Also known as BPC 157, BPC-157, BPC157, body protection compound 157, pentadecapeptide BPC 157, PL 14736, bepecin.
BPC-157 is a synthetic pentadecapeptide described as a partial sequence of a compound isolated from human gastric juice. Nearly all published evidence is preclinical: rat models of tendon, muscle, gut and skin injury. Human data are limited to a few small uncontrolled pilot reports, and randomized trials are only now registered. It is not an FDA-approved drug.
Peptide7 human studies
This page reports what published studies found. It is not medical advice, no provider-patient relationship is created by reading it, and nothing here is a recommendation to use any compound. Talk with a licensed clinician about your own situation. Read the full disclaimer.
Regulatory status in the United States
Status reviewed September 16, 2026
FDA-approved drug
No. BPC-157 is not an FDA-approved drug for any use.
503A compounding
Recommended for 503A by FDA's advisory committee. FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted to recommend adding this substance to the 503A bulks list. FDA has not yet finalized that decision, so the recommendation is not a green light.
How it is obtained
Prescription required from a licensed prescriber, dispensed by a licensed pharmacy.
BPC-157 is not an FDA-approved drug for any use. At its meeting on July 23-24, 2026, FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted to recommend it for the section 503A bulk drug substances list. That vote is advisory and not binding: FDA decides whether the substance is added, and no final decision had been published at the review date. Where compounding proceeds, it requires a prescription from a licensed prescriber and preparation by a licensed pharmacy. Any lawful human use in the United States runs through a licensed prescriber and a licensed pharmacy. Products sold as "research use only" are not intended for human use. This status comes from the site's regulatory review, not from the studies cited on this page.
What BPC-157 is
BPC-157 is a synthetic pentadecapeptide, described in the literature as a partial sequence of a body protection compound originally isolated from human gastric juice (Chang et al., 2010; Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine narrative review, 2025). It is discussed mainly in the context of tissue repair: tendon, ligament, muscle and bone injury, gastrointestinal ulceration, and skin wounds. It is not an FDA-approved drug; a 2025 review states plainly that it has not been approved for use in standard medicine by the FDA or other global regulatory authorities because comprehensive clinical studies confirming human benefit are absent (BPC 157 literature and patent review, 2025).
The size of the literature is easy to overstate. A systematic review searching from database inception to June 2024 identified 544 articles and ultimately included 36 studies, of which 35 were preclinical and only one was clinical (HSS Journal systematic review, 2025). A separate narrative review counted just three pilot studies in humans, covering intraarticular knee pain, interstitial cystitis, and intravenous safety and pharmacokinetics, and concluded that BPC-157 should be considered investigational until well-designed clinical trials are done (Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine narrative review, 2025).
Reviews also note context beyond efficacy. The peptide was temporarily banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2022 and is not currently listed as banned by WADA according to one 2025 review (BPC 157 literature and patent review, 2025), while an orthopaedic systematic review describes its use as banned in professional sports and recommends that clinicians counsel athletes about their organizations' rules (HSS Journal systematic review, 2025). That review also flags adverse effects as possible because of unregulated manufacturing, contamination, or simply unknown clinical safety.
Formal clinical evaluation is beginning. Registered studies include a Phase 1 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (NCT07803250), a Phase 2 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in acute grade II hamstring strain (NCT07437547), an earlier Phase 1 safety and pharmacokinetics study of an oral formulation in healthy volunteers (NCT02637284), and a completed study of peptide gummies containing BPC-157 in physically active adults (NCT07752381).
How it is thought to work
Mechanistic descriptions come almost entirely from preclinical work. A narrative review summarizes activation of VEGFR2 and nitric oxide synthesis via the Akt-eNOS axis, engagement of ERK1/2 signaling, promotion of angiogenesis and fibroblast activity, neuromuscular stabilization, and anti-inflammatory effects, with emphasis on poorly vascularized tissues such as tendon and the myotendinous junction (Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine narrative review, 2025). A systematic review adds enhanced growth hormone receptor expression alongside pathways involved in cell growth and angiogenesis, with reduced inflammatory cytokines (HSS Journal systematic review, 2025).
Laboratory work on rat tendon tissue gives a concrete cellular picture. BPC 157 accelerated outgrowth of fibroblasts from rat Achilles tendon explants, did not directly increase fibroblast proliferation by MTT assay, increased cell survival under hydrogen peroxide stress, and dose-dependently increased fibroblast migration and spreading; F-actin formation was induced and phosphorylation of FAK and paxillin increased dose-dependently without change in total protein, implicating the FAK-paxillin pathway (Chang et al., 2010). These are laboratory findings in cultured rat cells, not human effects.
