The short version: BPC-157 has a large rat literature across gut, tendon, muscle and vessels, with a few small human reports and a half-life under 30 minutes in animals. KPV has a small mouse and cell literature, mostly on gut inflammation, and no human study at all. Both are unapproved and both fall under WADA class S0.
BPC-157
Fifteen residues from Body Protection Compound, a protein reported in human gastric juice. Zagreb, 1993. About 35 animal studies for every human report.1,2
KPV
Lysine-proline-valine, the last three residues of alpha-MSH. Reported in 1989 to keep the hormone's effect in an inflammation model while losing its pigment effect.5
Side by side
| Point | BPC-157 | KPV |
|---|---|---|
| Parent | Body Protection Compound, a protein reported in gastric juice | Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, residues 11–13 |
| Length | 15 residues | 3 residues |
| Sequence | GEPPPGKPADDAGLV | KPV |
| Avg mass | 1419.5 g/mol | 342.4 g/mol |
| Formula | C62H98N16O22 | C16H30N4O4 |
| CAS | 137525-51-0 | 67727-97-3 |
| First described | 1993, Zagreb1 | 1989, Hiltz and Lipton5 |
| Animal literature | Large: gut, tendon, muscle, vessels, skin in rats2 | Small: mouse ear swelling and mouse colitis5,6 |
| Human reports | A few small uncontrolled reports; two abstracts from the 2000s never published in full2,3 | None |
| Half-life | Under 30 minutes in rats and dogs4 | Not published |
| Proposed mechanism | Nitric oxide, VEGFR2 and growth hormone receptor all proposed2 | Lower NF-κB signalling in gut cells; does not use the parent hormone's receptors7 |
| WADA | S0 · named | S0 · by default |
| Licensed | Nowhere | Nowhere |
Where the research overlaps: the gut
Both peptides have been studied in chemically induced colitis in rodents, which is where the comparison is most direct. For BPC-157 the colitis work is one line among many, mostly in rats, and mostly from the group that discovered it.2 For KPV the gut is the main line: a 2008 study found that mice given KPV by mouth had milder colitis, and that the peptide was taken up through the gut transporter PepT1; a 2017 study repeated the model with nanoparticle delivery.6,8
Bars are a rough guide to volume, not quality. Sources in the reference list.
What was measured for each
| Area | BPC-157 | KPV |
|---|---|---|
| Gut | Lesion size and blood flow in rat colitis and bowel ischaemia models2 | Weight loss, colon length, tissue damage and cytokines in mouse colitis; PepT1 uptake6 |
| Tendon and muscle | Load to failure and healing after Achilles transection in rats; tendon cell growth2 | Not studied |
| Blood vessels | Return of blood flow after hind-limb ischaemia in rats; VEGFR2 in human endothelial cells2 | Not studied |
| Skin | Wound closure in rodent burn, diabetic and alkali models2 | Ear swelling in mice after an irritant5 |
| Immune cells | Not a main line | Cytokine release from cultured macrophages and T cells9 |
| People | Six small reports, none controlled3 | None |
What this means for a readerThese are not two versions of the same thing. If the question is tendon, muscle or vessel repair, only BPC-157 has primary papers, all in animals. If the question is gut inflammation, both have rodent data and KPV's is more focused, but it stops at the mouse. Neither has a controlled human trial.
Status in sport and law
Neither is licensed anywhere, and neither is a controlled drug in the UK. In the US, an FDA advisory committee voted in July 2026 to recommend BPC-157 for the list of substances pharmacies may compound, for ulcerative colitis; KPV was on the same agenda. No rule had followed at this revision.10
On the 2026 WADA list, BPC-157 is named in class S0. KPV is not named, but as a substance with no approval for human use it falls under S0 too. Both are prohibited at all times.11
Common questions
What is the difference between BPC-157 and KPV?
Origin and size. BPC-157 is fifteen residues from a gastric-juice protein; KPV is the three-residue tail of the hormone alpha-MSH. BPC-157 has a large animal literature across many tissues; KPV has a small one, mostly on the gut.
Which has more evidence?
BPC-157 by a wide margin, but almost all of it is in rats. KPV has a handful of mouse and cell studies and no human study.
Why are they sold together?
Both appear in the tissue-repair and gut-inflammation literature, and vendors pair them in blends such as KLOW. No published study has tested them together.
Has KPV been tested in people?
No. Every published study is in mice or cell culture.
Are BPC-157 and KPV banned in sport?
Yes, both. BPC-157 is named in WADA class S0; KPV falls under S0 as an unapproved substance. Both are prohibited at all times.
References
- Sikirić P, et al. A new gastric juice peptide, BPC. J Physiol Paris. 1993;87(5):313–327.
- Józwiak M, et al. Multifunctionality and possible medical application of the BPC 157 peptide: literature and patent review. Pharmaceuticals. 2025;18(2):185. PMID 40005999
- Vasireddi N, et al. Emerging use of BPC-157 in orthopaedic sports medicine: a systematic review. HSS J. 2025;21(4):485–495. PMID 40756949
- He L, et al. Pharmacokinetics, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of body-protective compound 157 in rats and dogs. Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:1026182. PMID 36588717
- Hiltz ME, Lipton JM. Antiinflammatory activity of a COOH-terminal fragment of the neuropeptide alpha-MSH. FASEB J. 1989;3(11):2282–2284. PMID 2550304
- Dalmasso G, et al. PepT1-mediated tripeptide KPV uptake reduces intestinal inflammation. Gastroenterology. 2008;134(1):166–178. PMID 18061177
- Kannengiesser K, et al. Melanocortin-derived tripeptide KPV has anti-inflammatory potential in murine models of inflammatory bowel disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2008;14(3):324–331.
- Xiao B, et al. Orally targeted delivery of tripeptide KPV via hyaluronic acid-functionalized nanoparticles efficiently alleviates ulcerative colitis. Mol Ther. 2017;25(7):1628–1640.
- Brzoska T, et al. Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone and related tripeptides: biochemistry, antiinflammatory and protective effects in vitro and in vivo. Endocr Rev. 2008;29(5):581–602.
- American Med Spa Association. FDA advisory committee recommends adding BPC-157 to compounding list; KPV on the docket. 23 July 2026. americanmedspa.org
- World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List, class S0. wada-ama.org
Peptidarium Library. BPC-157 vs KPV (comparison 06), 2 November 2026. peptidarium.com/compare/bpc-157-vs-kpv