Compounds / BPC-157

BPC-157

Body Protection Compound 157, Bepecin, PL 14736

BPC-157 is a lab-made peptide of 15 amino acids, first described as a fragment of a protein found in human gastric juice. Most of what's known about it comes from rat and dog studies1.

It isn't FDA-approved, and no country has approved a medicine that contains it. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) bans it in sport at all times1,4.

Status
Not approved anywhere
Human evidence
Very limited: 3 small studies, 30 people
Half-life in people
Not known
Sport
Banned by WADA at all times

By PeptideTracker editorial team · Updated November 9, 2026 · 13 sources

What is BPC-157?

BPC-157 is a lab-made chain of 15 amino acids, described as a fragment of a protein called BPC (body protection compound) that was first isolated from human gastric juice. It first appeared in the research literature in 19931. It's also known as Bepecin and PL 14736.

Most of the research comes from rats, where it was tested on gut, liver and tendon injuries. Nobody knows exactly how it works. FDA's reviewers said its molecular target hasn't been found and its mechanism is poorly understood1. It's sold online as capsules, sprays and injectable powder, and in the US as a dietary supplement ingredient, none of which is an FDA approval1.

What have BPC-157 studies actually tested?

Mostly rats. The animal studies often report large benefits, but FDA's reviewers noted that bigger doses didn't give bigger effects, which makes the results harder to trust1. In people, there are a handful of small studies. Only the two enema studies had a placebo group, and both were published only as conference abstracts.

Selected BPC-157 studies and what they found
StudyTested inWhat it found
Achilles tendon cut, Staresinic 2003RatsStronger tendons, more collagen and better function scores over 14 days than rats given salt water7
Colon fistulas, Klicek 2008RatsFistulas about 40% smaller from day 3. Two very different doses worked the same, so no dose-response was shown1
Painkiller (NSAID) gut damage, Sikiric 1997RatsStomach and gut lesions over 75% smaller. Only judged by eye, with no microscope checks1
28-day toxicity, Xu 2020Rats and dogsChanges in blood clotting time and raised liver enzyme (ALT), glucose and triglyceride levels1
Enema safety, Veljaca 2002-2003Humans, 24 given BPC-157No significant side effects. Headache and wind were as common as on placebo. Meeting abstracts only1
Ulcerative colitis enema, Ruenzi 2005Humans, 53 randomizedSymptom scores fell more with BPC-157 than placebo, but the gap wasn't statistically clear. Meeting abstract only1
Knee injections, Lee 2021Humans, 1614 of 16 said their knee pain eased (4 of them also had thymosin beta-4). Chart review, phone survey, no comparison group13
Bladder injections, Lee 2024Humans, 12 womenMost reported fewer symptoms, with no side effects reported. No comparison group1,5
IV safety pilot, Lee 2025Humans, 2No side effects or changes in blood tests reported1

A 2026 systematic review found three published human studies with 30 people in total (the knee, bladder and IV studies). It rated all three as poor quality and the overall evidence as very low certainty5. FDA found no human study of BPC-157 taken by mouth, injected under the skin, or used as a nose spray1.

Is BPC-157 safe? What isn't known

Nobody knows how safe BPC-157 is in people, because it has never had proper safety testing. FDA concluded there is too little clinical safety information to describe its risks1. The small human studies reported no serious side effects, but they were short and gave few details on how safety was checked1.

FDA's review flagged these gaps and signals1:

  • Animal toxicity signals. After 28 days of injections, rats and dogs showed changes in blood clotting time and liver-related blood tests. No studies longer than 28 days, and no cancer studies, have been done.
  • Immune reactions. Injected peptides can trigger the immune system, with effects ranging from none to severe. No study has tested this for BPC-157.
  • What's in the vial. “BPC-157” isn't an official drug name, and FDA has seen different salts and related compounds sold under it. Making peptides can also leave impurities, and peptides can clump together.
  • Side effect reports. FDA's database had 3 reports for injected BPC-157 up to December 2025: an injection site reaction, shortness of breath, and darkening of the skin and gums in a woman using a BPC-157 and TB-500 product. None could be pinned on BPC-157 for certain.

