BPC-157
BPC-157 (Body Protection Compound-157)
What is BPC-157?
BPC-157: Body Protection Compound-157, a synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide derived from a gastric juice protein. The sources cited here most often discuss it for: Tendon and bone repair, mostly animal; Knee pain relief, small uncontrolled study; Gut lining protection, unproven. Evidence label: Preclinical.
- Type
- Peptide
- Family
- Repair & Recovery
- Evidence label
- Preclinical (2 of 5)
- Regulatory status
- Not FDA-approved for any use; an FDA advisory committee voted 8-6 in July 2026 to recommend allowing pharmacy compounding, a nonbinding step that is not drug approval, and WADA prohibits it at all times under S0.
- Goals discussed
- Healing & Recovery, Muscle & Tone, Gut & Digestion
- Also called
- Bepecin, PL-14736, Body Protection Compound-157, gastric pentadecapeptide, BPC-157 acetate, healing peptide
- Last reviewed
- 2026-10-11
- Body Protection Compound-157, a synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide derived from a gastric juice protein; acts on angiogenesis (VEGFR2), nitric oxide (Akt-eNOS) and FAK-paxillin pathways; not FDA-approved, placed in FDA compounding Category 2 (safety concerns) in 2023 and banned in professional sport.123
Regulatory status Not FDA-approved for any use; an FDA advisory committee voted 8-6 in July 2026 to recommend allowing pharmacy compounding, a nonbinding step that is not drug approval, and WADA prohibits it at all times under S0. 4
Names as used in gyms, forums and gray-market listings. Reported, not endorsed; stacks have not been studied as combinations.
Until well-designed clinical trials are conducted, BPC-157 should be considered investigational, and its use approached with caution.
Conclusion of a review that found robust animal data but only three small human pilot studies.
What is BPC-157 researched for?
The three outcomes most discussed for BPC-157 in the sources below, as those sources report them. humanpeptides.fyi makes no claims of its own: a listed benefit can be unproven or can have failed in trials, and the label on each line says which.
Knee pain relief, small uncontrolled study
- Knee pain: in a small retrospective study, 7 of 12 patients given intra-articular BPC-157 reported relief >6 monthshuman, retrospective/uncontrolled2
Gut lining protection, unproven
What do researchers and users say about BPC-157?
there is a concerning lack of published human clinical trial data because studies appear to have been cancelled or stopped without any published conclusions
USADA athlete guidance on BPC-157's research history for inflammatory bowel disease and soft tissue healing.
It either seems to work amazingly or not at all.
Comment in a thread collecting personal tendonitis experiences with BPC-157.
What side effects of BPC-157 are reported?
- FDA: possible immunogenicity, peptide impurity/characterization problems, essentially no human safety data3
- Theoretical tumor-growth concern from pro-angiogenic mechanism, unstudied11
- Reddit reports of water retention, stomach pain, dizzinessanecdotal12
- FDA adverse event reports included injection-site reaction, shortness of breath, and diffuse skin hyperpigmentation with gum darkening; FDA says it is unclear whether BPC-157 caused themcase report13
- Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea in the first days of use, reported by one useranecdotal8
- Marked emotional dysregulation during the first 10 days, reported by one user taking it for gut issuesanecdotal8
What do peptide guides say about BPC-157?
- Dr. Axe Dr. Axe's A-Z guide files BPC-157 as research-only and not FDA-approved, in a human-studies evidence tier, and notes that it appears on the World Anti-Doping Agency's prohibited list. 14
- PepEdHub PepEdHub notes FDA's 2026 review found no human studies using the oral, subcutaneous, nasal or transdermal routes proposed for compounding, and that the July 2026 advisory vote was nonbinding and not approval. 4
- Seek Peptides Seek Peptides calls BPC-157 its most versatile peptide, promoting it for injury recovery, tendon and ligament repair, joint pain, and gut complaints such as leaky gut and gastritis. 15
- NCBI PMC A 2025 systematic review found 36 eligible studies, 35 of them preclinical; BPC-157 has a half-life under 30 minutes, is processed by the liver and kidneys, and lacks clinical safety data. 2
What does the research say, system by system?
How strong is the evidence for BPC-157?
Mostly animal (much from one research group) + anecdotal; only ~3 small human pilot studies
Mostly cell and animal studies. Human effects unknown. How tiers work
Questions about BPC-157
What is BPC-157?
Body Protection Compound-157, a synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide derived from a gastric juice protein.
Is BPC-157 FDA-approved?
Not FDA-approved for any use; an FDA advisory committee voted 8-6 in July 2026 to recommend allowing pharmacy compounding, a nonbinding step that is not drug approval, and WADA prohibits it at all times under S0.
What is BPC-157 researched for?
The sources cited on this page most often discuss three outcomes: Tendon and bone repair, mostly animal; Knee pain relief, small uncontrolled study; Gut lining protection, unproven. Each line above shows what the source reports and how strong that evidence is.
What side effects of BPC-157 are reported?
Reported in the cited sources: FDA: possible immunogenicity, peptide impurity/characterization problems, essentially no human safety data; Theoretical tumor-growth concern from pro-angiogenic mechanism, unstudied; Reddit reports of water retention, stomach pain, dizziness. The list is not complete, and few listed risks does not mean a compound is safe.
How strong is the evidence for BPC-157?
Evidence label: Preclinical. Mostly animal (much from one research group) + anecdotal; only ~3 small human pilot studies.
What else is BPC-157 called?
Names used for it include Bepecin, PL-14736, Body Protection Compound-157, gastric pentadecapeptide, BPC-157 acetate, healing peptide.
Does humanpeptides.fyi recommend BPC-157?
No. humanpeptides.fyi makes no claims and no recommendations of its own. It summarizes and links to what others have published and posted. Nothing here is medical advice; talk to a licensed clinician.