BPC-157
Body Protection Compound 157 · PL 14736 · Pentadecapeptide BPC 157
Broad tissue-repair effects in rodent models; no human efficacy trials
Overview
BPC-157 is a synthetic pentadecapeptide (15 amino acids) whose sequence is derived from a protein fragment originally identified in human gastric juice. In animal research it is described as a stable 'body protection compound' that promotes healing across several tissue types, including tendon, ligament, muscle, bone, nerve, and the gut lining. It is most often studied by subcutaneous or intraperitoneal injection, and a number of rodent studies also report activity after oral administration.
It is important to state plainly that the evidence base for BPC-157 is overwhelmingly preclinical. The widely cited findings on tendon-to-bone healing, ligament repair, and gastrointestinal protection come from rodent and in-vitro experiments. There are no published large-scale, peer-reviewed human efficacy trials, and reports of benefit in people are anecdotal and community-sourced rather than from controlled studies. For this reason the protocol below is flagged at 'community' confidence.
The doses, frequencies, and reconstitution figures summarized here reflect commonly reported community protocols, not validated clinical regimens. They are provided strictly as an educational research reference. What pharmacokinetic data exist come from animals: a dedicated rat and dog study found a plasma elimination half-life of roughly 15 minutes after intravenous dosing (under about 30 minutes by intramuscular routes), with the peptide undetectable in plasma by around four hours and cleared chiefly through hepatic breakdown into amino acids. Notably, BPC-157 is unusually stable in human gastric juice (intact for over 24 hours), which is the rationale offered for oral use despite its short systemic half-life. Human pharmacokinetics specifically have not been formally characterized.
Key parameters
- Dose range
- 250–500 mcg daily
- Frequency
- 1–2× daily
- Half-life
- Very short in plasma (~15 min IV in rats; undetectable by ~4 h)
- Route
- Subcutaneous (also studied oral)
- Vial sizes
- 5 mg · 10 mg
- Regulatory status
- Not an approved drug; research/laboratory use only. BPC-157 has no marketing authorization from any major regulator and is not approved for human use. The U.S. FDA has flagged it in the context of compounding restrictions.
Mechanism of action
Angiogenesis / VEGFR2 signaling
Preclinical work links BPC-157 to upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and downstream nitric-oxide signaling, which is proposed to promote new blood-vessel formation and improve perfusion at injury sites.
Growth-factor and collagen modulation
In animal models the peptide is associated with increased expression of growth factors and with effects on fibroblast activity and collagen organization, which are framed as the basis for the reported tendon, ligament, and wound-healing effects.
Nitric-oxide (NO) system interaction
BPC-157 is reported to interact with the L-arginine–NO pathway in rodents, an effect invoked to explain observed cytoprotection, blood-pressure modulation, and gut-mucosal protection.
Gut-mucosal cytoprotection
Consistent with its gastric-juice origin, the peptide shows protective effects on the gastrointestinal lining in animal models of ulceration and injury, which is one of its most frequently studied actions.
Dosing protocol & phases
| Phase | Weeks | Dose | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (community) | Ongoing while addressing an injury | 250–500 mcg daily | Most commonly reported community range; not clinically validated. |
| Split dosing (community) | As above | 250 mcg twice daily | Some protocols divide the daily amount into two injections; rationale is anecdotal. |
| Typical course length (community) | ~4–8 weeks | Continue daily, then reassess | Community protocols commonly run multi-week courses; no clinical basis defines an optimal duration. |
Reconstitution guide
For educational and research reference only. Not intended for human consumption, not medical advice. Compounds discussed are sold and used for laboratory research purposes only.
5 mg vial + 2 mL bacteriostatic water
Concentration2,500 mcg/mL · 2.5 mg/mL
| Target dose | Draw volume | U-100 units |
|---|---|---|
| 250 mcg | 0.1 mL | 10 |
| 500 mcg | 0.2 mL | 20 |
Common community mix that places typical 250–500 mcg doses inside a small, easy-to-read syringe volume.