In rat gastrointestinal and skin models, reviews describe consistent healing effects across esophagus, stomach, duodenum and lower gastrointestinal tract by intraperitoneal, per-oral or local routes, with the same regimens said to improve tendon, ligament and bone healing, framed as the peptide carrying its own angiogenic effect rather than requiring a carrier (Current Pharmaceutical Design review, 2018). A wound-healing review describes rapid changes in gene expression in rat excision skin wounds and effects on vessel constriction, platelet plug, fibrin mesh and clot resolution (Frontiers in Pharmacology review, 2021). Anti-inflammatory signal is also reported in a rat ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model, with downregulation of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6 in gastric tissue (Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 2026).
Disposition data are sparse and drawn from review synthesis: BPC-157 is described as metabolized in the liver with a half-life of less than 30 minutes and cleared by the kidneys (HSS Journal systematic review, 2025). Broader orthopaedic reviews group BPC-157 with other wound-healing peptides said to act on PI3K/Akt, mTOR, MAPK and TGF-beta networks, while noting the current lack of clinical trials (JAAOS Global Research and Reviews, 2026).
What the research shows
Human evidence is thin and uncontrolled. The most cited human report is a retrospective one-year chart review at a single Florida clinic covering 17 patients who received intraarticular BPC 157 for knee pain; 16 were reached by phone, 12 had received BPC 157 alone, and 11 of those 12 reported significant improvement, with 14 of 16 reporting relief overall when BPC 157 alone or combined with thymosin beta-4 was used. No validated tools were used to measure function, quality of life or stiffness, and the authors called for future studies with MRI follow-up (Alternative Therapies retrospective chart review, 2021). A systematic review summarizing that same dataset reports 7 of 12 patients with relief lasting more than 6 months (HSS Journal systematic review, 2025).
The only published human safety report on intravenous administration enrolled two participants, a 58-year-old male and a 68-year-old female, at a private Florida clinic. Infusions produced no measurable effects on tested biomarkers of heart, liver, kidney, thyroid or blood glucose, and no side effects were reported; the authors concluded that further studies are needed to confirm intravenous safety (Alternative Therapies intravenous pilot study, 2025). A narrative review counts this plus knee pain and interstitial cystitis pilots as the entire human dataset, with no adverse effects reported but no rigorous large-scale trials (Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine narrative review, 2025). A sports medicine scoping review found human data heterogeneous, mostly lacking robust controls, and showing modest improvements at best for degenerative knee pain (American Journal of Sports Medicine scoping review, 2026).
Animal results are more numerous but not uniformly positive. In 32 male Sprague-Dawley rats undergoing Achilles tendon transection and repair, the BPC-157 group showed numerically lower Bonar and Movin histological scores without reaching statistical significance for total scores, while TB-500 reached significance for maximum load to failure and histological scores; combination treatment conferred no additional benefit (Joint Diseases and Related Surgery rat study, 2026). In a rat ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model, BPC157 fusion proteins produced ulcer inhibition rates of 75.3% to 82.9% in a protective regime and 80.4% to 84.6% in a therapeutic regime (Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 2026). Reviews of rodent soft-tissue models report consistently positive healing effects but note that efficacy is yet to be confirmed in humans and that only a handful of research groups have done in-depth work (Cell and Tissue Research review, 2019).
Formulation and delivery work remains at the laboratory bench: a chitosan hydrogel loaded with BPC-157 showed 98.9% encapsulation, 81.2% release within 24 hours, antibacterial inhibition of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and a hemolysis rate under 5% (3 Biotech, 2026). Prospective randomized human trials are registered but not yet reported, including a not-yet-recruiting Phase 1 rotator cuff repair pilot (NCT07803250) and a recruiting Phase 2 hamstring strain trial with co-primary endpoints of time to unrestricted sport and MRI-assessed injury volume at Day 14 (NCT07437547). Reviews of regenerative peptides for chronic pain similarly note that most such therapies remain unapproved by the FDA and that human clinical evidence is limited (Current Pain and Headache Reports review, 2026).
Latest research
No digests yet — the pipeline adds new studies daily.
Study-reported dosing
Doses that cited studies administered to their participants. Reported as research, not recommendations.
Regimen as reported
Population
Route
Source
10 mg of BPC-157 in 250 cc of normal saline infused over one hour on day 1, followed on day 2 by 20 mg of BPC-157 in 250 cc of normal saline infused over one hourPilot safety study only; efficacy was not assessed.
