BPC-157 is a synthetic chain of fifteen amino acids. Predrag Sikirić's group at the University of Zagreb first reported it in 1993, as part of a larger protein they had found in human gastric juice and called Body Protection Compound.1
Almost all of the published work is in rats and cell cultures, covering the gut, tendons, muscle and blood vessels. Human data are limited to a few small reports. It is not a licensed medicine in the UK, the EU or the US, and it is on the anti-doping list.
15
1419.5 g/mol
35 : 1
< 30 min
Identity
Read from the N-terminus, the chain starts at glycine and ends at valine. The map below numbers each position. Proline turns up at positions 3, 4, 5 and 8.
Fig. 1 · Sequence map. Proline positions shaded.
It appears in the literature under several names. PL 14736 and PLD-116 are development codes from its time with drug companies, and some trial records call it bepecin. All of them refer to the same fifteen-residue sequence.2
History
The Zagreb group describes the gastric juice protein and the BPC fragment.1
First tendon paper, in rats, and the first human data, reported only as a conference abstract under the code PL 14736.3,9
A placebo-controlled study in ulcerative colitis is reported, again only as an abstract.10
A phase I trial in 42 volunteers is registered (NCT02637284). No results were ever posted.11
The first full pharmacokinetic study in rats and dogs is published, from a group in China.7
WADA names BPC-157 in class S0 of the Prohibited List.14
Two reviews bring the field together. One finds 35 animal studies and one human study in sports medicine.2,8
An FDA advisory committee votes to recommend BPC-157 for the US compounding list, for ulcerative colitis.13
What the studies measured
The table lists the main lines of research. Each row gives the model used and what the authors measured. It does not mean the same result would be seen in people.
| Area | Model | What was measured | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel | Rat colitis and bowel ischaemia models | Lesion size, blood flow in the bowel wall, tissue damage under the microscope | [6] |
| Tendon | Rat Achilles tendon, cut through | Load to failure, walking function, healing under the microscope; tendon cell growth in a dish | [3] |
| Tendon to bone | Rat Achilles tendon detached from the heel bone | Reattachment strength and tissue at the junction | [4] |
| Tendon cells | Rat tendon pieces and fibroblasts in culture | How far cells grew out, how many survived oxidative stress, how fast they moved | [5] |
| Blood vessels | Rat hind-limb ischaemia; human endothelial cells | Return of blood flow, new vessel growth, levels of the VEGFR2 receptor | [12] |
| Skin | Rodent burn, diabetic and alkali wound models | Wound closure and tissue repair with topical gels | [2] |
How much of it is human
Source: Vasireddi et al., 2025.8 The review found no human safety data.
Human reports
No full, peer-reviewed, controlled trial of BPC-157 in people has been published. These are the human reports on record.
| Year | Report | Design | People | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Veljaca et al. | Phase I, healthy men. Conference abstract only | Not stated | [9] |
| 2005 | Ruenzi et al. | Phase II, ulcerative colitis, placebo-controlled. Abstract only | Not stated | [10] |
| 2015 | NCT02637284 | Phase I, registered. No results posted | 42 planned | [11] |
| 2021 | Lee & Padgett | Look-back at clinic records, knee pain. No control group | 12 | [15] |
| 2024 | Lee, Walker & Ayadi | Bladder pain syndrome. No control group | 12 | [16] |
| 2025 | Lee & Burgess | Safety pilot, blood markers only | 2 | [17] |
The three recent reports come from one US clinic and appeared in the same journal. None had a comparison group.
Behaviour in animals
The only full pharmacokinetic study tracked the peptide in rats and beagle dogs.7 It found:
| Half-life | Under 30 minutes for the intact peptide, in both species |
| Uptake from muscle | About 14–19% in rats and 45–51% in dogs, compared with a vein |
| Where it went | Highest levels in the kidney, lowest in the brain |
| Breakdown | Cut into smaller fragments, ending mostly as proline. Cleared in urine and bile |
It stays intact in acid and in gastric juice, which its discoverers saw as fitting for a peptide found in the stomach.2 No full human pharmacokinetic study has been published.
Regulatory and sport status
As of this revision. Laws change, and this is general information, not legal advice.
| Where | Status |
|---|---|
| UK | No marketing authorisation as a medicine. Not a controlled drug. It may not be supplied or promoted for human use. |
| EU | No marketing authorisation from the EMA or any national agency. |
| US | Not FDA-approved. The FDA lists it in Category 2 of bulk substances for compounding, meaning it has identified safety concerns. On 23 July 2026 the FDA's compounding advisory committee voted to recommend adding it to the 503A list for ulcerative colitis. No FDA rule had followed at this revision.13 |
| Sport | Prohibited at all times. Named in class S0, non-approved substances, of the WADA list.14 |
Open questions
- Much of the published work comes from the group that first described the peptide. Independent repeats of key findings are few.
