Scientifically reviewed by Dr Stephan Hansberg
Peptide Storage Chart: Fridge, Freezer and Room-Temperature Data (2026)
Published storage data for 10 research compounds and the pre-filled pen format in one table. Supplier data quoted by the FDA put lyophilised BPC-157 at 3 weeks at room temperature and BPC-157 in solution at 2-3 weeks at 4 °C; KPV powder at up to 3 years at -20 °C; the approved elamipretide (SS-31) vial at 2 to 8 °C, 8 days after opening. Thymosin beta-4 and LL-37 have no published stability data.
Key takeaways
- •Most storage figures for research peptides are supplier data, not peer-reviewed stability studies. The most complete public collection is in the FDA's July 2026 compounding briefing documents for BPC-157, TB-500, KPV, MOTS-c and epitalon.
- •BPC-157 (supplier data quoted by the FDA): lyophilised, stable 3 weeks at room temperature, long term desiccated below -18 °C; in solution, 2-3 weeks at 4 °C and 3-4 months at -20 °C.
- •KPV free base powder (supplier data quoted by the FDA): up to 3 years at -20 °C, 2 years at 4 °C and 3 months at 15 °C.
- •The only compound here with an approved product label is elamipretide (SS-31): Forzinity vials are stored at 2 to 8 °C, not frozen, and discarded 8 days after first opening.
- •We found no published stability data for thymosin beta-4, LL-37, solid NAD+ or lyophilised GHK-Cu, and those cells say so.
The short answer
Yes, almost every research peptide is kept cold, but the published figures behind that advice are thin. For five compounds the FDA collected supplier storage data in its July 2026 briefing documents; for elamipretide there is an FDA-approved label; for GHK and NAD+ there are laboratory stability studies; and for thymosin beta-4 and LL-37 we found nothing published. The chart below gives each figure with its source and marks every gap.
Read every figure as specific to the form, container and formulation that was tested. A supplier's figure for its own lyophilised powder does not transfer to a different supplier's product, and none of these figures describes a pre-filled solution cartridge.
Storage chart by compound
Lyophilised means freeze-dried powder. "In solution" means reconstituted or supplied as a liquid. "Supplier data (FDA)" means figures the FDA quoted from product data sheets or certificates in its July 2026 Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee briefing; the FDA reported them but did not test them.
| Compound | Lyophilised (powder) | In solution | Light | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BPC-157 | Free base: stable 3 weeks at room temperature; long term, desiccated below -18 °C. Acetate: below -20 °C | Free base: 2-3 weeks at 4 °C; 3-4 months at -20 °C | Not stated in the source | Supplier data (FDA), BPC-157 briefing, Jul 2026 |
| TB-500 (Ac-LKKTETQ) | Free base: -80 °C for 2 years, -20 °C for 1 year, sealed, under nitrogen, away from moisture. Acetate: below -15 °C, or 2-8 °C per one certificate | Free base: -80 °C for 6 months; -20 °C for 1 month | Keep away from light (both forms) | Supplier data (FDA), TB-500 briefing, Jul 2026 |
| Thymosin beta-4 (full length) | No published stability data | No published stability data | No published light data. Its methionine 6 can exist as a sulfoxide (shown in a biology study, not a storage study) | Young 1999, PMID 10581087 |
| GHK-Cu | No published stability data | Stable in water and pH 4.5-7.4 buffers for at least 2 weeks at 60 °C; degraded by basic and oxidative stress, less by acid | Not studied | Badenhorst 2016, PMID 25384620 |
| KPV | Free base: up to 3 years at -20 °C, 2 years at 4 °C, 3 months at 15 °C. Acetate: 2-8 °C, sealed (one certificate) | -80 °C for 6 months; the briefing also prints -2 °C for 1 month and 10 °C for 1 week | Not stated in the source | Supplier data (FDA), KPV briefing, Jul 2026 |
| MOTS-c | Free base: -20 °C, desiccated, tightly closed. Acetate: 2-8 °C sealed (one certificate); -80 °C for 2 years, -20 °C for 1 year | Free base: +4 °C for 2-7 days, below -18 °C for longer. Acetate: -80 °C for 6 months, -20 °C for 1 month | Protect from light (free base) | Supplier data (FDA), MOTS-c briefing, Jul 2026 |
| Epitalon | Free base: stable 3 weeks at room temperature; long term, desiccated below -18 °C. Acetate: 2-8 °C (one certificate); up to 3 years at -20 °C | Free base: 2-7 days at 4 °C, below -18 °C for longer. Acetate: 1 year in solvent at -80 °C | Not stated in the source | Supplier data (FDA), epitalon briefing, Jul 2026 |
| SS-31 (elamipretide) | No published stability data for research-grade powder | Approved product (Forzinity vial): 2 to 8 °C, do not freeze; after first opening, 2 to 8 °C or 20 to 25 °C, discard after 8 days | Not stated in the label | Forzinity prescribing information, FDA, Sep 2025 |
| LL-37 | No published stability data | No published stability data | No published stability data | None found |
| NAD+ | No published stability data | Laboratory buffers: highly stable over 43 days at 19 and 25 °C in Tris; faster loss in phosphate and HEPES. The oxidised form is labile in alkali | Not reported | Wolfe 2024, PMID 39598842; Lowry 1961, PMID 14466980 |
| Pre-filled pen (Celyfe cartridges) | Not applicable: supplied as a solution | Label: 2 to 8 °C, sealed, do not freeze. No published in-use or room-temperature data for these formulations; the batch label sets the date | Label: protect from light | Celyfe product labels |
How to read the gaps
"No published stability data" means we searched PubMed and regulator documents in October 2026 and found no study or official data sheet giving a storage figure for that form. It does not mean the compound is stable or unstable; it means nobody has published the measurement. Supplier websites often state figures for these compounds, but we have not repeated figures we could not trace to a document.