10 mg vial + 2 mL bacteriostatic water
Concentration5,000 mcg/mL · 5 mg/mL
| Target dose | Draw volume | U-100 units |
|---|---|---|
| 250 mcg | 0.05 mL | 5 |
| 500 mcg | 0.1 mL | 10 |
Higher-strength mix; halves the draw volume for the same dose.
Reconstitution calculator
Pre-filled with BPC-157's vial sizes. Adjust the water volume and target dose to see the exact draw, with warnings for doses that are hard to measure or won't fit a syringe.
At 2,500 micrograms per millilitre, a 250 microgram dose is 0.1 millilitres, or 10 units on a U-100 syringe, giving 20 doses per vial.
Supplies needed
Affiliate disclosure: we may earn a commission from supplier links, at no extra cost to you. For research and educational use only.
Recommended supply
BPC-157 — research vial
From our verified partner Dynotides, with a third-party certificate of analysis per batch.
Injection supplies
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Bacteriostatic water
Diluent for reconstituting lyophilized vials.
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Insulin syringes (U-100)
0.3–0.5 mL, 29–31 G for accurate small draws.
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Alcohol prep pads
Sterile swabs for the vial stopper and site.
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Sharps container
Safe disposal of used needles.
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Storage fridge
Keeps reconstituted vials at 2–8 °C.
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Insulated travel case
Cooled, TSA-friendly case for travel.
Missed-dose guidance
No clinical-label guidance exists because BPC-157 is not an approved drug. Community practice is simply to resume the next scheduled dose rather than doubling up; given the lack of human pharmacokinetic and outcome data, no evidence-based recommendation can be made.
Side effects & safety
| Category | Effect | Trial incidence |
|---|---|---|
| Injection site | Local irritation, redness, or transient discomfortAnecdotal; no human-trial incidence available. | — |
| General | Reported fatigue or lightheadedness in some usersCommunity-reported; not quantified in controlled human studies. | — |
| Gastrointestinal | Occasional nausea or upset (more often with oral use)Anecdotal; no controlled human incidence data exist. | — |
| Cardiovascular | Theoretical effects via the nitric-oxide pathwayMechanistic concern from animal NO-pathway findings; human relevance unknown. | — |
| Safety data | Long-term human safety is uncharacterizedNo long-term human safety studies exist; this is the principal limitation. | — |
Clinical trials & evidence
Achilles tendon-to-bone healing (rat model)
Preclinical (animal)Weeks (study-dependent) · Rats with surgically transected Achilles tendon
Improved tendon-to-bone healing and functional recovery versus controls in the model; not a human study.
Trial identifier needs verification
Gastrointestinal cytoprotection / ulcer models (rodent)
Preclinical (animal)Varies · Rodent models of gastric and intestinal injury
Protective and healing effects on the gastrointestinal mucosa reported across multiple models; no human efficacy data.
Trial identifier needs verification
PL 14736 (BPC-157) ulcerative colitis program
Phase 2 (human)Not publicly reported · Adults with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis; earlier safety/PK work in healthy male volunteers
BPC-157 was developed under the PL 14736 designation (Pliva, Croatia) and reached a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial of an intrarectal (enema) formulation for ulcerative colitis. Only the healthy-volunteer safety and pharmacokinetic phase was published; the Phase 2 efficacy results were never published in a peer-reviewed journal, so the outcome cannot be independently assessed. This is the closest BPC-157 has come to a controlled human efficacy trial.
Trial identifier needs verification
Storage & handling
- Lyophilized
- Store the lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder refrigerated at 2–8 °C, protected from light; brief room-temperature excursions during shipping are generally tolerated. Follow the supplier certificate of analysis for product-specific handling.
- Reconstituted
- After reconstitution with bacteriostatic water, refrigerate at 2–8 °C and use within roughly 28 days. Do not freeze; minimize light exposure.
