Gathering the record

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Relay is organizing the evidence and source boundaries.

Defined peptide

Experimental synthetic pentadecapeptide

BPC-157

Not FDA approved

An unapproved peptide often discussed for injury recovery and healing. Most supporting research comes from animals and laboratory work.

5-minute readFull profile reviewed July 25, 2026

Evidence is explained by question. Dosing references show their own check dates.

60-second overview

BPC-157 at a glance

Why people look into it, what studies found, and what is still unknown.

Why people look into it: Tendon, ligament, gut, and other tissue-repair questions.
What studies found: Human reports are very small or uncontrolled. Large randomized studies have not established that it improves healing in people.
What is still unclear: Benefits, repeated-use safety, absorption, and product quality remain unclear. Animal findings do not establish a human dose or preparation method.

About the evidence and review date

Educational information only. Evidence reviewed through July 25, 2026. Published studies, sponsor announcements, and trials without results are labeled separately. Evidence gaps apply to the specific finding beside them.

Research questions

Why people research it

Each label shows how much evidence supports that question.

Injury and tissue-repair researchAnimal or lab research
Tendon and ligament healingAnimal or lab research
Knee-pain researchEarly human evidence
Gut and ulcerative-colitis researchEarly human evidence
Faster return to activityCurrently being studied

What studies show

What the evidence supports

The research behind the answer

A 53-person randomized ulcerative-colitis study is known only through a meeting abstract summarized by FDA and was judged insufficient to support effectiveness. The published full papers are smaller uncontrolled reports.

See each finding and its sources (8)

Mechanistic rationale

BPC-157 is a synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide without an identified molecular target or validated single mechanism of action.

Researchers have proposed effects involving growth-factor signaling, angiogenesis, inflammatory signaling, and nitric-oxide pathways, but FDA's 2026 review says the molecular targets remain unidentified and the mechanism is unknown.

Proposed pathways from animal and laboratory work do not establish a clinical effect in humans.

Regulatory sourcePharmacology and mechanism review, slides 43–45

Peer reviewedSystematic evidence synthesis

Other human evidence

Published human evidence is limited to very small pilots and uncontrolled observational reports.

The published papers cover knee pain, interstitial cystitis, and a two-person IV safety pilot. None is a large randomized efficacy trial.

Positive self-reports in small uncontrolled studies can reflect placebo effects, selection bias, co-interventions, natural recovery, or measurement bias.

Peer reviewedRetrospective knee-pain results

Peer reviewedUncontrolled pilot results

Peer reviewedTwo-participant safety observations

Peer reviewedIncluded-study evidence map

Controlled human study

A historical randomized ulcerative-colitis study does not provide reliable published evidence of efficacy.

FDA located a 53-person controlled study only as a meeting abstract. The reported between-group estimate was imprecise, and critical methods and follow-up details were missing.

A controlled design is not enough when the full protocol, analysis, and results are unavailable for independent review.

Regulatory sourceClinical effectiveness review, slides 48–49

Registered trial — no results

A recruiting Phase 2 hamstring-strain trial has no posted results yet.

The registered trial plans to compare BPC-157 with placebo alongside the same rehabilitation program, using return-to-sport time and MRI injury volume as co-primary endpoints.

Registration does not predict the result. No efficacy or safety conclusion should be drawn until results are posted and critically reviewed.

Trial registryStudy design, arms, endpoints, and recruitment status

No direct evidence located

Human subcutaneous, oral, nasal, and transdermal pharmacokinetics and safety are not established by published evidence.

FDA's July 2026 review found no human studies using those proposed routes and said the available clinical safety information is insufficient.

Absence of adequate evidence is not proof of safety and is not proof of harm; it means the question is unresolved.

Regulatory sourcePharmacokinetics and clinical-safety conclusions

Regulatory sourceBPC-157 safety-risk summary

Animal study

Animal and laboratory studies provide biological plausibility for tissue-repair claims, not demonstrated human healing.

Rat tendon, muscle, ligament, gastrointestinal, and vascular models report favorable signals. Translation to faster healing, better function, or lower reinjury risk in people remains unproven.

Animal models differ from real human injuries, manufacturing, exposure, rehabilitation, and outcome measurement.

Regulatory sourceNonclinical pharmacology limitations

Peer reviewed35 preclinical studies and one clinical study

Peer reviewedRat Achilles-tendon and tendocyte experiments

No direct evidence located

BPC-157 is not an FDA-approved drug, and the July 2026 advisory vote did not grant drug approval.

The Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted to recommend BPC-157 free base and acetate for possible 503A Bulks List inclusion. The recommendation is non-binding, the final FDA decision was pending at the cutoff, and compounding status is separate from drug approval.

Regulatory status can change. A future compounding-list decision would not establish clinical efficacy, safety, or an FDA-approved indication.

Regulatory sourceFDA proposal and evaluation conclusion

Primary sourceJuly 23 advisory vote and non-binding status

No direct evidence located

BPC-157 remains prohibited for athletes under WADA's S0 non-approved-substances category.

The 2026 Prohibited List names BPC-157 among non-approved substances prohibited at all times.

Athletes must check the rules of every governing body that applies to them; Peptide Relay does not provide anti-doping clearance.

Regulatory sourceS0 Non-Approved Substances

Risks & unknowns

What needs caution

Reported side effects

Human subcutaneous, oral, nasal, and transdermal pharmacokinetics and safety are not established by published evidence.

No direct evidence

Absence of adequate evidence is not proof of safety and is not proof of harm; it means the question is unresolved.

Open source

Missing reports do not establish safety. Findings apply to the product, route, amounts, population, comparison, and follow-up studied.

Side-effect frequency, study withdrawals, and gaps

How often side effects occurred

The available information does not reliably show how often particular side effects occur.

Evidence boundary

Under-detected or under-reported events must not be described as rare.

Why people stopped in studies

Relay has not verified which side effects led people to stop treatment in studies.

Evidence boundary

This is an evidence gap, not proof that discontinuations did not occur.

Warning information

Relay has not verified a compound-specific warning summary for this profile.

Evidence boundary

Not FDA approved. The Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee recommended possible 503A Bulks List inclusion on July 23, 2026; final FDA action remained pending at the evidence cutoff. BPC-157 remains prohibited under WADA S0. Whether BPC-157 improves objective healing, function, return-to-activity time, or meaningful gastrointestinal outcomes in controlled human trials, and whether repeated exposure is safe.

Emergency instructions

This profile does not contain verified, product-specific emergency instructions.

Evidence boundary

Relay does not infer emergency guidance from study discontinuations, mechanism, or incomplete adverse-event reporting.

Dosing references

Dosing & preparation

Each table labels its source and applies only to the named route, product, or study. An online example or community report is not an approved dose.

View by route

IVSubQ

IV · Into a vein

Human study · source-specific regimenWhat this means

Amounts reported in a human study. A studied amount is not automatically an approved dose or a recommendation for an individual.

BPC-157 · two-person IV safety pilot

An uncontrolled private-clinic report included two adults who had previously received IV BPC-157.

Amount in this source: 10 mg on day 1; 20 mg on day 2
Frequency: One infusion on each treatment day
Treatment period: 2 treatment days; day-3 measurements

BPC-157 · two-person IV safety pilot
Stage / period	Amount in source	Frequency
2 treatment days; day-3 measurements	10 mg on day 1; 20 mg on day 2	One infusion on each treatment day

Each infusion lasted one hour. Two participants cannot establish a safe dose range, efficacy, or uncommon risks. This report provides no validated subcutaneous injury-recovery regimen.

BPC-157 · Safety of Intravenous Infusion in Humans Primary article · Methods / interventionThis reference checked Oct 20, 2026. The full-profile review date is shown at the top.

Preparation & concentration · IV

This source does not establish a mixing volume or storage period for independently sourced powder. Use formulation-specific instructions; the study amount alone is not a reconstitution recipe.

Concentration = total mass ÷ final volume. The calculator performs user-entered math; it does not choose a dose or diluent.

Open concentration calculator

Starting dose, maintenance, and trial targets explained

Starting dose: the amount used at the beginning of the named label schedule or trial.

Maintenance: the ongoing amount described by that product label.

Trial target: the amount assigned to a study group. Different groups may stop increasing at different targets.

Other source records, populations, and limits · all routes

Route-limited human evidence

BPC-157 in limited reported human exposures

Amount in this source: See the named dosing references above; this additional source record does not add a verified amount.
Frequency: Route- and report-specific; no verified subcutaneous frequency
Route: Rectal, intra-articular, intravesical, or intravenous in the located reports
Duration: Short and heterogeneous across the located reports

Population, study design, and limitations

FDA's review found only small, heterogeneous human reports using rectal, intra-articular, intravesical, or intravenous administration—not a verified subcutaneous human study.