The GHK study tested the copper complex under stress conditions in a preformulation study for skin delivery. It shows the molecule tolerated heat in neutral water, not how long any product lasts in a fridge. The NAD+ study was run in laboratory buffers for cell-free biocatalysis, not in a finished product.
The KPV solution figures are reproduced exactly as printed in the FDA briefing, including -2 °C and 10 °C, which may be typographical; the briefing cites a supplier certificate for them.
Fridge, freezer and room temperature: what the bands mean
The United States Pharmacopeia defines refrigerator storage as 2 to 8 °C, freezer storage as -25 to -10 °C and controlled room temperature as 20 to 25 °C. Lyophilised powders generally keep longer than solutions because removing water slows hydrolysis, deamidation and aggregation. Solutions, including pre-filled cartridges, are usually kept refrigerated and not frozen, because freeze-thaw cycles can drive aggregation. Our guide to peptide shelf life covers the chemistry in more detail.
Where Celyfe fits
All four Celyfe pens are pre-filled 3 ml solution cartridges: NAD+ Precision Pen (NAD+ 500 mg), WOLVERINE (BPC-157 15 mg, TB-500 15 mg), GLOW (GHK-Cu 75 mg, BPC-157 15 mg, TB-500 15 mg) and KLOW (GLOW plus KPV 15 mg). They ship cold-chain and are labelled for storage at 2 to 8 °C, sealed and protected from light, and must not be frozen. None of the powder figures in the chart applies to them. Published certificates for NAD+ (batch A26085) and WOLVERINE (batch C26071) are in the COA library at /coa.
Sources
Primary sources, checked 24 October 2026. PubMed IDs confirmed against NCBI records:
- FDA: Briefing document for BPC-157-related bulk drug substances, Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, 23-24 July 2026 (stability section), fda.gov
- FDA: Briefing document for TB-500-related bulk drug substances, July 2026 (stability section), fda.gov
- FDA: Briefing document for KPV-related bulk drug substances, July 2026 (stability section), fda.gov
- FDA: Briefing document for MOTS-c-related bulk drug substances, July 2026 (stability section), fda.gov
- FDA: Briefing document for epitalon-related bulk drug substances, July 2026 (stability section), fda.gov
- FDA: Forzinity (elamipretide) injection prescribing information, revised September 2025, section 16.2 Storage, accessdata.fda.gov
- Young JD, Lawrence AJ, MacLean AG et al. Thymosin beta 4 sulfoxide is an anti-inflammatory agent generated by monocytes in the presence of glucocorticoids. Nature Medicine, 1999. PMID 10581087
- Badenhorst T, Svirskis D, Wu Z. Physicochemical characterization of native glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine tripeptide for wound healing and anti-aging: a preformulation study for dermal delivery. Pharmaceutical Development and Technology, 2016. PMID 25384620
- Wolfe KD, Alahuhta M, Himmel ME et al. Long-Term Stability of Nicotinamide Cofactors in Common Aqueous Buffers: Implications for Cell-Free Biocatalysis. Molecules, 2024. PMID 39598842
- Lowry OH, Passonneau JV, Rock MK. The stability of pyridine nucleotides. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 1961. PMID 14466980
- United States Pharmacopeia. General Chapter <659> Packaging and Storage Requirements.
- Celyfe COA library: NAD+ batch A26085 and WOLVERINE batch C26071 (/coa)
Research use only
Celyfe supplies research peptides for laboratory and research use only. Nothing on this page is guidance on use in humans or animals.
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