PepEvolution

Scoring Methodology

How we score providers, what "verified" means, and our independence statement.

The 100-Point Score

Every provider receives a PepEvolution score (0-100) based on four objective signals. No editorial override. No paid boosts.

Verification Status

35%

Whether the listing has been manually reviewed and confirmed accurate. Confirms: real operating business, listed peptides match public information, listing is accurate at review time.

Rating & Review Data

25%

Third-party rating (e.g. Google Places, Trustpilot) passed through unchanged. We do not editorialize. Review count informs confidence.

Telehealth Coverage

20%

Whether the provider offers remote/telehealth services. Increases accessibility for patients.

Peptide Breadth

20%

Number and range of treatment categories the provider covers. Broader coverage = higher score component.

The COA Transparency Layer

For research-peptide vendors, the single question that matters before you buy is:does this vendor publish real, independent lab tests?Our COA Lookup tracks exactly that, which vendors post genuine, independent, portal-verifiable Certificates of Analysis (from named labs such as Janoshik) versus recycled, stale, failed, or missing ones.

Each vendor carries one of these COA statuses:

  • Verified, real independent COAs: accredited-lab, batch-matched COAs publicly posted and corroborated.
  • Publishes COAs, audit pending: COAs are published but we haven’t yet independently authenticated or batch-matched them.
  • Shared / recycled: COAs are stale, generic, or not lot-matched to current product.
  • Fabricated / failed-test flag: documented fabricated, mismatched, or failed COAs.
  • No COAs / Not yet verified: none published, or not yet reviewed by us.

Vendors are also graded on four trust pillars, COA transparency, independence & compliance, reputation, and market record, which roll up into a PepScore vendor grade.Accuracy is the brand: a wrong COA flag is worse than “unknown.”We never invent a status, and affiliate revenue is never an input.Browse the COA Lookup →

Why We Grade Verifiable Testing, Not Accreditation Badges

It is tempting to score COAs on whether the testing lab is "ISO 17025 accredited." We checked, and that shortcut breaks down. In a first-hand verification pass across the independent labs that issue peptide COAs, we found that no lab issuing peptide COAs today has a publicly verifiable ISO/IEC 17025 scope that covers peptide purity and identity. Some labs hold a genuine ISO 17025 certificate whose accredited scope is microbiology, trace metals, or residual solvents, not peptide purity/identity. Others market "ISO 17025" with no verifiable certificate number or accrediting body.

So peptide-scoped ISO 17025 accreditation is essentially unavailable industry-wide. Grading against a badge that effectively no one can earn would reward marketing, not verification. Instead, PepEvolution grades what a buyer can actually check: independent, portal-verifiable testing (a named outside lab with a public per-test verification path), method transparency (HPLC purity + MS identity + endotoxin/sterility with methods stated), a lot-matched, recent COA, and independent corroboration from a second lab or aggregator. A registry-verified, peptide-scoped ISO 17025 accreditation (cert number + accrediting body + peptide-inclusive scope, all confirmed) is shown only as an informational badge, never a scoring input. Today, effectively none qualifies.

The full lab-by-lab basis for this, who claims what, and what actually verifies in the A2LA / ANAB / PJLA / IAS and CMS registries, is in our report on the peptide industry's accreditation illusion.

What "Verified" Means

A "Verified" badge confirms:

  • ✓ Real operating business (verifiable address, website, contact)
  • ✓ Listed treatment categories match publicly available information
  • ✓ Listing data was accurate at the time of manual review

A "Verified" badge does NOT mean:

  • ✗ Clinical practices or treatment quality were evaluated
  • ✗ Product quality or purity was assessed
  • ✗ Regulatory compliance was confirmed
  • ✗ Safety record was reviewed
  • ✗ The provider is endorsed or recommended

Independence Statement

PepEvolution is an independent directory. No provider pays to be listed. No provider pays for a higher score. Rankings are computed from objective signals only.

We earn commissions from some outbound links (affiliate links). These are clearly labeled wherever they appear. Affiliate relationships do not affect a provider's score, verified status, or ranking. A provider without an affiliate program can score higher than one with one, and an affiliate vendor never outranks a non-affiliate one (enforced in code). See our full disclosures.

We may add, update, or remove listings based on data quality, regulatory events (e.g., enforcement actions, shutdowns), or inaccurate information. Providers with confirmed enforcement actions or closures are flagged in listing notices.

Data Sources

  • • Provider listings: scraped and manually reviewed from public sources
  • • Ratings: Google Places, Trustpilot, and other third-party review platforms (passed through unchanged)
  • • Price index: aggregated weekly from published research-vendor pricing (research vendors only)
  • • Regulatory data: FDA.gov, state pharmacy board notices
  • • Testing data: Janoshik public verification portal (public.janoshik.com), Finnrick Analytics, and lab LIMS verification keys where published
  • • Accreditation checks: A2LA, ANAB, PJLA, IAS public scope registries; CLIA via CMS, used to verify (not assume) any accreditation claim
Methodology v1 · June 2026 · Sourcing/COA axis reweighted July 2026 (lab-accreditation verification pass). Methodology subject to update as data quality and coverage improve.

Educational only, not medical advice. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before using any compound.