ARA-290 (cibinetide) is a niche, relatively expensive research peptide: it ships almost exclusively as 10 mg vials, and the 4 mg/day dose used in trials burns through a vial in 2-3 days. That combination makes per-mg price and COA quality the two things worth getting right before you buy. This guide teaches you how to evaluate any ARA-290 vendor; it pairs with our ARA-290 dosing guide and reconstitution guide.
This is not a ranked vendor list — for that, see our Best ARA-290 Vendors comparison. This guide teaches you how to evaluate any vendor yourself.
Understanding ARA-290 Pricing
ARA-290 is an 11-amino-acid peptide, more complex to synthesize than a tripeptide but shorter than the GLP-1-class compounds. It is a low-volume product, so it rarely sees the deep multi-vial discounts common on BPC-157 or retatrutide. Nearly every vendor lists a single 10 mg vial format.
Current Market Pricing (2026)
Vial Size
Typical Price Range
Price Per mg
Best For
10 mg
$48 - $70
~$4.80 - $7.00/mg
The standard (and usually only) ARA-290 format
The pattern is clear: ARA-290 is sold at one vial size across vendors, so the only real lever is per-mg price at 10 mg — there is no bulk-vial discount tier to chase.
Cost Per Course at the Trial Dose
The Phase 2 trials used 4 mg/day for 28 days. At 4 mg/day, a 10 mg vial covers ~2.5 days.
Protocol
Vials for 28 days
Approx. cost
4 mg/day (full trial dose)
~12 vials
~$575 - $840
2 mg/day (half)
~6 vials
~$290 - $420
1 mg/day (low)
~3 vials
~$145 - $210
For current vendor-specific pricing with exact $/mg breakdowns, see our Best ARA-290 Vendors comparison.
How to Verify ARA-290 Quality
ARA-290 is short enough that an incorrect or impure synthesis is easy to mask visually — the lyophilized powder looks identical regardless of purity. The COA is the only reliable check.
What a COA (Certificate of Analysis) Should Include
Identity Confirmation
Mass spectrometry confirming the molecular weight expected for the 11-amino-acid cibinetide sequence
Amino acid sequence verification
Purity Testing
HPLC purity — look for 98%+ purity
HPLC chromatogram should show a single dominant peak
Contamination Testing
Endotoxin levels (bacterial contamination)
Residual solvent analysis
Heavy metals screening
How to Verify a COA Is Legitimate
Check that the COA lists the specific product and a batch/lot number — not a generic template.
Confirm the lot number on the COA matches the vial you receive.
Look for a named third-party lab, not just an in-house claim.
Cross-check the test date — a COA should be recent, not years old.
Be wary if the vendor cannot produce a COA for the exact lot on request.
Red Flags to Avoid
No COA available, or only a years-old generic one
COA lot number that doesn't match the shipped vial
Purity claims with no HPLC chromatogram attached
Prices far below the $48-$70 market range (too-good-to-be-true on a niche peptide)
Once reconstituted, peptides are typically refrigerated and used within 28 days. ARA-290's trial protocol is itself a 28-day daily course, so a reconstituted vial's usable window and the dosing schedule line up well — but at 4 mg/day a single 10 mg vial only lasts ~2.5 days, so you reconstitute frequently rather than mixing a large batch.
Vial Size
At 1 mg/day
At 2 mg/day
At 4 mg/day
10 mg
10 days
5 days
2.5 days
Solution: Because the 4 mg dose empties a 10 mg vial in days, reconstitute one vial at a time and store at 2-8 C — there's no benefit to mixing ahead.
Recommended Vial Size by Protocol
Because ARA-290 is offered almost exclusively at 10 mg, vial-size selection is less about per-mg savings and more about how many 10 mg vials a given protocol needs:
Lower research doses (1 mg/day range): one 10 mg vial covers ~10 days.
Mid research doses (2 mg/day range): one 10 mg vial covers ~5 days.
Full trial dose (4 mg/day): plan for roughly 12 vials across a 28-day course.
Buying Multiple Vials
Factor
Multiple 10 mg vials
Cost per mg
Compare across vendors at 10 mg
Freshness
Each vial reconstituted fresh — a plus at 4 mg/day
Flexibility
Easy to adjust course length
Storage
Keep sealed vials refrigerated
Shipping
Buy enough per order to cover a course and amortize shipping
Our recommendation: Buy the number of 10 mg vials your intended course needs in one order from the lowest verified per-mg vendor, since there's no larger size to upgrade to.
Vendor Evaluation Methodology
We weight three factors when ranking ARA-290 vendors:
Price Competitiveness (40%)
Per-mg price at 10 mg, since that's the only format.
Community feedback, shipping reliability, and responsiveness to COA requests.
Shipping and Storage
What to Expect When Your Order Arrives
ARA-290 ships as a white-to-off-white lyophilized powder in a sealed glass vial, usually with a cold pack. Check the vial seal and crimp are intact and the powder is a solid cake or fine powder, not discolored.
Storage Guidelines
State
Storage
Lyophilized at room temp
Acceptable short-term during transit
Lyophilized, refrigerated
Preferred for medium-term storage
Lyophilized, frozen
Best for long-term storage
Reconstituted
Refrigerate 2-8 C, use within 28 days
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ARA-290 (cibinetide) is sold by research-chemical vendors labeled 'for research use only, not for human consumption.' It is an investigational drug with FDA Orphan Drug and Fast Track designations but no approval, so possession or use outside an authorized clinical trial may be restricted in your jurisdiction. This is reporting on how it is sold, not legal advice.
How much does ARA-290 cost per month?
ARA-290 is sold almost entirely as 10 mg vials priced roughly $48-$70. At the 4 mg/day trial dose, a 10 mg vial covers about 2-3 days, so a 28-day course can require multiple vials — meaningfully more expensive per course than most healing peptides.
What vial size should I buy?
ARA-290 is offered almost exclusively as 10 mg vials. Larger sizes are uncommon, so buyers typically compare per-mg price across vendors at the 10 mg size rather than chasing bulk discounts.
What purity should I look for in ARA-290?
Look for a recent COA showing 98%+ HPLC purity and mass-spectrometry confirmation matching the expected molecular weight for the 11-amino-acid sequence. A single dominant HPLC peak with no large secondary peaks is the key signal.
Can I buy ARA-290 from a pharmacy?
No. ARA-290 is not an FDA-approved medication, so it is not available by prescription from a standard pharmacy. It is sold only through research-chemical suppliers.
This article is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any condition. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before using any peptide.
