How to Read a Certificate of Analysis (COA)

A Certificate of Analysis (COA) is the document that verifies what is actually in the vial you are about to use. For research compounds, a credible COA should be issued by an independent third-party laboratory — not the seller — and should be batch-specific.

What every COA should contain

• Compound identity. Usually confirmed by mass spectrometry (ESI-MS or MALDI-TOF). The observed mass should match the theoretical monoisotopic mass within instrument tolerance.
• Purity. Typically reported as an HPLC chromatogram with the main peak integrated as a percentage of total area. Research-grade peptides are commonly specified at ≥ 98%.
• Batch number. A unique lot/batch identifier that ties the COA to a specific production run.
• Issue date and testing date. Recent dates indicate the document reflects current material, not an older run.
• Issuing laboratory. The name, signature, or stamp of an independent analytical lab.

Red flags

• No batch number, or a batch number that matches every product.
• Identity confirmation without spectra (just a typed "passed").
• Purity stated as a number without a chromatogram.
• COA issued by the supplier's own quality department only, with no third party.

How Innate Research handles COAs

Every product page links the current batch COA directly under the product description. Browse the catalog or open any product such as BPC-157, Tesamorelin, or NAD+ to see the live document.