Comparisons
| Vs. | Target | Half-life | Dosing | Efficacy | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TB-500 | VEGFR2 / NO and growth-factor pathways vs actin-binding (thymosin β4 axis) | Very short in plasma (~15 min IV, rats) vs short in plasma but longer-acting in tissue | 250–500 mcg daily vs ~2–2.5 mg twice weekly then weekly | Both preclinical/anecdotal; frequently stacked rather than compared head-to-head | Neither approved |
| KPV | Tissue-repair / angiogenesis vs anti-inflammatory (α-MSH fragment) | Very short in plasma (~15 min IV, rats) vs short (small tripeptide) | 250–500 mcg daily vs community-defined | Both lack human efficacy trials; sometimes combined for gut/inflammatory contexts | Neither approved |
Featured in these stacks
Wolverine (BPC-157 + TB-500)
The 'Wolverine' stack pairs two of the most widely discussed repair peptides because their proposed mechanisms are complementary rather than redundant. BPC-157 is associated with angiogenesis and localized tendon/ligament/gut signaling, while TB-500 (a synthetic fragment of thymosin beta-4) is associated with actin regulation and cell migration across tissue.
GLOW (BPC-157 + TB-500 + GHK-Cu)
GLOW extends the Wolverine repair pairing with GHK-Cu, a copper-binding tripeptide associated with collagen synthesis, skin remodeling, and wound cosmesis. The idea is to combine systemic/structural repair (BPC-157 + TB-500) with a skin- and collagen-oriented signal (GHK-Cu).
KLOW (KPV + BPC-157 + TB-500 + GHK-Cu)
KLOW adds KPV — a tripeptide fragment of alpha-MSH with anti-inflammatory properties — to the GLOW stack, aiming to pair tissue/skin repair with an inflammation- and gut-oriented signal.
Advanced Recomp (GH secretagogue + repair)
This is a body-recomposition construction that combines two goals in one protocol: amplifying the body's own growth-hormone output and supporting tissue recovery. The GH side uses the classic secretagogue pairing — CJC-1295 (no-DAC), a GHRH analog that increases the amount of GH released per pulse, plus ipamorelin, a selective ghrelin-receptor agonist that triggers a clean GH pulse without raising cortisol or prolactin. Acting on two different receptors, they amplify pulsatile GH and downstream IGF-1 more than either does alone.
Sources & references
- [1]Chang C-H et al. The promoting effect of pentadecapeptide BPC 157 on tendon healing involves tendon fibroblasts. J Appl Physiol (animal study). ↗ source
- [2]Xu C 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. ↗ source
- [3]Sikiric P et al. Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157: review of its cytoprotective and organ-protective effects in animal models. ↗ source
Frequently asked questions
Is BPC-157 proven to heal injuries in humans?
No. The healing effects attributed to BPC-157 come almost entirely from animal and laboratory studies. There are no published large-scale human efficacy trials, so human benefit remains anecdotal and unproven.
Is it taken by injection or by mouth?
Community protocols use both. It is most commonly injected subcutaneously, but a number of rodent studies report activity after oral dosing, and oral capsule forms are also used anecdotally. Comparative human bioavailability is not established.
Why is the confidence rated 'community' rather than 'clinical'?
Because the supporting evidence is preclinical (rodent/in-vitro) plus self-reported community use, not controlled human trials. We do not assert trial percentages or NCT identifiers for BPC-157 for this reason.
Related protocols
TB-500
Thymosin Beta-4 fragment
Promotes cell migration and angiogenesis in models; no human efficacy trials
KPV
Lys-Pro-Val
Tripeptide C-terminal fragment of alpha-MSH studied for anti-inflammatory activity (preclinical)
GHK-Cu
Copper tripeptide-1
Endogenous copper-binding tripeptide that declines with age
Looking to match this protocol to a verified research vial? Our partner supplier publishes a certificate of analysis per batch.
For educational and research reference only. Not intended for human consumption, not medical advice. Compounds discussed are sold and used for laboratory research purposes only.