Key Takeaways
- 8+ major vendors closed between mid-2025 and early 2026 — the largest shakeout in industry history
- Closures ranged from voluntary shutdowns to FDA raids to criminal guilty pleas
- Three forces drove the wave: FDA enforcement, pharmaceutical litigation, and quality failures
- 7 verified vendors continue operating — EZ Peptides, Ascension Peptides, BioLongevity Labs, Royal Peptides, Swiss Chems, Penguin Peptides, and Orbitrex
- More closures are likely — the regulatory pressure hasn't eased
The research peptide industry lost more vendors between mid-2025 and early 2026 than in the previous five years combined. FDA raids, criminal prosecutions, pharmaceutical lawsuits, and voluntary closures swept through the market.
This is the complete record: every vendor that shut down, why they closed, and what it means for the market going forward.
Why Vendors Are Shutting Down
The closures aren't random. Three forces converged simultaneously:
FDA enforcement went from letters to raids. The agency escalated from warning letters in late 2024 to warehouse raids in mid-2025 to supporting criminal prosecutions by the end of the year. The FDA also began using AI to scrape vendor websites for hidden dosing information that contradicted "research use only" disclaimers.
Pharmaceutical companies opened a litigation front. Eli Lilly filed federal lawsuits against telehealth companies distributing tirzepatide in April 2025. Novo Nordisk followed with suits against 14 semaglutide distributors in August 2025. Any vendor carrying GLP-1 compounds faced potential litigation from companies with unlimited legal budgets.
Quality testing exposed problems. Independent labs like Janoshik Analytical published testing results that revealed inconsistencies at major vendors. When the "trusted" vendors couldn't pass quality tests, the entire market's credibility suffered.
The result: the grey-market peptide model that operated with minimal friction for years became legally and operationally untenable for many vendors.
The Full List of Closures
Peptide Sciences — March 6, 2026 (Voluntary Shutdown)
What happened: Posted a three-sentence shutdown notice at approximately 2:00 PM Eastern. No advance warning, no guidance on pending orders, no explanation beyond "voluntary."
Why: FDA enforcement pressure, pharmaceutical litigation exposure from GLP-1 products, and quality concerns from third-party testing — particularly retatrutide, where 37 samples received failing grades from Janoshik Analytical.
Scale: Approximately $7.4 million in monthly online sales at the time of closure, according to Grips Intelligence. Widely considered the largest grey-market peptide vendor in the US.
Customer impact: Pending orders unfulfilled, store credit balances lost, customer support unresponsive.
Full story: What Happened to Peptide Sciences? | 7 Alternatives
Amino Asylum — June 2025 (FDA Raid)
What happened: FDA agents raided the Amino Asylum warehouse. The site went offline overnight, payment processing was terminated, and pending orders were frozen.
Why: Amino Asylum ignored multiple FDA warning letters, marketed products for human consumption (crossing the "research only" line), sold prescription-only medications alongside peptides and SARMs, and used trademarked pharmaceutical brand names in their marketing.
Scale: One of the largest grey-market research compound stores in the US, with a broad catalog spanning peptides, SARMs, nootropics, and prescription medications.
Customer impact: No warning, no order fulfillment, no refund process established.
Full story: Amino Asylum Shut Down: 7 Alternatives
Paradigm Peptides — December 2025 (Criminal Guilty Plea)
What happened: Founders Matthew Kawa and Jennifer Stechkober pleaded guilty to federal charges on December 10, 2025. The website now displays a closure notice.
Why: Federal investigators determined that products labeled as SARMs actually contained testosterone — a controlled substance. Additional charges related to selling unapproved drugs (peptides, hCG, and SARMs) without FDA authorization.
Scale: Mid-size vendor with a national customer base.
Criminal outcome: Guilty pleas entered; Kawa's sentencing scheduled for March 24, 2026. The case followed the Tailor Made Compounding prosecution, which resulted in a $1.79 million forfeiture.
Significance: This case established that selling mislabeled research compounds could result in criminal prosecution — not just civil penalties.
Science.bio — January 2026 (Voluntary Closure)
What happened: Science.bio announced on January 27, 2026, that it would permanently close and discontinue all sales of research products.
Why: No detailed public explanation provided, though the closure came during the height of FDA enforcement. The company stated the decision followed "careful consideration."
Customer handling: Notably better than other closures — Science.bio committed to fulfilling all outstanding orders or providing full refunds before shutting down.
Scale: One of the most respected research chemical suppliers, known for quality and testing.
Royal Research — 2025 (Disappeared)
What happened: Royal Research went offline during 2025 without a public announcement.
Important distinction: Royal Research is NOT Royal Peptides. Royal Peptides continues to operate as one of the 7 verified vendors in our rankings. The names are similar but they are completely separate companies.
Peptide Tech Labs — 2025 (Closed)
What happened: Peptide Tech Labs ceased operations during the 2025 enforcement wave.
Context: Smaller vendor that couldn't sustain operations under increased regulatory scrutiny.
American Research Labs — 2025 (Closed)
What happened: American Research Labs shut down during 2025.
Context: Part of the broader wave of smaller vendors that closed as the regulatory environment tightened.
Unchained Compounds — 2025 (Closed)
What happened: Unchained Compounds went offline during 2025.
Context: Another closure in the wave of smaller vendors exiting the market under regulatory pressure.
The Enforcement Timeline
| Date | Event | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2024 | FDA warning letters to Prime Peptides, Xcel Peptides, SwissChems, Summit Research | First major coordinated enforcement action |
| Apr 2025 | Eli Lilly sues telehealth companies over tirzepatide | Establishes pharmaceutical litigation precedent |
| Jun 2025 | FDA raids Amino Asylum warehouse | First physical raid on a major peptide vendor |
| Aug 2025 | Novo Nordisk sues 14 semaglutide distributors | Broadens litigation to cover semaglutide market |
| Sep 2025 | FDA issues 50+ warning letters to GLP-1 compounders | Mass enforcement against compounding pharmacies |
| Dec 2025 | Paradigm Peptides founders plead guilty | Criminal prosecution becomes reality |
| Jan 2026 | Science.bio permanently closes | Respected vendor exits voluntarily |
| Mar 2026 | Peptide Sciences shuts down | Largest vendor in the market exits |
| Mar 2026 | HHS announces 14 peptides return to legal compounding | Regulatory shift toward supervised access |
