Glossary
Research use only (RUO)
Also called RUO, For research use only, Not for human consumption, Research chemical
A label sellers put on compounds that are not approved drugs, stating they are sold for laboratory research and not for human use.
In more detail
Most peptides sold online outside a pharmacy carry this label. It means the product has not gone through drug approval, and it is not made or inspected as a medicine. Quality depends entirely on the maker, which is why buyers look at lab reports.
The label does not change what the product is. FDA has sent warning letters to peptide sellers whose research-use-only products were plainly marketed for people, and legal commentators read those letters as saying the label is not a shield.
Why it matters
An RUO vial has none of the guarantees of a pharmacy product: no required sterility testing, no dose check against the label, no standard storage instructions. That is the gap this site's guides try to close with plain information.
Related terms
- Certificate of analysis (COA)A document from a testing lab that reports what was measured in a sample: usually identity, purity and sometimes amount and contamination tests.
- Compounded vs brandedA branded drug is the FDA-approved product from its maker. A compounded drug is mixed by a pharmacy or outsourcing facility and is not FDA approved.
- FDA Category 2An FDA list of bulk ingredients that were nominated for compounding but that FDA says may present significant safety risks. Pharmacies are not expected to compound with them under the interim policy.
- EndotoxinFragments of bacterial cell walls that can cause fever, chills and flu-like reactions when injected. Sterilizing a product does not remove them, so they are tested for separately.
Sources
Each source is labeled by where the information comes from. How we label sources
- Reference workResearch chemical(opens in a new tab)
Wikipedia · checked
- Regulatoryvia media reportRUO-ined: five peptide vendors learn that research use only is not a legal strategy(opens in a new tab)
ArentFox Schiff · checked
- RegulatoryCertain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks(opens in a new tab)
FDA · checked
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