Population: Small, heterogeneous groups across unrelated conditions and two healthy volunteers

Design: Small pilots, meeting abstracts, and uncontrolled observational reports

FDA found no human studies using the proposed oral, subcutaneous, nasal, or transdermal routes.
The small reports do not establish clinical benefit, repeated-use safety, product identity, reconstitution, or stability.

FDA 2026 PCAC review materials for BPC-157 and MOTS-cBPC-157 clinical review and MOTS-c evidence review

Mechanisms

How it works

BPC-157 is a synthetic pentadecapeptide associated with the sequence GEPPPGKPADDAGLV. Preclinical papers propose effects involving angiogenesis, growth-factor signaling, inflammatory mediators, nitric-oxide pathways, fibroblast behavior, and vascular responses. FDA's 2026 review concluded that no molecular target has been identified and the mechanism remains unknown. The human evidence base consists mainly of small observational reports, a two-person safety pilot, an incompletely reported historical ulcerative-colitis study, and registered trials without evaluable results.

Why this matters

A plausible mechanism can explain why a study was attempted. It does not prove that the compound improves a human outcome.

Signals and targets

Proposed biological steps

Proposed growth-factor and fibroblast signaling
Proposed angiogenic and vascular signaling
Proposed nitric-oxide pathway modulation
Proposed inflammatory-signaling effects

Research reference

How mature is the evidence?

A reference for the studies, populations, and routes behind this profile.

Research depthDeveloping but sparse human record

Several small human reports, one historical controlled abstract, and a recruiting Phase 2 trial sit beneath a much larger preclinical literature.

Why this matters

Research depth describes how large and mature the overall record is. It does not tell you whether the results were positive.

Evidence confidenceLow for promoted outcomes

Human findings are too small, uncontrolled, incomplete, or unpublished to establish injury healing, gastrointestinal benefit, or population safety.

Why this matters

Confidence describes how reliable and consistent the conclusions are. It can be high for one outcome and low for another.

Strongest evidenceA 53-person controlled abstract plus small route-specific human reports

Why this matters

The strongest evidence type shows what the best-supported conclusions are actually based on.

Human evidenceLimited and heterogeneous; the first sizable modern controlled trial has no results yet

Why this matters

Human findings are more directly relevant than animal or laboratory results, but they still apply only to the populations and outcomes studied.

Route-specific record

Which product or study does this describe?

BPC-157 in limited reported human exposuresAmounts and schedules below belong to this source record.FDA 2026 PCAC review materials for BPC-157 and MOTS-c Administration reference reviewed Aug 5, 2026

Route studiedRectal, intra-articular, intravesical, or intravenous in the located reports

Schedules studiedRoute- and report-specific; no verified subcutaneous frequency; Short and heterogeneous across the located reports

Amounts studiedWithheld for this route, formulation, identity, or model

Why this matters

These are exposures used in cited research for a specific route and population—not an instruction for an individual.

Half-lifeNot established for this exact record

Why this matters

Half-life describes how long it takes the measured amount in the body to fall by half. It is not a dosing recommendation.

Route evidenceFDA's review found only small, heterogeneous human reports using rectal, intra-articular, intravesical, or intravenous administration—not a verified subcutaneous human study.

Why this matters

Evidence can change by administration method. Findings from one route should not automatically be applied to another.

Evidence boundary: FDA found no human studies using the proposed oral, subcutaneous, nasal, or transdermal routes. The small reports do not establish clinical benefit, repeated-use safety, product identity, reconstitution, or stability. Amounts shown describe cited research exposure—not a dosage recommendation.

Studies

Study-by-study record

Study arms are reported for transparency. They describe what researchers did in a defined record and do not transfer across identities, routes, formulations, or populations.

Why this matters

A later trial phase can ask a more mature question, but it does not guarantee a positive result, regulatory approval, or relevance outside the studied population.

Other human evidencePeer reviewed

Safety of Intravenous Infusion of BPC157 in Humans: A Pilot Study

Peer reviewed

PhaseFirst-in-human safety pilot

Population2 participants

DurationTwo infusion days with short-term laboratory monitoring

Design and population

Open-label, two-person intravenous safety observation

Two healthy adults

Outcomes measured

Vital signs
Self-reported symptoms
Cardiac, hepatic, renal, thyroid, and metabolic laboratory markers

What was reported

The two participants had no reported adverse effects or meaningful short-term laboratory changes during the pilot.