2 healthy adults (a 58-year-old Asian male and a 68-year-old Caucasian female) in an IRB-approved pilot safety study at a private clinic in Florida
Self-administered subcutaneous injection once daily for 90 days following arthroscopic rotator cuff repairRegistration record, status not yet recruiting; no results reported. Registration states no dose amount.
Patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1 pilot trial (planned enrollment 30)
Subcutaneous injection once daily for 14 days, administered by trained study staffRegistration record, recruiting; no results reported. Registration states no dose amount.
Adults with MRI-confirmed acute grade II hamstring strain in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial (planned enrollment 120)
Oral tablets each containing 1 mg of BPC-157: single dose of 1, 3 or 6 tablets (Phase 1a); then 3 tablets every 8 hours during 2 weeks (Phase 1b)Phase 1 safety and pharmacokinetics registration; trial status listed as unknown and no results are posted.
42 healthy volunteers, male or female, 18 to 35 years of age, single center
Two gummies daily over an 8-week periodSingle-arm registration listed as completed; primary outcomes were hs-CRP and IL-6. No results reported in the record.
40 physically active adults consuming peptide gummies containing Body Protection Compound BPC-157
Adverse events, or their absence, as the cited studies recorded them in the populations they enrolled.
Reported effect
Context in the study
Source
No adverse events reported
Intravenous infusion in 2 healthy adults produced no measurable effects on tested biomarkers of heart, liver, kidney, thyroid or blood glucose, and participants questioned at each appointment reported no side effects.
A narrative review of the three existing human pilot studies (intraarticular knee pain, interstitial cystitis, intravenous safety and pharmacokinetics) reports no adverse effects, while noting that rigorous large-scale trials are lacking.
No clinical safety data identified; adverse effects considered possible from unregulated manufacturing or contamination
A systematic review of 36 studies found preclinical safety studies showed no adverse effects across several organ systems but located no clinical safety data, and stated adverse effects are possible due to unregulated manufacturing, contamination, or unknown clinical safety.
Few side effects reported across the reviewed literature
A 2025 literature and patent review describes a desirable safety profile with only a few side effects reported following administration, while noting the absence of sufficient clinical studies.
Online programs that list BPC-157, as described on their own sites. Whether a prescriber will write for it depends on the regulatory status above and on your state.
Disclosure: links marked sponsored below are affiliate links. If you sign up or buy through one we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Commissions do not change what we list, how we rank it, or what the research pages say. How we make money.
Live Vital
Compounds
BPC-157, tb-500, wolverine, glow +6 more
Pricing
From $99/month. Published on livevital.io at check time: $99 to $299 per month depending on the peptide, sold as 10-week courses. GHK-Cu $99/month; BPC-157 and Wolverine $116/month; Glow, Klow and MOTS-c $149/month; tesamorelin $166/month. The 15-minute phone consult is free and HSA/FSA funds are accepted.io.
From $175/month. Published on honehealth.com at check time: sermorelin $175/month; other medications listed at $20 to $199/month plus membership. Membership is $25/month (Basic: labs every 6 months, consults purchased separately) or $155/month (Premium: labs, physician consults and medication access); the initial 50+ biomarker test is $65. State coverage is not stated on the pages we read, so it is recorded here as nationwide until confirmed.
From $164/month. Published on joinmidi.com at check time: Midi compounded GLP-1 and GLP-1/GIP from $164 per 4-week supply including shipping and supplies; visits are billed to insurance where in-network or $150 to $250 self-pay; brand-name GLP-1s are sent to a pharmacy of choice at the insurance price. A lower-strength weekly plan is advertised from $34 per week for eligible patients. The GLP-1 page notes that compounded products are not available in every state.
Disclosure: links marked sponsored below are affiliate links. If you sign up or buy through one we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Commissions do not change what we list, how we rank it, or what the research pages say. How we make money.
⚠Research use only — not for human use
Biotech Peptides
Third-party COAs published · Ships to United States
Research vendors sell compounds as chemicals labelled “not for human use.” A listing is not an endorsement and says nothing about purity or legality in your state.
Frequently asked questions
What human evidence exists for BPC-157?
Very little. A systematic review of 36 included studies found 35 preclinical and one clinical study (HSS Journal systematic review, 2025), and a narrative review counted only three human pilot studies, covering intraarticular knee pain, interstitial cystitis, and intravenous safety and pharmacokinetics (Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine narrative review, 2025). The knee pain report was a retrospective chart review of 17 patients at one clinic, with outcomes collected by phone survey and no validated measurement tools (Alternative Therapies retrospective chart review, 2021).
What side effects have been reported with BPC-157?
