CIAL

What CIAL does

Compounder's International Analytical Laboratory (CIAL) is a US-based pharmaceutical analytical testing laboratory founded in 2005 in Castle Rock, Colorado, serving 503A Compounding Pharmacies and 503B Outsourcing Facilities. The company offers a fee-for-service testing portfolio across three categories: Potency Testing (UHPLC, LC-MS, GC, ICP-OES for API concentration, stability studies, method development and validation per USP <1225>, uniformity of dosage units, dissolution, residual solvents, cleaning validation, and identity confirmation); Microbiology Testing (rapid sterility via ATP-bioluminescence validated per USP <1223>, conventional sterility per USP <71> and <797>, sterility method suitability, endotoxin via LAL per USP <85>, antimicrobial effectiveness, fungi, water activity, microbial enumeration, specified microorganisms, and subvisible particulates); and Special Chemistries (container closure integrity per USP <1207.2>, pH, Karl Fischer water determination, loss on drying, FT-IR and UV/Vis identity, metals analysis, viscosity, specific gravity, melting point, residue on ignition, crystallinity, and microscopic examination).

CIAL's underlying technology stack relies on Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography with biocompatible instrument configurations (no stainless steel tubing) to enable accurate peptide potency testing, alongside mass spectrometry, gas chromatography, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, ATP-bioluminescence rapid sterility platforms, and Karl Fischer titration. The company has developed and validated testing methods for over 500 (and, per its public API list, over 600) Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, which constitutes a substantial accumulated method library. CIAL also operates controlled and accelerated stability storage chambers (25°C/60% RH and 40°C/75% RH) and is developing an on-premises AI augmentation system trained on its SOPs, procedures, and methods to provide text-based guidance to lab technicians via the Laboratory Information Management System.

The business model is purely transactional fee-for-service: customers submit samples, request quotes, and receive results through a secure reporting portal under pay-as-you-go unit pricing. Tests range from $60 (identity by retention time) to $9,500+ (Phase 1 SIA method validation, which requires a $2,000 deposit and is structured as a multi-year contract). The company is privately held, was founded and operated by Ronald and Nancy Sutton with a separate professional CEO (Kyle Bradley), and has no disclosed institutional funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. In 2025, after 20 years of operation, CIAL announced the laboratory is closed and the owners are seeking a strategic buyer for the turn-key operation.

Name

CIAL

Legal name

Compounder's International Analytical Laboratory

Website

https://compounderslab.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CIAL is a US pharmaceutical analytical testing laboratory that served 503A Compounding Pharmacies and 503B Outsourcing Facilities with potency, microbiology, and special chemistry testing under USP-validated methods. Founded in 2005 in Castle Rock, Colorado, the company closed in 2025 and is seeking a strategic buyer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Castle Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Laboratory Testing Services: CIAL generates revenue through fee-for-service laboratory testing across three main categories: Potency testing (UHPLC, GC, LC-MS, ICP-OES), Microbiology testing (sterility, endotoxin, antimicrobial effectiveness), and Special Chemistry testing. Testing is priced per test, per element, or per container depending on service type.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CIAL is an independent pharmaceutical analytical testing laboratory that provides cGMP-compliant quality control testing services to 503A compounding pharmacies and 503B outsourcing facilities. Its services span potency testing (UHPLC, LC-MS, GC, ICP-OES), microbiology (sterility, endotoxin, fungi), and special chemistries (container-closure integrity, pH, water determination), delivered to clients who submit compounded drug samples for third-party analytical release.

Product overview

Compounder's International Analytical Laboratory (CIAL) is a pharmaceutical testing laboratory serving 503A Compounding Pharmacies and 503B Outsourcing Facilities. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of testing services organized into three main categories: Potency Testing (using UHPLC, LC-MS, GC, and ICP-OES instrumentation for API concentration determination and stability studies), Microbiology Testing (including Rapid Sterility, Sterility Method Suitability, Endotoxin, Fungi, Antimicrobial Effectiveness, Water Activity, and Microbial Enumeration), and Special Chemistries (including Container Closure Integrity, Water Determination, Loss on Drying, FT-IR, UV/Vis, and Metals Analysis). CIAL provides a complete workflow from Phase 1 Method Development and Validation (SIA) through Phase 2 Beyond Use Date (BUD) Studies, along with specialized storage conditions and compendial testing. The company has developed testing methods for over 600 Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients. Additionally, CIAL is developing an on-premises AI augmentation system to guide lab technicians through procedures and reduce bias in testing outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Potency Testing Quantitative analytical testing of active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished compounded preparations using UHPLC, LC-MS, GC, and ICP-OES instrumentation, delivered to 503A and 503B compounding clients requiring cGMP-compliant potency data.
• Microbiology Testing Microbiological quality testing covering sterility, bacterial endotoxin (via ATP-bioluminescence and LAL), and fungi assays for compounded sterile and non-sterile preparations, provided to 503A and 503B clients for batch release and stability support.
• Special Chemistries Testing Specialized chemical assays including container-closure integrity (CCI), pH determination, and water determination using Karl Fischer titration, using FT-IR and UV/Vis spectroscopy, supplied to compounding pharmacies and outsourcing facilities needing analytical data beyond potency and microbiology.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• A4PC (Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding)minorOthersCIAL is a proud member of A4PC, an alliance dedicated to advancing pharmacy compounding standards and supporting compounders through education and advocacy. Membership indicates industry standing and connection to the broader compounding pharmacy community.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Intertek: Global testing and certification provider with pharmaceutical services including method development, stability, and compendial testing — comparable analytical capability to CIAL within a much broader offering.

Broad incumbents

• SGS: Worldwide testing, inspection, and certification company with a Life Sciences division that performs pharmaceutical analytical testing, method validation, and stability — broader portfolio but directly comparable services.
• Charles River Laboratories: Major contract research organization with pharmaceutical analytical and microbiology testing capabilities for manufacturers and compounding-style clients; competes with CIAL especially in sterility and endotoxin.
• Eurofins Scientific: Global testing services group with a dedicated pharma division offering compendial testing, method development, and stability studies across dozens of sites — overlapping capability with CIAL at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Mistpro Labs: Specialty analytical laboratory providing compounded-sterile preparation testing (potency, sterility, endotoxin, environmental monitoring) for 503A/503B facilities — overlaps directly with CIAL's core microbiology and potency services.
• EAG Laboratories: Contract analytical laboratory serving pharmaceutical and biotech customers with method development, validation, and release testing — directly comparable scientific services and customer profile to CIAL.
• Alcami Corporation: Pharmaceutical contract development and testing organization offering analytical method development, validation, and stability services for small and large molecules — comparable analytical services and regulatory posture to CIAL.
• Eagle Analytical Services: Independent analytical testing lab focused on pharmaceutical compounding (503A/503B) with potency, sterility, endotoxin, and beyond-use-date services — directly comparable niche and customer base to CIAL.
• ARL Bio Pharma: Pharmaceutical testing laboratory offering USP-compliant sterility, endotoxin, potency, and method suitability services to compounding pharmacies and manufacturers; competes with CIAL in compendial and microbiology testing.
• Pace Analytical Services: National network of testing laboratories serving pharmaceutical and life-science customers with compendial and method validation services; competes with CIAL on potency, residual solvents, and microbiology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CIAL