BPC-157 (“Body Protection Compound 157”) is a synthetic peptide made of 15 amino acids. It was described in 1993 by researchers at the University of Zagreb as a fragment of a larger protein found in human gastric juice. It is promoted online and by some clinics for tendon, muscle, joint and gut healing.
The single most important fact: BPC-157 is not an approved drug in any country, and no large controlled human trial has been published. Almost everything known about it comes from rat studies. Human data consist of one small ulcerative colitis trial reported only as a conference abstract, an early tolerability study, and three uncontrolled pilot reports from a single clinic. It is banned in sport at all times.
This page summarizes what the FDA review, the animal studies and the few human reports actually show. It is for education only and is not medical advice.
| Property | Detail |
|---|---|
| Class | Synthetic pentadecapeptide (15 amino acids); investigational |
| Other names | Body Protection Compound 157; Bepecin; PL 14736 |
| Approval | Not approved as a drug in any country (FDA, 2026) |
| Routes studied in humans | Rectal enema, intra-articular (knee), injection into the bladder wall, intravenous; all small studies |
| Half-life | 5.3 min in dogs and 15.2 min in rats after an IV dose; no human half-life has been published |
| Mechanism | Molecular target unknown; animal and cell studies link it to new blood vessel growth (VEGFR2) and nitric oxide signaling |
| US compounding status | Not on the 503A bulks list; FDA staff advised against adding it; an advisory committee voted 8–6 in favor in July 2026; no final FDA action |
| WADA | Prohibited at all times (S0, non-approved substances), named explicitly |
What it is
BPC-157 has the sequence Gly-Glu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Ala-Gly-Leu-Val (GEPPPGKPADDAGLV). Its formula is C₆₂H₉₈N₁₆O₂₂ with a molecular weight of 1419.5 g/mol (PubChem; FDA briefing document, 2026). It is made by solid-phase peptide synthesis.
The Zagreb group that discovered it describes BPC-157 as a “stable gastric pentadecapeptide” that occurs naturally in human gastric juice (Sikiric et al., Curr Pharm Des 2018). The FDA review describes it more cautiously, as “reported to be” a fragment of the larger BPC protein (FDA briefing document, 2026). By the early 2000s, the Croatian company Pliva was testing it as an enema for inflammatory bowel disease under the codes PL 14736 and PLD-116 (Staresinic et al., J Orthop Res 2003). That program did not lead to an approved product.
Two forms are sold, and FDA treats them as different substances:
| Form | CAS number | Note |
|---|---|---|
| BPC-157 free base | 137525-51-0 | The peptide itself |
| BPC-157 acetate | 216441-37-1 | Acetate salt; same active peptide, different physical properties |
FDA found that the two withdrawn compounding nominations named the free base but supplied certificates of analysis for the acetate. FDA called this naming confusion a patient safety risk, because a patient may receive a different substance than the one prescribed (FDA briefing document, 2026).
Mechanism. No receptor or molecular target for BPC-157 has been identified. In rat studies and in cultured human endothelial cells (the cells lining blood vessels), it increased new blood vessel growth and raised levels of VEGFR2, a receptor for the growth factor VEGF (Hsieh et al., J Mol Med 2017). Other proposed actions include effects on nitric oxide and growth factor signaling. FDA concluded that the mechanisms “remain poorly understood.”
Pharmacokinetics
The only formal pharmacokinetic study was done in rats and beagle dogs (He et al., Front Pharmacol 2022; IV half-lives as summarized by FDA):
| Parameter | Rats | Dogs |
|---|---|---|
| Half-life after a single IV dose | 15.2 min | 5.3 min |
| Half-life range across IV and IM dosing | Under 30 min | Under 30 min |
| Bioavailability after IM injection | ≈14–19% | ≈45–51% |
| Dose proportionality | Linear | Linear |
| Elimination | Broken down into small peptide fragments and amino acids; excreted in urine and bile | Same |
In the lab, BPC-157 resists breakdown in human gastric juice. Its very short half-life in the body is likely due to enzymes in blood and tissues that break down peptides (FDA briefing document, 2026).
Human data are almost absent. In the enema studies, BPC-157 was not detected in plasma, or most levels were below the assay’s limit. FDA found no human pharmacokinetic data for oral, subcutaneous, nasal or skin use. It concluded that “there is no information to assess the pharmacokinetics of BPC-157 in humans.”