Study administration and important limits

Study administration: Intravenous BPC-157 10 mg on day 1 and 20 mg on day 2 under the pilot protocol

Limitations: Two people, no placebo, no blinding, short observation, and no efficacy endpoint. This cannot establish a population safety profile or support other routes.

Other human evidencePeer reviewed

Effect of BPC-157 on Symptoms in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis: A Pilot Study

Peer reviewed

PhaseUncontrolled pilot report

Population12 participants

DurationSingle procedure with short observational follow-up

Design and population

Single-center retrospective pilot without placebo or blinded assessment

Twelve women with moderate-to-severe interstitial cystitis who had not responded to pentosan polysulfate

Outcomes measured

Self-reported symptom relief
Urinary frequency and pain symptoms
Reported adverse effects

What was reported

Ten of 12 participants reported complete symptom resolution and two reported 80% improvement after the procedure.

Study administration and important limits

Study administration: One intravesical treatment session containing 10 mg BPC-157 under the study protocol

Limitations: No control group, very small sample, retrospective design, subjective outcomes, and limited follow-up. The report does not establish efficacy or long-term safety.

Other human evidencePeer reviewed

Intra-Articular Injection of BPC 157 for Multiple Types of Knee Pain

Peer reviewed

PhaseRetrospective case series

Population17 participants

DurationVariable follow-up; some responses reported beyond 6 months

Design and population

Uncontrolled retrospective chart review with follow-up questions

Seventeen people treated for heterogeneous chronic knee-pain conditions

Outcomes measured

Subjective knee-pain relief
Self-reported duration of relief

What was reported

Sixteen people were reached for follow-up and 14 reported some relief. The report did not use a control group, blinded assessment, standardized pain scale, or follow-up imaging.

Study administration and important limits

Study administration: One or two intra-articular injections containing 2–4 mg BPC-157; the first four patients also received thymosin beta-4

Limitations: Very small retrospective series with self-reported outcomes, mixed knee diagnoses, selection bias, and treatment confounding in the first four patients. It cannot establish tissue healing or causal efficacy.

Animal studyPeer reviewed

Gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 accelerates healing of transected rat Achilles tendon and in vitro stimulates tendocytes growth

Peer reviewed

PhasePreclinical injury model

PopulationNot disclosed

DurationSerial healing assessments in the preclinical protocol

Design and population

Controlled rat Achilles-tendon transection experiments with related in-vitro tendocyte work

Rats with surgically transected Achilles tendons

Outcomes measured

Biomechanical tendon strength
Achilles functional index
Microscopic collagen and fibroblast organization
Macroscopic tendon-defect measures
Tendocyte survival and outgrowth

What was reported

The study reported improved biomechanical, functional, microscopic, and macroscopic healing measures in the rat model.

Study administration and important limits

Study administration: Experimental BPC-157 regimens versus control conditions in rats and cultured tendocytes

Limitations: Animal and cell findings demonstrate biological plausibility, not human injury-healing efficacy. The study does not validate consumer dosing, route, formulation, or safety.

Controlled human studyRegulatory source

FDA evaluation of BPC-157-related bulk drug substances for the July 2026 Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee

Regulatory source

PhaseExploratory ulcerative-colitis trial — meeting abstract only

Population53 participants

Duration2 weeks

Design and population

Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled exploratory study summarized by FDA from a 2005 meeting abstract

Adults with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis

Outcomes measured

Disease Activity Index composite
Clinical and laboratory findings
Endoscopic and histopathology findings
Adverse events

What was reported

FDA reported mean Disease Activity Index changes of −3.2 with BPC-157 and −1.6 with placebo. The estimated between-group difference was 1.6 points with a 95% confidence interval from −4.84 to 1.62.

Study administration and important limits

Study administration: BPC-157 80 mg rectal enema or placebo once daily under the historical study protocol

Limitations: Only a meeting abstract was available. FDA found important design and analysis details missing and concluded that the evidence was insufficient to support effectiveness for ulcerative colitis.

Registered trial — no resultsTrial registry

BPC 157 for Acute Hamstring Muscle Strain Repair

Trial registry

PhasePhase 2 — recruiting

Population120 participants

Duration14-day intervention; assessments through day 56 and recurrence follow-up after return to sport

Design and population

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial with standardized rehabilitation

Adults aged 18–45 with MRI-confirmed acute grade II hamstring strain

Outcomes measured

Time to return to unrestricted sport
Change in MRI-assessed injury volume at day 14
Reinjury after return to sport
Patient-reported function and pain
Adverse events and laboratory safety

What was reported

No results are posted. The registration describes the first sizable controlled human trial designed to test whether BPC-157 adds benefit to a standardized rehabilitation program.

