Healing / recovery
Prepared by the ezGLP team. Sources last checked . Profile reviewed .
Also known as Body Protection Compound 157
Routes represented in the knowledgebase: Subcutaneous (SubQ).
BPC-157 is listed in the ezGLP knowledgebase under Healing / recovery. Evidence and regulatory status can vary by formulation, route, and jurisdiction.
BPC-157 (Body Protection Compound 157) is a synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide whose sequence is derived from a protein found in human gastric juice. It was developed in the early 1990s at the University of Zagreb by Predrag Sikiric and colleagues and is usually classed as a cytoprotective or tissue-repair research peptide. Mechanisms proposed from animal and cell work include modulation of the nitric oxide system, promotion of angiogenesis through VEGF receptor signaling, activation of growth-factor pathways such as EGR-1 and FAK-paxillin, and protection of endothelium. Unlike most peptides it is described as stable in gastric juice, which is the basis for oral formulations studied in animals.
The literature is large but unusually concentrated. A 2025 literature and patent review in Pharmaceuticals and its published reply record that more than 80 percent of PubMed publications on BPC-157 list P. Sikiric or S. Seiwerth as first or senior author, and that human data are minimal: a few small reports, a pilot with two participants, and a Phase I oral trial registered in 2015 whose status is listed as unknown with no results posted. Rodent studies report faster healing of tendon, ligament, muscle, gut, and fistula injuries, and pharmacokinetic work in rats and dogs shows rapid elimination. A 2025 systematic review in orthopaedic sports medicine found no high-quality human evidence.
BPC-157 is not approved as a medicine in any country. In September 2023 the FDA placed it on the list of bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risks when compounded, citing immunogenicity concerns, peptide impurities, and inadequate safety information, which removed it from routine compounding under section 503A. Products sold in the United States are therefore research-grade material or unapproved compounded injections; oral and intranasal forms are also marketed without approval. In sport, BPC-157 has been named on the WADA Prohibited List since the 2022 edition under S0, non-approved substances, and is prohibited at all times.
BPC-157 is most often supplied as a lyophilized powder in a multi-dose vial that is reconstituted before subcutaneous or local injection; oral capsules and sprays also circulate. No human pharmacokinetic study has been published, so the library entry carries no half-life estimate, and storage and beyond-use time follow the product or pharmacy label. A dose log for BPC-157 typically records vial lot, reconstitution date, concentration, route, injection site, and any local or systemic reaction, which are the details relevant to an adverse-event report or an anti-doping inquiry. An inventory record tied to lot numbers is useful because identity and purity of research-grade material are not independently verified.
Serious or important: potential immunogenicity, aggregation, impurity, or product-quality risks.
A dependable route-specific human interaction and side-effect profile is not established; this is not evidence of no risk.
Safety evidence sourceThese are general, pairwise evidence notes. Green identifies the potential-synergy category, while Lv3/Lv2/Lv1 communicates evidence strength; it does not guarantee benefit or cancel a safety warning.
NAD+ and BPC-157 are proposed as complementary for cellular-energy and tissue-repair goals, but no direct animal or human combination study has established synergy or safety.
Interaction evidence sourceNAD+ evidence reviewFDA BPC-157 safety assessmentAn exploratory rat Achilles-tendon study found improved histology versus control for the combination, but no additional benefit over either peptide alone.
Interaction evidence sourceFDA TB-500 assessmentThe pair is proposed as complementary from separate preclinical findings involving tendon repair, angiogenic signaling, collagen, and extracellular-matrix accumulation.
Interaction evidence sourceGHK-Cu wound studyFDA peptide safety overviewThe pair is proposed as complementary from separate preclinical evidence for tissue repair and reduced inflammatory signaling.
Interaction evidence sourceKPV preclinical studyFDA KPV assessmentBarely. Published human data consist of a few small reports, a two-participant pilot, and a Phase I safety and pharmacokinetics trial of an oral formulation registered in 2015 in Croatia whose status is listed as unknown with no results posted. The 2025 Pharmaceuticals review and its reply conclude that claims about safety and efficacy in people remain hypothetical until randomized trials and dose-response studies exist. Nearly all of the evidence comes from rodent models.
Yes. BPC-157 was added by name to the WADA Prohibited List in the 2022 edition as an example under S0, non-approved substances, the first substance ever named in that category. It remains listed there and is prohibited at all times, both in and out of competition. Because it is a specified substance, sanctions may be reduced in some circumstances, but any detection is an anti-doping rule violation.
BPC-157 is not approved by the FDA for any indication. In September 2023 the agency placed it among bulk substances that may present significant safety risks when compounded, so licensed pharmacies cannot routinely prepare it. It is not a controlled substance, and material is sold as a research chemical; whether that sale or possession is lawful depends on how the product is labeled and marketed rather than on approval status.
The peptide was developed at the University of Zagreb, and the 2025 Pharmaceuticals reply notes that more than 80 percent of PubMed publications list P. Sikiric or S. Seiwerth as first or senior author. The authors argue this concentration limits generalizability and raises the risk of confirmation bias, and that independent replication, long-term safety data, and dose-response work are missing. Independent groups have mostly published reviews rather than new experiments.
In rats, BPC-157 has been reported to speed healing of transected Achilles tendon, medial collateral ligament, and muscle, protect the gastric mucosa from ulceration, close experimental fistulas, and counteract vascular injury. Proposed mechanisms involve the nitric oxide system, VEGF-driven angiogenesis, and growth-factor signaling. Pharmacokinetic studies in rats and dogs show rapid elimination, and a 2020 preclinical safety evaluation reported no toxicity at the doses tested in those animals.
Summarised from published literature for reference only, with citations to the source. Evidence is graded as reported and is not a recommendation to combine, dose, or use any compound.
For personal tracking and education only. Not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and not a medical device. Peptides may be prescription-only or unapproved where you live. Consult a licensed healthcare professional.