- It is cleared in under 30 minutes in animals, yet many reported effects lasted days. How it works is still argued, with nitric oxide, VEGFR2 and growth hormone receptor all proposed.
- It has been reported to promote new blood vessel growth. Reviewers point out that its effect on existing tumours has not been studied directly.2
- The controlled human studies from the 2000s were never published in full, so their data cannot be checked.
Common questions
What does BPC stand for?
Body Protection Compound. That was the Zagreb group's name for the larger protein they found in gastric juice. BPC-157 is the fifteen-residue part of it they made and studied.
Has BPC-157 been tested in humans?
Only in small reports. No full, peer-reviewed, controlled trial has been published. The reports on record are listed in section 04.
What is the half-life of BPC-157?
In rats and dogs, the intact peptide had an elimination half-life under 30 minutes. No full human study has measured it.
Is BPC-157 legal in the UK?
It is not a controlled drug, and it has no licence as a medicine. That means it can be sold for laboratory research but not for human use. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is BPC-157 banned in sport?
Yes. WADA names it in class S0, non-approved substances, which is prohibited in and out of competition.
Are PL 14736 and BPC-157 the same thing?
Yes. PL 14736 and PLD-116 are company development codes, and bepecin is a name used in a trial record. All refer to the same sequence.
How is BPC-157 different from TB-500?
They come from different proteins. BPC-157 is part of a gastric juice protein; TB-500 is a seven-residue piece of thymosin beta-4. See the full comparison.
See also
References
- Sikirić P, Petek M, Ručman R, et al. A new gastric juice peptide, BPC. An overview of the stomach-stress-organoprotection hypothesis and beneficial effects of BPC. J Physiol Paris. 1993;87(5):313–327.
- Józwiak M, Bauer M, Kamysz W, Kleczkowska P. Multifunctionality and possible medical application of the BPC 157 peptide: literature and patent review. Pharmaceuticals. 2025;18(2):185. PMID 40005999
- Staresinic M, Sebecic B, Patrlj L, et al. Gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 accelerates healing of transected rat Achilles tendon and in vitro stimulates tendocytes growth. J Orthop Res. 2003;21(6):976–983. PMID 14554208
- Krivic A, Anic T, Seiwerth S, et al. Achilles detachment in rat and stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157: promoted tendon-to-bone healing and opposed corticosteroid aggravation. J Orthop Res. 2006;24(5):982–989. PMID 16583442
- Chang CH, Tsai WC, Lin MS, et al. The promoting effect of pentadecapeptide BPC 157 on tendon healing involves tendon outgrowth, cell survival, and cell migration. J Appl Physiol. 2011;110(3):774–780. PMID 21030672
- Duzel A, Vlainic J, Antunovic M, et al. Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 in the treatment of colitis and ischemia and reperfusion in rats: new insights. World J Gastroenterol. 2017;23(48):8465–8488. PMID 29358856
- He L, Feng D, Guo H, 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;13:1026182. PMID 36588717
- Vasireddi N, Hahamyan H, Salata MJ, et al. Emerging use of BPC-157 in orthopaedic sports medicine: a systematic review. HSS J. 2025;21(4):485–495. PMID 40756949
- Veljaca M, et al. PL 14736, phase I study in healthy male volunteers. Gut. 2003;51(Suppl III):A309. Conference abstract.
- Ruenzi M, et al. PL 14736 enema, phase II study in mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis. Gastroenterology. 2005;128:A584. Conference abstract.
- ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT02637284. Phase I study in healthy volunteers. Registered 2015.
- Hsieh MJ, Liu HT, Wang CN, et al. Therapeutic potential of pro-angiogenic BPC157 is associated with VEGFR2 activation and up-regulation. J Mol Med. 2017;95(3):323–333. PMID 27847966
- US FDA Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, meeting of 23 July 2026; FDA list of bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risks. fda.gov
- World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List, class S0: non-approved substances. wada-ama.org
- Lee E, Padgett B. Intra-articular injection of BPC 157 for multiple types of knee pain. Altern Ther Health Med. 2021;27(4):8–13. PMID 34324435
- 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;30(10):12–17. PMID 39325560
- Lee E, Burgess J. Safety of intravenous infusion of BPC157 in humans: a pilot study. Altern Ther Health Med. 2025. PMID 40131143
Peptidarium Library. BPC-157 (entry 0001), revision 1.0, 2 November 2026. peptidarium.com/library/bpc-157
Revision history
| Rev | Date | Change | By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 2 Nov 2026 | Entry created. Sources checked against PubMed. | [Scientific editor] |
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