Monograph in Tissue-repair & anti-inflammatory peptides
BPC-157
A 15-residue peptide derived from a gastric protein, with hundreds of rodent studies behind it — and, by the count of a 2025 systematic review, one clinical study in orthopedics.
Also called Body Protection Compound 157 · PL 14736 · Bepecin · PL-10
Best evidence: Limited / early human data
Three small, uncontrolled human pilot reports exist; no randomized controlled human trial has been published. Nearly all evidence is preclinical.
Not FDA-approved · FDA compounding nomination withdrawn
Residue Editorial Team · updated
What is BPC-157?
BPC-157 is a synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide derived from a gastric-juice protein. A 2025 systematic review found 35 of 36 eligible orthopedic studies were preclinical, and no clinical safety data1PubMedEmerging Use of BPC-157 in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: A Systematic Review. Vasireddi N et al. HSS J. 2025.. Only three small human pilot studies have been reported2PubMedRegeneration or Risk? A Narrative Review of BPC-157 for Musculoskeletal Healing. McGuire FP et al. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2025.. It is not FDA-approved; FDA says it lacks information to know whether it would cause harm in humans3FDACertain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks. U.S. FDA, content current as of 04/22/2026..
Key findings
- A 2025 systematic review screened 544 articles and included 36 studies: 35 preclinical and 1 clinical. It found no clinical safety data1.
- The same review reports BPC-157 is metabolized in the liver with a half-life of less than 30 minutes, and cleared by the kidneys1.
- A narrative review counted three human pilot studies — knee pain, interstitial cystitis and an intravenous safety/pharmacokinetics study — none large or controlled2.
- In a retrospective phone survey of 16 knee-pain patients, 14 reported relief after intra-articular BPC-157 alone or with thymosin β4; no standardized outcome tools were used4PubMedIntra-Articular Injection of BPC 157 for Multiple Types of Knee Pain. Lee E & Padgett B Altern Ther Health Med. 2021..
- ClinicalTrials.gov lists a small number of registered studies, including a recruiting phase 2 hamstring trial and a phase 1 rotator-cuff study not yet recruiting5TrialBPC 157 for Acute Hamstring Muscle Strain Repair. Hudson Biotech · PHASE2 · recruiting.,6TrialImpact of BPC-157 on Recovery Following Rotator Cuff Repair Surgery. University of Arkansas · PHASE1 · not yet recruiting..
What is BPC-157, chemically?
| PubChem CID | 9941957 “Bpc-157” |
|---|---|
| Formula | C62H98N16O22 |
| Molecular weight | 1,419.5 g/mol |
| CAS (as listed) | 137525-51-0 |
| FDA UNII | 8ED8NXK95P |
| InChIKey | HEEWEZGQMLZMFE-RKGINYAYSA-N |
| Length | 15 residues |
| Half-life (reported) | Less than 30 minutes, per a 2025 systematic review1 |
| Route in trials | Mostly intraperitoneal, oral or local in animals; intra-articular and intravesical in human pilots |
| Mechanism | Proposed: VEGFR2 and Akt–eNOS (nitric oxide) signaling, angiogenesis; not a defined receptor agonist |
- Hydrophobic
- Basic (+)
- Acidic (−)
- Gly / Pro / Cys
What is BPC-157?
BPC-157 is a pentadecapeptide — 15 amino acids — originally isolated from gastric juice, which is why it is often called a "stable gastric pentadecapeptide"2,7PubMedStable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 and Wound Healing. Seiwerth S et al. Front Pharmacol. 2021.. PubChem's record gives the sequence Gly-Glu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Ala-Gly-Leu-Val, shown residue by residue in Figure 18PubChemPubChem compound record: Bpc-157. C62H98N16O22 · MW 1419.5 g/mol.. It is synthetic; the full-length parent protein is not what is studied.
How is BPC-157 thought to work?
No single receptor for BPC-157 has been established. Preclinical work summarized in a 2025 narrative review implicates several overlapping pathways: activation of VEGFR2 and nitric oxide synthesis via the Akt–eNOS axis, promoting new blood vessel growth (angiogenesis); ERK1/2 signaling, supporting endothelial and muscle repair; and anti-inflammatory effects. The authors note these may matter most in poorly vascularized tissues like tendons2. The 2025 systematic review adds reports that BPC-157 increases growth hormone receptor expression in some models1.
How long does BPC-157 last in the body?
The systematic review reports that BPC-157 is metabolized in the liver, has a half-life of less than 30 minutes and is cleared by the kidneys1. That short half-life sits awkwardly with the multi-week healing effects described in animal studies, and is one of the open questions about how it works.