How do you work out BPC-157 units on a syringe?

Divide the BPC-157 in the vial by the water you add to get the strength, then work out how much each unit holds. On a U-100 insulin syringe, 1 unit is 0.01 mL.

As an example of the math only, a 5 mg vial mixed with 2 mL of bacteriostatic (bac) water is 2.5 mg/mL, so each unit holds 25 mcg and 250 mcg is 10 units (0.1 mL). These numbers aren't a dose from any study, and this page doesn't recommend one. The calculator above does the same math for any vial, and the bac water guide explains how the amount of water changes the units.

How does BPC-157 compare with TB-500?

They're different peptides that are often sold together. BPC-157 has many animal studies and three tiny human ones, while FDA found no human studies of TB-500 at all. The BPC-157 vs TB-500 comparison sets the evidence side by side and covers blend vials.

BPC-157's half-life was about 15 minutes in rats and 5 minutes in dogs after an IV dose, and no human half-life has been measured6. The peptide half-life chart shows how that compares with other peptides.

Many BPC-157 vials are sold as “research use only” with a lab certificate. The guide to research-use labels and certificates of analysis explains what those tests can and can't show.

BPC-157 fact sheet

What it is
A synthetic pentadecapeptide (15 amino acids), a fragment of the gastric protein BPC1
Status (US)
Not FDA-approved. FDA lists it as a compounding substance that was nominated, then withdrawn (page dated April 22, 2026). FDA's advisers reviewed it for ulcerative colitis on July 23, 2026; FDA had posted no final decision by November 8, 20262
Status (other countries)
No approved product containing BPC-157 in any country, per FDA's July 2026 review1
Sport (WADA)
Prohibited at all times, class S0 (non-approved substances), 2026 List4
Evidence
Mostly animal studies. Three small published human studies with 30 people in total, rated very low certainty by a 2026 systematic review5
What animal studies found
In rat studies it reduced gut, liver and tendon damage. FDA's reviewers noted the studies didn't show bigger doses giving bigger effects1
Risks in people
Largely unknown. FDA found too little clinical safety information to describe them, and its reviewers flagged possible immune reactions, impurities and products sold under the same name that aren't the same substance1
Doses used in studies
Animals: 10 ng/kg to 10 mcg/kg a day in rats (injected into the belly or given by mouth). People: 2 to 4 mg into the knee, 10 mg into the bladder, 10 to 20 mg IV in 2 people. Not recommendations1
Half-life
Not established in humans. About 15 minutes in rats and 5 minutes in dogs after an IV dose6

Mixing math for BPC-157

For a vial you mix yourself. Example numbers only: change them to match your own vial and dose. This does the math; it doesn't recommend a dose.

[01] BPC-157 mixing
Powder plus water you add.

The mg printed on the vial label.

mg

Bacteriostatic (bac) water, in mL.

mL

Check whether it says mcg or mg. They differ by 1,000 times.

mcg
Which syringe?

It's printed on the packet: 0.3, 0.5 or 1 mL.

5 mg vial + 2 mL water → 250 mcg dose

Fill your syringe to

10units

The 10 line on a 1 mL syringe, which is 0.1 mL.

0102030405060708090100
Strength after mixing
2.5 mg/mL
Each unit holds
25 mcg
Doses in this vial
20
Show the math
  1. 5 mg × 1,000 = 5,000 mcg in the vial
  2. 5,000 mcg ÷ 2 mL = 2,500 mcg/mL
  3. 250 mcg ÷ 2,500 mcg/mL = 0.1 mL
  4. 0.1 mL × 100 units/mL = 10 units

Not what you expected? Check the numbers above, and confirm with your prescriber or pharmacist before you inject.

