I compared GLP-1 / longevity bloodwork pricing (Ulta, Marek, Mito) - why are labs marked up so much?

Hey everyone, Kenneth here. I’m the founder of Mito Health.

I noticed a lot of people here are very thoughtful about tracking biomarkers, especially around GLP-1s (semaglutide/tirzepatide/reta), TRT, peptides, and longevity protocols.

A lot of common panels people are running include things like these which I gurantee you will save up to 70% if you go direct to cost price:

General health

• CBC
• CMP (liver/kidney/electrolytes)
• HbA1c
• Fasting glucose
• Fasting insulin
• Lipid panel
• ApoB
• hs-CRP

Hormones

• Total testosterone
• Free testosterone
• SHBG
• Estradiol
• DHEA-S
• TSH / Free T3 / Free T4

Longevity / deeper tracking

• Vitamin D
• Ferritin
• Homocysteine
• Omega-3 index
• Lp(a)

I was surprised by how expensive these are on most consumer lab marketplaces.

You can check out the comparison here: Mito Health

Many of these individual tests have wholesale costs that are much lower for the same thing.

But by the time consumers buy them through platforms, there is often a large markup. That markup isn’t completely unfair. Companies handle physician ordering, compliance, software, results, and support.

But we think the model should change.

We’re building this to work more like Costco:

1. transparent pricing
2. labs at cost price

From the comparisons I’ve seen so far, we’re usually ~20–50% cheaper than Ulta/Marek for equivalent panels, and I’m happy to prove it. (Even non-member prices)

Drop any lab cart/panel here (Ulta, Marek, etc.) and I’ll compare it line by line publicly. I can share an open spreadsheet as well if it's interesting for the community.

Also curious what biomarkers this community thinks are must-haves for GLP-1, peptide, and longevity tracking.