About Know Your Vial

Know Your Vial is an independent investigation into the gray-market GLP-1 peptide supply chain. Every claim is sourced to peer-reviewed research, FDA filings, DOJ press releases, or court documents.

We speak the community’s language because we’ve spent time in the rooms. We acknowledge the system that created the gray market — years of insurance denials, $1,300/month list prices, and a healthcare system that treated obesity as a moral failure rather than a medical condition. The gray market didn’t emerge in a vacuum. It emerged because the legitimate market failed millions of people.

We’re not here to moralize. We’re here to update the math.

The economics that justified the risk in 2023 have fundamentally changed. Brand prices have collapsed. FDA enforcement has accelerated. Purity data from independent labs tells a story the vendor community’s certificates of analysis never told. And the people who built the gray market’s trust infrastructure — the “gold standard” vendors, the community testers, the Telegram brokers — are disappearing, one DOJ press release at a time.

How we source and verify

Data Sources

Public regulatory records — FDA warning letters, FAERS adverse event database, DOJ press releases, CBP seizure reports, state attorney general actions
Peer-reviewed research — Studies cited with DOI or direct URL. Primary sources include JMIR, JAMA, JAPhA, and clinical pharmacology journals.
Community intelligence — Public posts from Reddit, Telegram, and Substack. We do not cite private conversations or anonymous tips without corroboration from public records.
Investigative journalism — Reporting from CNBC, NBC News, STAT News, NPR, CNN, SF Standard, and other outlets. Cross-referenced against primary sources where possible.
Industry watchdogs — Partnership for Safe Medicines, NABP, Finnrick Analytics, and independent analytical labs.
No vendor affiliations for editorial content — Our investigations, evidence pages, and enforcement tracker are not influenced by commercial relationships. Affiliate relationships exist only on the Find Care page and are disclosed per FTC guidelines.

What we are and what we are not

“We are journalists with affiliate links, not healthcare providers. We never say ‘take this drug.’ We say ‘here’s what the FDA says’ and ‘here’s what the data shows.’”

Every factual claim is sourced

Statistics, purity data, pricing, and enforcement details link to primary sources. If we can’t source a claim, we don’t make it.

We disclose all commercial relationships

Affiliate links appear only on the Find Care page and are clearly marked with an FTC disclosure. Editorial content is never influenced by commercial partnerships.

We do not provide medical advice

Nothing on this site constitutes a recommendation to take or stop taking any medication. Consult a licensed physician for all medical decisions.

We acknowledge the gray market’s origins

Insurance denials and $1,300/month list prices created the conditions for the gray market. We report the current reality without pretending the system that preceded it was adequate.