Regulatory status
- Not an approved drug. FDA found no approved BPC-157 product in any country, and no monograph in the US, European, Japanese or International pharmacopeias (FDA briefing document, 2026).
- FDA safety listing. FDA’s page on bulk substances that may present significant safety risks lists BPC-157 among substances whose nominations were withdrawn. It says compounded BPC-157 “may pose risk for immunogenicity” and that the agency “lacks sufficient information to know whether the drug would cause harm” in humans (FDA, updated April 22, 2026).
- 2026 advisory committee review. FDA evaluated BPC-157 free base and acetate for ulcerative colitis on its own initiative and brought them to its Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee on July 23, 2026 (Federal Register notice, docket FDA-2025-N-6895). FDA staff recommended not adding either form to the 503A bulks list. The reasons were poor chemical characterization, lack of evidence of effectiveness, limited safety data, and immunogenicity risk (FDA briefing document, 2026).
- The committee disagreed. The panel voted 8–6, with 1 abstention, to recommend inclusion. The vote is not binding. FDA would have to complete notice-and-comment rulemaking before pharmacies could legally compound it. As of the end of July 2026, BPC-157 had not been added to the list (Steinzor, AJMC 2026).
- Sport. The 2026 WADA Prohibited List names BPC-157 under S0 (non-approved substances), prohibited in and out of competition (WADA 2026 Prohibited List).
What the research shows
Animal studies
Nearly all of the BPC-157 literature is animal work. A 2025 systematic review of the musculoskeletal literature included 36 studies: 35 preclinical and only 1 clinical (Vasireddi et al., HSS J 2025). Examples, all in rats:
- Achilles tendon. After the tendon was cut, daily intraperitoneal BPC-157 (10 pg–10 µg/kg) improved load to failure, walking function and the appearance of healing tissue over 14 days (Staresinic et al., J Orthop Res 2003).
- Colon fistulas. Surgically created fistulas were about 40% smaller from day 3 in treated rats, and appeared closed by day 28 (FDA summary of Klicek et al. 2008).
- NSAID damage. Stomach and small-intestine lesions caused by high doses of aspirin, indomethacin or diclofenac were more than 75% smaller with BPC-157 given before or alongside the NSAID (FDA summary of Sikiric et al. 1997).
- Blood flow. In rats with an ischemic hind limb, BPC-157 sped up the recovery of blood flow and increased the number of vessels (Hsieh et al., J Mol Med 2017).
FDA noted several weaknesses in this body of work. Low and high doses (10 ng/kg vs 10 µg/kg, a 1,000-fold difference) often worked equally well, so no dose-response relationship has been shown. Several studies lacked microscopic tissue data. In the studies FDA reviewed, treatment started at or before the injury, so it is unknown whether BPC-157 helps established injuries (FDA briefing document, 2026). Many of the studies come from the Zagreb group that first described the peptide. None of these results can be assumed to apply to people.
Ulcerative colitis trial
The only randomized, placebo-controlled trial in patients was presented as a 2005 conference abstract and never published in full (Ruenzi et al., as summarized by FDA). Fifty-three adults with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis received a BPC-157 (PL 14736) enema, 80 mg once daily, or placebo for two weeks.
| Outcome | BPC-157 enema | Placebo |
|---|---|---|
| Mean change in Disease Activity Index | −3.2 (95% CI −5.58 to −0.82) | −1.6 (95% CI −3.86 to 0.67) |
| Difference between groups | 1.6 points; 95% CI −4.84 to 1.62 (not statistically significant) | |
| Withdrawn for adverse events | 3 | 2 |
The withdrawals were “mainly progression of UC.” FDA concluded the data are “inadequate to support the efficacy and safety” of BPC-157 for ulcerative colitis.
Other human reports
All other human data come from small uncontrolled studies by one Florida physician, published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine:
| Study | Design and n | Dose and route | Reported result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knee pain (Lee & Padgett 2021) | Retrospective chart review with phone follow-up; 16 patients reached | Intra-articular injection, 2–4 mg, 1–2 doses (some combined with thymosin beta-4) | 11 of 12 given BPC-157 alone reported significant pain relief; no validated scoring tools |
| Interstitial cystitis (Lee et al. 2024) | Single-arm pilot; 12 women | 10 mg injected into the bladder wall during cystoscopy | 10 of 12 reported complete symptom resolution; no control group |
| IV safety (Lee & Burgess 2025) | Pilot; 2 adults who had used IV BPC-157 before | 10 mg IV on day 1, 20 mg IV on day 2 | No changes in tested heart, liver, kidney, thyroid or glucose markers; no side effects reported |
Without a control group, these studies cannot separate a drug effect from placebo response or natural recovery. A 2026 review counted fewer than 30 subjects across these three pilot studies, none using a standardized pharmaceutical preparation (Mateescu et al., Pharmaceutics 2026). A phase 1 oral tablet study in healthy volunteers was registered in 2015 (planned n = 42), but no results were ever posted (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02637284).
