Accepted answer
The relevant point is that two competent laboratories disagree by half a per cent on identical material, which is larger than most of the differences people argue about.
Sample size matters. One order each is an anecdote about six vials; three orders each over a year is the beginning of a comparison.
Cost per milligram, adjusted honestly
| Step | Value | Note |
|---|
| Vial price, 10 mg nominal | £34.00 | As advertised |
| Nominal cost per mg | £3.40 | 34 ÷ 10 |
| Measured content | 9.2 mg | Independent content assay |
| Cost per actual mg | £3.70 | 34 ÷ 9.2 |
| Dead-space loss, 20 draws | 4 % | 80 µL of a 2 mL fill |
| Cost per delivered mg | £3.85 | 3.70 ÷ 0.96 |
| First vial, with £110 assay | £14.85 | Testing dominates a single vial |
To be exact about it, lead time and lane behaviour are supplier properties too and are easier to compare than analytical ones, because they need no laboratory at all.
Inter-laboratory spread on identical peptide material is routinely half a per cent to a per cent by RP-HPLC, which is the noise floor for any cross-laboratory comparison.
One laboratory, one method, one submission. Otherwise it is not a comparison.