Study administration and important limits

Study administration: Once-daily subcutaneous investigational BPC-157 or matching placebo for 14 days; dose is not disclosed in the public registration

Limitations: A recruiting trial is evidence that a question is being studied—not evidence that the treatment works or is safe. Enrollment, completion, and results remain pending.

Registered trial — no resultsTrial registry

PCO-02 - Safety and Pharmacokinetics Trial

Trial registry

PhasePhase 1 registration — no posted results

Population42 participants

DurationPlanned October 2015 through February 2016

Design and population

Registered safety and pharmacokinetics study with BPC-157/Bepecin and placebo

Healthy volunteers aged 18–35

Outcomes measured

Safety
Adverse events
Pharmacokinetics

What was reported

ClinicalTrials.gov does not provide posted results that can be independently evaluated.

Study administration and important limits

Study administration: BPC-157/Bepecin and placebo as listed in the registry; interpretable dosing and results are not publicly posted

Limitations: The record's status is shown as unknown and no results are posted. Registration alone cannot establish safety, pharmacokinetics, or efficacy.

Community

Experience reports stay separate from published evidence

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2015-12-22 · NCT02637284

Trial registry

Peer reviewed

Gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 accelerates healing of transected rat Achilles tendon and in vitro stimulates tendocytes growth

2003-11-01 · PMID 14554208 · DOI 10.1016/S0736-0266(03)00110-4

Peer reviewed

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BPC-157

BPC-157 at a glance

Why people research it

What the evidence supports

BPC-157 is a synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide without an identified molecular target or validated single mechanism of action.

Published human evidence is limited to very small pilots and uncontrolled observational reports.

A historical randomized ulcerative-colitis study does not provide reliable published evidence of efficacy.

A recruiting Phase 2 hamstring-strain trial has no posted results yet.

Human subcutaneous, oral, nasal, and transdermal pharmacokinetics and safety are not established by published evidence.

Animal and laboratory studies provide biological plausibility for tissue-repair claims, not demonstrated human healing.

BPC-157 is not an FDA-approved drug, and the July 2026 advisory vote did not grant drug approval.

BPC-157 remains prohibited for athletes under WADA's S0 non-approved-substances category.

What needs caution

Dosing & preparation

BPC-157 · two-person IV safety pilot

Preparation & concentration · IV

BPC-157 in limited reported human exposures

How it works

Signals and targets

Proposed biological steps

How mature is the evidence?

Which product or study does this describe?

Study-by-study record

Safety of Intravenous Infusion of BPC157 in Humans: A Pilot Study

Design and population

Outcomes measured

Effect of BPC-157 on Symptoms in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis: A Pilot Study

Design and population

Outcomes measured

Intra-Articular Injection of BPC 157 for Multiple Types of Knee Pain

Design and population

Outcomes measured

Gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 accelerates healing of transected rat Achilles tendon and in vitro stimulates tendocytes growth

Design and population

Outcomes measured

FDA evaluation of BPC-157-related bulk drug substances for the July 2026 Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee

Design and population

Outcomes measured

BPC 157 for Acute Hamstring Muscle Strain Repair

Design and population

Outcomes measured

PCO-02 - Safety and Pharmacokinetics Trial

Design and population

Outcomes measured

Experience reports stay separate from published evidence

Help strengthen the BPC-157 experience record

Keep the question moving

Trace every major statement

FDA safety information for certain bulk drug substances used in compounding

FDA evaluation of BPC-157-related bulk drug substances for the July 2026 Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee

FDA advisory panel votes to place BPC-157 on compounding list

BPC 157 for Acute Hamstring Muscle Strain Repair

2026 World Anti-Doping Code International Standard Prohibited List

Safety of Intravenous Infusion of BPC157 in Humans: A Pilot Study

Emerging Use of BPC-157 in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: A Systematic Review

Effect of BPC-157 on Symptoms in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis: A Pilot Study

Intra-Articular Injection of BPC 157 for Multiple Types of Knee Pain

PCO-02 - Safety and Pharmacokinetics Trial

Gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 accelerates healing of transected rat Achilles tendon and in vitro stimulates tendocytes growth