What Does Research Use Only (RUO) Mean?

What an RUO designation is, what it is not, and what it obliges a buyer to do.

What the designation is

Research use only is a labelling designation. It states that material is supplied for laboratory and in-vitro research, and that it has not been evaluated or approved for use in humans or animals.

It is a statement about what the material is for, and about what has and has not been established about it. It is not a quality grade, and it is not a regulatory approval of any kind.

What it is not

Three things it is routinely mistaken for:

• Not an approval. RUO material has not been assessed by the FDA for safety or efficacy for any use.
• Not a quality claim. RUO describes intended use. Purity and identity are established by testing, not by the label.
• Not a formality. It is not a disclaimer attached to a consumer product — it describes what the product actually is.

What it obliges a buyer to do

Buying RUO material carries an undertaking: that the purchaser is acquiring it for lawful laboratory research, has the training and facilities to store, handle and dispose of research chemicals safely, and is responsible for knowing the law where they are.

A supplier cannot verify what happens after delivery. What a supplier can do is be unambiguous about what is being sold, decline orders where the stated intent conflicts with it, and refuse to provide guidance that only makes sense for human use.

How we apply it

We do not provide dosing, reconstitution, administration or protocol guidance for any product, and we will not answer questions about using a product on a person or an animal. We do not permit reviews or testimonials implying a health, performance or cosmetic benefit.

The full terms are in our Research Use Only Policy, which forms part of our Research Use Terms.