A synthetic fragment of body protection compound — what the research says, how to dose it, and where to get it.
BPC-157 is a synthetic 15-amino-acid fragment of body protection compound (BPC), a larger protein found in human gastric juice. The 15-mer is a synthetic fragment of the parent protein, not a “concentrated” version of native BPC. Animal studies have shown protective effects beyond the GI tract; whether these effects translate to humans has not been established.
First described in scientific literature in the early 1990s, BPC-157 has shown wound-healing, GI-protective, and tissue-repair effects in animal and in vitro studies. The majority of this preclinical literature originates from one research group at the University of Zagreb; independent replication is limited. Not FDA approved. No Phase 2 or Phase 3 efficacy trial in humans has been published — a Phase 2 ulcerative colitis trial of rectal PL-14736 (Pliva, Croatia) was completed but its results were never released, which is itself a signal worth weighing.
The FDA classified BPC-157 as a Category 2 bulk drug substance in September 2023, making it ineligible for compounding by 503A pharmacies under the FDA's interim policy. As of May 2026, BPC-157 remains Category 2; the FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee is scheduled to reconsider new BPC-157 acetate / free-base nominations on July 23–24, 2026.
WADA prohibited (S0 — Unapproved Substances). Not legal for sale as a drug, food, or dietary supplement in the US. Available as a research chemical.
Stimulates formation of new blood vessels via VEGFR2 activation (Hsieh 2017, PMID 27847966), improving circulation to injured tissue — critical for healing hypovascular structures like tendons and ligaments.
Helps cells migrate to injury sites and attach to the extracellular matrix (Chang 2011, PMID 21030672) — essential for tissue repair.
Upregulates GH receptor expression in tendon fibroblasts (Chang 2014, PMID 25415472), amplifying the body's own healing response.
BPC-157 activates VEGFR2 and the Akt–eNOS axis (nitric oxide synthesis) per Hsieh 2017 (PMID 27847966), alongside effects on PI3K/Akt, mTOR, ERK1/2, and MAPK pathways (Rahman 2026, PMID 41490200). McGuire 2025 (PMID 40789979) reviews the musculoskeletal mechanism profile and concludes BPC-157 should be considered investigational. This is a broader mechanistic picture than “angiogenesis + GH receptor upregulation” alone.
Modulates inflammatory responses — prevents excessive tissue damage while still allowing necessary healing inflammation.
BPC-157 is reported stable in gastric juice (>24 hours in vitro per Sikiric 1996, PMID 8769287), which is the basis for the oral-administration claim. Oral bioavailability per se has not been formally characterized in humans.
The majority of BPC-157 research has been conducted in animal models. As of 2026, no peer-reviewed Phase 2 or Phase 3 efficacy trial in humans has been published. Available human data consists of one IV safety pilot (n=2; Lee & Burgess 2025, PMID 40131143), one open-label intra-articular knee case series (n=12; Lee 2021, PMID 34324435), and one retrospective review (n=16) — all from a single Florida investigator group.
| Benefit | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Tendon & ligament healing | Animal: accelerated healing of transected Achilles tendons (Krivic 2006, PMID 16583442); GH-receptor upregulation in tendon fibroblasts (Chang 2014, PMID 25415472) |
| Muscle repair | Animal: improved recovery from direct trauma and systemic muscle damage in rodent models |
| Bone healing | Promotes osteoblast formation in rabbit models |
| Gut health | Animal: gastric-lesion protection (restraint stress, ethanol, indomethacin, capsaicin; Sikiric 1996, PMID 8769287); accelerated ileoileal anastomosis healing (Vuksic 2007, PMID 17713731). Human Phase 2 ulcerative colitis trial (rectal PL-14736, Pliva) was completed but never published — a negative signal. |
| Wound healing | Animal: in vivo alkali-burn wound healing in mice (Huang 2015, PMID 25995620) |
| Neuroprotective | Animal: counteracts dopaminergic and serotonergic disturbances; effects in rodent traumatic-brain-injury and spinal-cord-damage models (Vukojevic 2022, PMID 34380875) |
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Start Tracking FreeThese figures reflect community-practice dosing conventions. There is no human-validated dose for BPC-157. No regulatory authority has approved BPC-157 for any indication or any dose. The 250–500 mcg/day range derives from allometric scaling of Sikiric-group rat studies (~10 µg/kg) reinforced by clinic/forum convention; no Phase 1 SC dose-finding study in humans has been published.
