BPC-157

A 15-amino-acid peptide based on a protein in stomach juice. Studied mostly in rats for healing tendons, gut and other tissues; human data is very thin.

Evidence: Primarily preclinical research
Half-life: Not known
Sources: 3 cited

Is BPC-157 FDA-approved?

Not approved by the FDA. Products sold online as "research chemicals" aren't checked for purity, sterility or dose.

Is BPC-157 banned in sport?

Banned in sport by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Overview

BPC-157 is based on a protective protein found in human gastric juice. Most research comes from one group in Croatia and was done in rats, where it sped up healing of tendons, ligaments, muscle and the gut. A 2025 systematic review found 35 animal studies and only one clinical study: a small, uncontrolled report of knee injections.

How it works

In animal studies it seems to help grow new blood vessels (via VEGF and nitric oxide), draw repair cells into injuries and protect the gut lining. Whether this applies to people is unknown.

How long does BPC-157 stay in the body?

Not established in people. In animals it's cleared from the blood within about half an hour.

What it's studied for

Tendon, ligament and muscle healing (rats)
Gut lining protection and ulcers
Blood vessel growth

Related: TB-500, KPV, GHK-Cu, ARA-290 (Cibinetide). Compare: BPC-157 vs TB-500.

Sources

The studies and prescribing labels this page is written from.