What do animal studies show?
The animal literature is large and consistently positive. A 2019 review of musculoskeletal soft-tissue healing found that all studies to date had shown positive and prompt healing for tendon, ligament and muscle injuries — but that the majority were in small rodent models and efficacy was yet to be confirmed in humans9PubMedGastric pentadecapeptide body protection compound BPC 157 and its role in accelerating musculoskeletal soft tissue healing. Gwyer D et al. Cell Tissue Res. 2019.. A 2021 review from the group that developed the peptide summarized healing of skin wounds, burns and several kinds of fistula in rats, and described no reported toxicity in its studies7.
One caution applies: of the PubMed records matching BPC-157, 105 are tagged as animal-only and none as a clinical trial10PubMedPubMed search: ("BPC 157"[tiab] OR "BPC-157"[tiab] OR "PL 14736"[tiab]). 225 records at fetch. — the composition is charted on the research page.
Is there evidence in humans?
The 2025 systematic review. Searching PubMed, Cochrane and Embase to June 2024, reviewers identified 544 articles and, after screening, included 36: 35 preclinical and one clinical. The one clinical study was a retrospective report of intra-articular injection for chronic knee pain, which the review summarized as 7 of 12 patients reporting relief for more than six months. The review rated the whole body of evidence as level IV and V and found no clinical safety data1.
Knee pain. The original knee paper was a one-year chart review at a single clinic, with patients contacted by phone 6–12 months after injection. Of 16 reached, 12 had received BPC-157 alone (11 reported significant improvement) and 4 had received it with thymosin β4 (3 improved). No specific tools measured function, stiffness or quality of life4. The difference between the paper's figures and the systematic review's summary illustrates how fragile a single uncontrolled retrospective series is.
Interstitial cystitis. Twelve women whose interstitial cystitis had not responded to pentosan polysulfate received a single 10 mg injection of compounded BPC-157 around inflamed areas of the bladder during cystoscopy. Ten reported complete resolution and two reported 80% improvement, with no adverse events11PubMedEffect of BPC-157 on Symptoms in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis: A Pilot Study. Lee E et al. Altern Ther Health Med. 2024.. There was no control group, and outcomes were self-rated.
Intravenous safety and pharmacokinetics. The narrative review counts a third human pilot of intravenous safety and pharmacokinetics among the three human studies2. ClinicalTrials.gov holds an older phase 1 safety and pharmacokinetic study of a BPC-157 product (PCO-02) whose status is listed as unknown12TrialPCO-02 - Safety and Pharmacokinetics Trial. PharmaCotherapia d.o.o. · PHASE1 · unknown..
Registered trials. At our fetch, ClinicalTrials.gov listed a recruiting phase 2 trial in acute hamstring strain5 and a phase 1 study after rotator-cuff repair not yet recruiting6. Registration is not evidence; results, if published, will be added here.
What is known about safety?
No randomized human trial has measured BPC-157's safety. The pilots reported no adverse events2, but with 12–16 participants and no comparators they cannot detect anything but very common harms. The 2025 systematic review specifically warns that adverse effects are possible because of unregulated manufacturing, contamination or unknown clinical safety1.
Is BPC-157 FDA-approved?
| Record | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FDA approval | No approved application Drugs@FDA returned no application for “BPC-157”. | openFDA |
| Compounding: nominated, then withdrawn BPC-157 | Withdrawn nomination FDA still lists its safety concerns: “Compounded drugs containing BPC-157 may pose risk for immunogenicity for certain routes of administration and may have complexities with regard to peptide-related impurities and active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) characterization. FDA has identified no, or only limited, safety-related information for the proposed routes of administration. Therefore, the agency lacks sufficient information to know whether the…” | 3 |
BPC-157 is on FDA's list of bulk drug substances whose nominations for compounding were withdrawn. FDA's note says compounded BPC-157 may pose risk for immunogenicity for certain routes and may have complexities with peptide-related impurities and API characterization, and that FDA has identified no, or only limited, safety-related information for the proposed routes — so it lacks sufficient information to know whether the drug would cause harm in humans3.
What is still unknown?
- Controlled human trials. The single most important gap; the registered phase 2 hamstring trial is the first of its kind we found5.
- Mechanism vs half-life. How a peptide cleared in under 30 minutes produces sustained tissue effects is unexplained1.
- Replication in humans of the consistent preclinical findings9.
What effects has BPC-157 shown, by body system?
