point is supposed to be one of the more highly regarded test labs in the USA. Here is a screenshot of what they told me when I asked about fill levels. This was before Jeff’s (Randy’s) test experiment. So again, completely different information from different places… and I am sure jano will say something different.
But there is no possible way an empty vial has the same usable peptide in it as one with product in it.
My main vendor offered me a $48 (1/3 the price of the kit) refund for an order that I received with 3 smaller pucks. They were about half the size of rest of the vials. 3 vials out of 100 was not bad, I didn’t even bother with the refund because the vendor has been good to me…
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