BPC-157 guides

Also useful: Reconstitution calculator · Bac water planner · Blend vial calculator

Questions

Is BPC-157 FDA approved?

No. BPC-157 is not FDA-approved and isn't part of any approved medicine in the US or any other country. On July 23, 2026, FDA's advisory committee reviewed it for possible use in pharmacy compounding (for ulcerative colitis), and FDA's own reviewers recommended against it. That advice isn't a decision, and as of November 8, 2026 FDA had not posted one.

Has BPC-157 been tested in humans?

Only a little. Three small studies are published, none with a placebo group: 16 people given BPC-157 in the knee, 12 women given 10 mg in the bladder, and 2 people given 10 mg and 20 mg IV. Two older studies of BPC-157 enemas exist only as meeting abstracts. A 2026 systematic review rated the overall evidence as very low certainty.

What is the half-life of BPC-157?

BPC-157's half-life in people is not known. In a 2022 animal study it was about 15 minutes in rats and about 5 minutes in dogs after an IV dose, and under 30 minutes after an injection into muscle.

What doses of BPC-157 were used in animal studies?

Mostly 10 mcg/kg or 10 ng/kg of body weight once a day, in rat studies from the original research group. The peptide was injected into the belly cavity or given in drinking water. These are animal doses per kilogram, not human doses, and this page doesn't recommend any dose.

Is BPC-157 banned in sport?

Yes. The WADA 2026 Prohibited List names BPC-157 under S0, non-approved substances, which are prohibited at all times, in and out of competition.

How many units is 250 mcg of BPC-157?

It depends on how much water is in the vial. With a 5 mg vial and 2 mL of bacteriostatic (bac) water, the mix is 2.5 mg/mL, so 250 mcg is 10 units on a U-100 insulin syringe (0.1 mL). This is math only, not a dose recommendation.

Sources

  1. 1FDA Briefing Document: BPC-157-related bulk drug substances, Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, July 23-24, 2026. sections I, II.B.4, II.D and Appendix 1
  2. 2FDA: Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks. table of substances nominated but withdrawn; content current as of April 22, 2026
  3. 3FDA: July 23-24, 2026 meeting of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee. agenda and materials; no minutes posted when checked on November 8, 2026
  4. 4World Anti-Doping Agency: 2026 Prohibited List. class S0, non-approved substances; in force from January 1, 2026
  5. 5Poolton JT et al. Human evidence for BPC-157 in orthopaedic and regenerative medicine: a systematic review. Acta Orthop Belg. 2026;92(3)
  6. 6He L et al. Pharmacokinetics, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of body-protective compound 157 in rats and dogs. Front Pharmacol. 2022. half-life tables
  7. 7Staresinic M et al. Gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 accelerates healing of transected rat Achilles tendon. J Orthop Res. 2003;21(6):976-83
  8. 8ABC News: FDA advisory committee votes to add popular peptide BPC-157 to drug compounding list, July 23, 2026. news report; source of the 8-6 vote count
  9. 9Therapeutic Goods (Poisons Standard—October 2026) Instrument 2026, Federal Register of Legislation (Australia). in force from September 30, 2026; Schedule 4 entry and Appendix D, clause 5
  10. 10Health Canada: Think twice before injecting peptides bought online (public advisory RA-81874). published April 9, 2026
  11. 11Health Canada: GHK-Cu & BPC-157 powder, unauthorized active pharmaceutical ingredients (recall RA-82047). Type I recall, May 5, 2026
  12. 12Health Canada Drug Product Database, active ingredient search for BPC. no products found, searched November 9, 2026
  13. 13Lee E, Padgett B. Intra-articular injection of BPC 157 for multiple types of knee pain. Altern Ther Health Med. 2021;27(4):8-13

This page explains what labels and published studies say. It isn't medical advice and doesn't replace your prescriber or pharmacist.

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