SubQ near the injury site is community-practice convention; the rationale is the short plasma half-life observed in animal studies, though that also undermines claims of systemic effects via the bloodstream. Oral administration for GI indications relies on gastric stability; oral bioavailability has not been formally characterized.
BPC-157 typically comes as a lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder that needs to be reconstituted with bacteriostatic water before use.
5 mg vial + 2 mL BAC water = 2.5 mg/mL
| Dose | Volume | Syringe Units |
|---|---|---|
| 250 mcg | 0.10 mL | 10 units |
| 500 mcg | 0.20 mL | 20 units |
Vial duration at 500 mcg/day: 10 days
Pre-filled with a typical BPC-157 setup. Edit any field — the draw updates live.
Insulin syringe — 100 units = 1 mL
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Total published human exposure is <30 subjects across all studies (Lee & Burgess 2025 IV pilot, PMID 40131143; Lee 2021 intra-articular case series, PMID 34324435); the AE list below reflects user/community reporting rather than registry data.
The FDA has not approved BPC-157 primarily because there are no sufficient, comprehensive clinical studies confirming its safety and efficacy in humans (FDA bulk-substances Category 2 listing, 2023; Vasireddi 2025, PMID 40756949 — systematic review identifying 35 preclinical and 1 clinical study). The pro-angiogenic mechanism is a theoretical oncological concern often cited alongside that regulatory position, but it is not the FDA's stated primary reason for withholding approval.
How fast does it work?
Anecdotal community reports describe improvements within 5–10 days, often pain reduction first followed by functional improvement. No controlled study has measured time-to-effect in humans.
Oral vs. injection?
Oral administration for gut issues relies on BPC-157's reported stability in gastric juice; oral bioavailability has not been formally characterized in humans. SubQ injection near the injury site is the community convention for musculoskeletal use, derived from the short plasma half-life seen in animal studies.
Does it affect hormones?
Non-hormonal. Does not directly affect testosterone, estrogen, or sex hormones. May upregulate GH receptors indirectly, and acts through VEGFR2, Akt–eNOS (nitric oxide), ERK1/2, and MAPK signaling — see “How It Works” above for the full mechanism picture.
How long to cycle?
4 – 8 weeks ON, 2 – 4 weeks OFF. Extended use beyond 8 weeks is possible but not well studied.
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Build your protocol, log every dose, monitor your body's response, and get reminders so you never miss a dose.
Start Tracking FreeNo. BPC-157 has never been approved as a drug by the FDA or any regulatory authority worldwide. The FDA placed it on the Category 2 bulk drug substances list in September 2023, making it ineligible for compounding by 503A pharmacies under the agency’s interim policy. It is legally sold in the US only as a research chemical labeled not for human use.
A typical reconstitution is 5 mg of BPC-157 powder + 2 mL of bacteriostatic water, which yields a concentration of 2.5 mg/mL. With a 0.5 mL insulin syringe, a 250 mcg dose draws to 10 units (0.10 mL). Always swirl gently — do not shake — to avoid denaturing the peptide.
Community protocols most commonly use 200–500 mcg per day, often split into one or two subcutaneous injections. These ranges come from anecdote and animal-study extrapolation, not from human dose-finding trials — no peer-reviewed Phase 2 or Phase 3 efficacy trial in humans has been published.
BPC-157 is reported to be stable in human gastric juice for >24 hours in vitro, which is the basis for the oral-administration claim. However, oral bioavailability has not been formally characterized in humans. Most clinical-style protocols use subcutaneous injection because absorption is predictable.
Animal studies of tendon, ligament, and GI healing show effects within 2–4 weeks of daily administration. Human evidence is limited to small open-label case series and a single 2-patient IV safety pilot, so any time-to-effect claim for humans is extrapolation, not data.
Yes. BPC-157 has been prohibited at all times (in- and out-of-competition) under WADA’s S0 (Non-Approved Substances) category since the 2022 Prohibited List, and remains on the 2026 list. No therapeutic-use exemption is available.
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StackTrax guides cover peptides and compounds that are not FDA-approved for the uses discussed. The dosing, reconstitution, and safety information is compiled from published research and community protocols for educational purposes only.
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