Each row is graded separately using the Residue evidence scale: a compound can carry an A for one use and a D for another.
| System | What was observed | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Tendon, ligament, muscle, bone | Improved functional, structural and biomechanical outcomes in preclinical injury models1,9. | D |
| Skin and fistula healing | Wound and fistula healing across rat models, reviewed by the originating group7. | D |
| Knee pain | Self-reported relief in an uncontrolled retrospective series of 16 patients4. | C |
| Interstitial cystitis | Symptom resolution reported in 10 of 12 women after a single intravesical injection, without a control group11. | C |
| Safety in humans | No clinical safety data found by the 2025 systematic review1; FDA cites immunogenicity and impurity concerns3. | C |
How much research is there on BPC-157?
| Phase | Studies | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 2 | 0 completed, 1 active or recruiting, 0 stopped, 1 other |
| Phase 2 | 1 | 0 completed, 1 active or recruiting, 0 stopped, 0 other |
| Not applicable | 1 | 1 completed, 0 active or recruiting, 0 stopped, 0 other |
Compare and continue
- BPC-157 vs TB-500Comparison
- TB-500Tissue-repair & anti-inflammatory peptides
- GHK-CuTissue-repair & anti-inflammatory peptides
- KPVTissue-repair & anti-inflammatory peptides
Questions readers ask
Is BPC-157 FDA-approved?
No. Drugs@FDA has no application for BPC-157. FDA lists it among bulk substances whose compounding nominations were withdrawn, citing immunogenicity risk and impurity concerns, and says it lacks sufficient information to know whether the drug would cause harm when administered to humans3.
Has BPC-157 been tested in humans?
Only in small pilot studies: a retrospective knee-pain series4, a 12-patient interstitial cystitis pilot11 and an intravenous safety and pharmacokinetics study2. No randomized controlled trial results are published.
What are the side effects of BPC-157?
The human pilots reported no adverse events2, but they were too small and uncontrolled to establish safety, and a 2025 systematic review found no clinical safety data. That review notes possible harms from unregulated manufacturing and contamination1.
What is the half-life of BPC-157?
Under 30 minutes, with hepatic metabolism and renal clearance, according to a 2025 systematic review1.
How does BPC-157 work?
Animal and cell studies point to VEGFR2 activation, nitric oxide signaling through the Akt–eNOS axis, ERK1/2 signaling and anti-inflammatory effects, which promote angiogenesis and fibroblast activity2. These mechanisms have not been confirmed in human tissue studies.
Is BPC-157 banned in sport?
The 2025 systematic review notes its use is banned in professional sports and recommends clinicians counsel athletes on their organizations' rules1.
References
Every source below was retrieved from its official API or page and cached on the data-edition date. Numbers match the margin notes.
- 1 PubMed Vasireddi N, Hahamyan H, Salata MJ, et al. Emerging Use of BPC-157 in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: A Systematic Review. HSS J 2025. PMID 40756949; doi:10.1177/15563316251355551.
- 2 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. PMID 40789979; doi:10.1007/s12178-025-09990-7.
- 3 FDA Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks. U.S. FDA, content current as of 04/22/2026.
- 4 PubMed Lee E, Padgett B. Intra-Articular Injection of BPC 157 for Multiple Types of Knee Pain. Altern Ther Health Med 2021. PMID 34324435.
- 5 ClinicalTrials.gov BPC 157 for Acute Hamstring Muscle Strain Repair. Hudson Biotech · PHASE2 · recruiting.
- 6 ClinicalTrials.gov Impact of BPC-157 on Recovery Following Rotator Cuff Repair Surgery. University of Arkansas · PHASE1 · not yet recruiting.
- 7 PubMed Seiwerth S, Milavic M, Vukojevic J, et al. Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 and Wound Healing. Front Pharmacol 2021. PMID 34267654; doi:10.3389/fphar.2021.627533.
- 8 PubChem PubChem compound record: Bpc-157. C62H98N16O22 · MW 1419.5 g/mol.
- 9 PubMed Gwyer D, Wragg NM, Wilson SL. Gastric pentadecapeptide body protection compound BPC 157 and its role in accelerating musculoskeletal soft tissue healing. Cell Tissue Res 2019. PMID 30915550; doi:10.1007/s00441-019-03016-8.
- 10 PubMed PubMed search: ("BPC 157"[tiab] OR "BPC-157"[tiab] OR "PL 14736"[tiab]). 225 records at fetch. PMID bpc-157.
- 11 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. PMID 39325560.
- 12 ClinicalTrials.gov PCO-02 - Safety and Pharmacokinetics Trial. PharmaCotherapia d.o.o. · PHASE1 · unknown.