“Proven safe in humans.” Marketing often cites the 2025 IV pilot, whose abstract states that it “showed the safety” of BPC-157. That study included two people over two days. FDA’s 2026 review concluded that there is “insufficient clinical safety information to characterize the safety profile” of BPC-157. No human study has given BPC-157 for longer than two weeks.
Muscle growth and performance
No human study has tested BPC-157 for muscle mass, strength or athletic performance. Its appeal in bodybuilding rests on the rat injury-healing data above.
Side effects and risks
What has been reported in humans
No serious adverse events were reported in the five small clinical studies FDA identified. FDA noted, however, that they were short, small, and gave little information on safety monitoring. In the healthy-volunteer enema studies, the most frequent adverse events were headache and flatulence (FDA briefing document, 2026).
FDA’s adverse event database (FAERS) held three reports through December 2025, all with injected products:
- redness and swelling at the injection site for 9 days, in a woman also injecting thymosin;
- shortness of breath leading to an emergency visit, after a compounded BPC-157 acetate injection;
- widespread skin darkening and darkened gums after a BPC-157 and TB-500 blend labeled “research purposes only.” The reaction recurred when the product was restarted.
None of these can be firmly attributed to BPC-157, because of other products used and missing details.
Animal toxicology signals
A Chinese preclinical safety program tested IM BPC-157 in mice, rats, rabbits and dogs (Xu et al., Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2020; details from FDA):
| Study | Result |
|---|---|
| Single IM dose (rats 20 mg/kg, dogs 10 mg/kg) | No signs of toxicity |
| 28-day IM dosing (rats 0.2–4 mg/kg/day; dogs 0.1–2 mg/kg/day) | FDA flagged changes in clotting time (aPTT shorter in rats, longer in dogs) and higher ALT, glucose and triglycerides; lower creatinine in dogs |
| Genotoxicity (Ames, chromosome aberration, mouse micronucleus) | Negative |
| Embryo-fetal development (rats, gestation days 6–15, up to 4 mg/kg/day IM) | No effect on fetuses or malformations |
| Carcinogenicity | Never studied |
No toxicology studies exist for the oral, nasal, subcutaneous or skin routes that are actually marketed, and none lasted longer than 28 days.
Blood vessel growth and cancer: a theoretical concern
BPC-157’s best-documented effect in the lab is stimulating new blood vessel growth through VEGFR2 (Hsieh et al., J Mol Med 2017). Tumors also depend on new blood vessels. Reviews therefore list unwanted blood vessel growth and possible cancer promotion as potential risks of unregulated use (Moiz et al., Mo Med 2026). Others call the concern theoretical and note conflicting lab findings (McGuire et al., Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 2025). There are no carcinogenicity studies and no human data to settle the question.
Immunogenicity and product quality
FDA’s main safety concern is immunogenicity, meaning the chance that the body makes antibodies against the peptide. As a 15-amino-acid peptide injected or sprayed into the nose, BPC-157 “may pose a significant risk for immunogenicity.” This risk may be amplified by aggregation (peptide molecules clumping together) and by peptide-related impurities. Immune reactions can range from harmless antibodies to severe reactions (FDA briefing document, 2026).
FDA also found that the chemistry data needed to confirm identity, purity, sterility and endotoxin levels were missing or inadequate. BPC-157 is widely available through non-regulated sources, including products labeled “research purposes only” (McGuire et al., Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 2025). A systematic review warns that unregulated manufacturing and contamination are possible causes of harm (Vasireddi et al., HSS J 2025).
Populations with no data
There are no human data in pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, or people with a history of cancer. Nothing is known about drug interactions.
Key takeaways
- An unapproved research peptide. BPC-157 is a synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide that is not approved as a drug anywhere and has no pharmaceutical-grade product.