In the two-person intravenous pilot study, no side effects were reported and no measurable changes appeared in tested heart, liver, kidney, thyroid or glucose biomarkers (Alternative Therapies intravenous pilot study, 2025). A review describes only a few side effects reported across the literature (BPC 157 literature and patent review, 2025), and a wound-healing review notes no reported toxicity with an LD1 not achieved (Frontiers in Pharmacology review, 2021). A systematic review found no clinical safety data at all and noted that adverse effects remain possible from unregulated manufacturing or contamination (HSS Journal systematic review, 2025).
How was BPC-157 given in published human studies and registered trials?
The published human safety pilot used intravenous infusion of 10 mg in 250 cc of normal saline over one hour on day 1 and 20 mg in 250 cc over one hour on day 2 in two adults (Alternative Therapies intravenous pilot study, 2025). The knee pain chart review used intraarticular injection (Alternative Therapies retrospective chart review, 2021). Registered trials use once-daily subcutaneous injection for 90 days after rotator cuff repair (NCT07803250) or for 14 days after hamstring strain (NCT07437547), and an earlier Phase 1 study used oral tablets containing 1 mg each (NCT02637284).
What do the animal studies actually show?
Rodent work dominates. Reviews of rat soft-tissue models report consistently positive healing effects in tendon, ligament and skeletal muscle, while stating efficacy is yet to be confirmed in humans (Cell and Tissue Research review, 2019). In a controlled rat Achilles transection study, the BPC-157 group showed numerically lower histological scores that did not reach statistical significance for total scores, whereas TB-500 reached significance on biomechanics and histology (Joint Diseases and Related Surgery rat study, 2026). In a rat ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model, BPC157 fusion proteins gave ulcer inhibition rates of 75.3% to 82.9% protectively and 80.4% to 84.6% therapeutically (Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 2026).
How does BPC-157 differ from TB-500 (thymosin beta-4)?
Reviews group both as wound-healing peptides said to promote angiogenesis, extracellular matrix remodeling and fibroblast activation (JAAOS Global Research and Reviews, 2026). A head-to-head rat Achilles study compared them directly: TB-500 at the tested dose reached statistical significance for maximum load to failure and for Bonar and Movin scores, BPC-157 showed numerically lower scores without significance, and the combination gave no additional benefit over either alone (Joint Diseases and Related Surgery rat study, 2026). In the human knee pain chart review, 11 of 12 patients given BPC 157 alone reported improvement versus 3 of 4 given the combination, in an uncontrolled retrospective sample (Alternative Therapies retrospective chart review, 2021).
What is the proposed mechanism of action?
Preclinical reviews describe activation of VEGFR2 and nitric oxide synthesis through the Akt-eNOS axis, ERK1/2 signaling, angiogenesis, fibroblast activity and neuromuscular stabilization, plus anti-inflammatory effects (Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine narrative review, 2025), along with increased growth hormone receptor expression and reduced inflammatory cytokines (HSS Journal systematic review, 2025). In cultured rat tendon fibroblasts, the peptide increased migration, spreading and survival under oxidative stress and dose-dependently raised FAK and paxillin phosphorylation, without directly increasing proliferation (Chang et al., 2010).
Is BPC-157 banned in sport?
Reporting from the fetched reviews differs in emphasis. A 2025 review states the peptide was temporarily banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2022 and is not currently listed as banned by WADA (BPC 157 literature and patent review, 2025). An orthopaedic systematic review published the same year describes its use as banned in professional sports and recommends clinicians counsel athletes to understand their own organizations' rules and testing standards (HSS Journal systematic review, 2025). Athletes subject to testing are governed by their sport's current list rather than by review articles.
How long does BPC-157 stay in the body?
The only pharmacokinetic description in the fetched sources comes from a systematic review, which reports that BPC-157 is metabolized in the liver, has a half-life of less than 30 minutes, and is cleared by the kidneys (HSS Journal systematic review, 2025). A Phase 1 registration in 42 healthy volunteers was designed to document pharmacokinetics after oral administration with serial blood and urine sampling, but its status is listed as unknown and no results are posted (NCT02637284).
What is still unknown about BPC-157?
Almost everything that matters clinically: effective dose, optimal route, durability of any effect, and safety beyond a handful of participants. A scoping review concluded that claimed benefits for musculoskeletal recovery remain unsubstantiated by current human trials and that dosing and route varied widely across studies (American Journal of Sports Medicine scoping review, 2026). Reviews of regenerative peptides for chronic pain likewise note that most remain unapproved by the FDA with limited human evidence (Current Pain and Headache Reports review, 2026). Randomized placebo-controlled trials are registered but have not reported results (NCT07803250; NCT07437547).