PeptideFederation

Synthetic pentadecapeptide

BPC-157

Also known as Body Protection Compound-157, PL 14736, Bepecin, PL-10

Animal studies

Summary

BPC-157 is a synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide studied mainly for tendon, ligament, muscle and gut healing in rodents. More than a hundred animal studies report faster healing, but a 2025 systematic review found only one small, uncontrolled human study, so its safety and effectiveness in people are unknown.

Structure

  1. G1
  2. E2
  3. P3
  4. P4
  5. P5
  6. G6
  7. K7
  8. P8
  9. A9
  10. D10
  11. D11
  12. A12
  13. G13
  14. L14
  15. V15

HydrophobicGly / ProPolarBasic (+)Acidic (−)

A 15-residue sequence derived from a larger protein isolated from human gastric juice. Unusually stable in gastric acid for a peptide.

How it works

In cell and animal studies BPC-157 appears to promote angiogenesis through VEGFR2 signalling, increase tendon fibroblast migration through the FAK–paxillin pathway, and interact with the nitric oxide system. Most of this mechanistic work comes from one research group at the University of Zagreb, which has published the large majority of the BPC-157 literature.

Research use cases

Areas where BPC-157 has been studied. Inclusion here does not mean it works for that purpose.

  • Tendon and ligament healing in rodent injury models
  • Muscle crush and transection injury models
  • Gastrointestinal lesions, fistulas and inflammatory bowel models
  • Angiogenesis and wound-healing assays
  • Counteracting NSAID-induced gastric damage in animals

What the research found

Tendon fibroblasts

In rat Achilles tendon fibroblasts, BPC-157 did not increase proliferation directly but increased cell survival under oxidative stress, cell spreading and migration, with dose-dependent activation of FAK and paxillin.1

Angiogenesis

In endothelial cells and a rat hind-limb ischaemia model, BPC-157 increased VEGFR2 expression and internalization and accelerated blood-flow recovery.2

Musculoskeletal review

A 2019 review of musculoskeletal studies concluded that results across tendon, ligament, muscle and bone models were consistently positive but came from a small number of laboratories, and called for clinical trials.3

State of human evidence (2025)

A systematic review in HSS Journal screened the orthopaedic literature and included 36 studies: 35 preclinical and one clinical. That clinical report was a retrospective review of 12 patients given knee injections, 7 of whom reported relief lasting more than six months. No controlled human trials or clinical safety data were found.4

Safety and open questions

No acute toxicity has been reported in animal studies. There are no published controlled human safety studies. Its pro-angiogenic activity has led some researchers to raise a theoretical concern about use in people with cancer, which has not been studied. An oral formulation (PL 14736) was tested in ulcerative colitis in the 2000s, but full results were not published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Regulatory status

Not approved anywhere as a medicine. Prohibited in sport by WADA (S0). In the US, an FDA advisory committee voted in July 2026 to recommend it for the 503A compounding list; the FDA had not acted on that vote at our last review.

Status was accurate when this page was last reviewed on October 26, 2026. Regulations change; check with the relevant authority before relying on it.

BPC-157: common questions

Is BPC-157 FDA approved?

No. It is not approved as a drug for any use. In 2023 the FDA placed it in Category 2 of its compounding list (substances with safety concerns). In 2026 the government announced plans to revisit that, and an FDA advisory committee voted in July 2026 to recommend allowing it in compounding. That vote is non-binding, and as of our last review the FDA had not issued a decision.

Has BPC-157 been tested in humans?

Barely. The published human data amount to a small retrospective series of knee injections and a handful of small pilot reports. There are no completed, published randomized controlled trials.

What is the difference between BPC-157 acetate and arginate?

They are different salt forms of the same peptide. The arginate salt is marketed as more stable, especially for oral use, but there is little independent published data comparing them. See our comparison.

Is BPC-157 banned in sport?

Yes. WADA lists it under S0 (non-approved substances), which prohibits it at all times for athletes subject to the World Anti-Doping Code.

Is BPC-157 approved for human use?

Not approved anywhere as a medicine. Prohibited in sport by WADA (S0). In the US, an FDA advisory committee voted in July 2026 to recommend it for the 503A compounding list; the FDA had not acted on that vote at our last review.

References

  1. Chang CH, Tsai WC, Lin MS, Hsu YH, Pang JHS. (2011). The promoting effect of pentadecapeptide BPC 157 on tendon healing involves tendon outgrowth, cell survival, and cell migration. Journal of Applied Physiology.
  2. Hsieh MJ, Liu HT, Wang CN, et al. (2017). Therapeutic potential of pro-angiogenic BPC157 is associated with VEGFR2 activation and up-regulation. Journal of Molecular Medicine.
  3. Gwyer D, Wragg NM, Wilson SL. (2019). Gastric pentadecapeptide body protection compound BPC 157 and its role in accelerating musculoskeletal soft tissue healing. Cell and Tissue Research.
  4. Vasireddi N, Hahamyan H, Salata MJ, et al. (2025). Emerging Use of BPC-157 in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: A Systematic Review. HSS Journal.

Links open a PubMed search for the exact title, or the original source where one is given.