- The evidence is mostly from rats. Tendon, gut and blood-vessel benefits come from animal models, often without a clear dose-response, and many from one research group.
- Human evidence is minimal. One small ulcerative colitis trial showed no significant difference from placebo. The other human reports are uncontrolled pilots with fewer than 30 people in total.
- Very short half-life in animals. About 5–15 minutes after IV dosing in dogs and rats; no human half-life has been measured.
- Safety is largely unknown. There are no long-term or carcinogenicity studies. FDA’s main concerns are immunogenicity, impurities and poorly characterized products.
- Regulatory status is unsettled; sport status is not. FDA staff opposed allowing it in compounding, an advisory panel voted narrowly in favor, and no final decision has been made. WADA prohibits it at all times.
Related: TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4), often sold in blends with BPC-157.
Sources
- Food and Drug Administration. FDA briefing document: Evaluation of BPC-157-related bulk drug substances (BPC-157 (free base) and BPC-157 acetate) for inclusion on the 503A bulk drug substances list. Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee meeting, July 23–24, 2026 (memo dated May 11, 2026). FDA.
- Food and Drug Administration. Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee; notice of meeting; establishment of a public docket; request for comments. Docket FDA-2025-N-6895. Federal Register. April 16, 2026 (FR Doc 2026-07361). Federal Register.
- Food and Drug Administration. Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks. Content current as of April 22, 2026. FDA.
- Steinzor P. FDA panel backs 6 peptides for compounding. AJMC. July 31, 2026. AJMC.
- World Anti-Doping Agency. World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2026 (in effect January 1, 2026). WADA.
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem compound summary for CID 9941957, BPC-157. PubChem.
- Sikiric P, Rucman R, Turkovic B, et al. Novel cytoprotective mediator, stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157. Vascular recruitment and gastrointestinal tract healing. Curr Pharm Des. 2018;24(18):1990–2001. PubMed.
- Staresinic M, Sebecic B, Patrlj L, et al. Gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 accelerates healing of transected rat Achilles tendon and in vitro stimulates tendocytes growth. J Orthop Res. 2003;21(6):976–983. PubMed.
- Hsieh MJ, Liu HT, Wang CN, et al. Therapeutic potential of pro-angiogenic BPC157 is associated with VEGFR2 activation and up-regulation. J Mol Med (Berl). 2017;95(3):323–333. PubMed.
- He L, Feng D, Guo H, et al. Pharmacokinetics, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of body-protective compound 157, a potential drug for treating various wounds, in rats and dogs. Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:1026182. PubMed.
- Xu C, Sun L, Ren F, et al. Preclinical safety evaluation of body protective compound-157, a potential drug for treating various wounds. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2020;114:104665. PubMed.
- Ruenzi M, Stolte M, Veljaca M, et al. A multicenter, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled phase II study of PL 14736 enema in the treatment of mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis. Gastroenterology. 2005;128:A584 (abstract). Summarized in FDA briefing document.
- Lee E, Padgett B. Intra-articular injection of BPC 157 for multiple types of knee pain. Altern Ther Health Med. 2021;27(4):8–13. PubMed.
- Lee E, Walker C, Ayadi B. Effect of BPC-157 on symptoms in patients with interstitial cystitis: a pilot study. Altern Ther Health Med. 2024;30(10):12–17. PubMed.
- Lee E, Burgess K. Safety of intravenous infusion of BPC157 in humans: a pilot study. Altern Ther Health Med. 2025;31(5):20–24. PubMed.
- PharmaCotherapia d.o.o. PCO-02: safety and pharmacokinetics trial (phase I pilot study in healthy volunteers). ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02637284. ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Vasireddi N, Hahamyan H, Salata MJ, et al. Emerging use of BPC-157 in orthopaedic sports medicine: a systematic review. HSS J. 2025;21(4):485–495. PubMed.
- McGuire FP, Martinez R, Lenz A, et al. Regeneration or risk? A narrative review of BPC-157 for musculoskeletal healing. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2025;18(12):611–619. PubMed.
- Mateescu DM, Gavrilescu DM, Constantinescu FE, et al. BPC-157 as an investigational peptide therapeutic: biopharmaceutical challenges, formulation strategies, and translational development barriers. Pharmaceutics. 2026;18(5):625. PubMed.
- Moiz A, O’Keefe EL, O’Keefe JH. Dangers of injectable peptides and other unregulated “biohacking” drugs. Mo Med. 2026;123(4):337–343. PubMed.