{"id":"bpc-157","name":"BPC-157","aliases":["Body Protection Compound 157","BPC157","Bepecin"],"url":"https://lyoresearch.com/compounds/bpc-157","class":{"id":"healing-peptides","name":"Tissue-repair peptides","url":"https://lyoresearch.com/classes/healing-peptides"},"summary":"BPC-157 is a synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide derived from a protein found in human gastric juice. In rodents it consistently speeds healing of tendon, ligament, muscle and gut injury. In people it has never been tested in a controlled trial, so every human claim about it — healing, pain relief, safety — is currently unproven. It is not an approved medicine anywhere and is prohibited in sport.","overall_grade":"D","overall_grade_meaning":"no human evidence","human_trials":"0 controlled","regulatory_status":"Not approved","molecule":{"formula":"C62H98N16O22","molecular_weight":"1419.5","cas":"137525-51-0","pubchem_cid":9941957,"note":null},"pharmacokinetics":{"basis":"animal","route":"Injected or oral as sold; no human study of either","half_life":"No human data. In rats and dogs the intravenous half-life was 5–15 minutes","licensed_regimen":null,"product":null,"source":{"title":"He L, et al. Pharmacokinetics, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of body-protective compound 157 in rats and dogs. Front Pharmacol 2022","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.1026182/full"}},"outcomes":[{"outcome":"Tendon & ligament healing","grade":"D","grade_meaning":"no human evidence","effect_size":"not measurable","adverse":false,"human_studies":"0 controlled","evidence":"Rodent models of Achilles and MCL injury. Consistent in animals; no human trial has been run.","references":[{"citation":"Sikiric P, et al. Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157: novel therapy in gastrointestinal tract.","where":"Curr Pharm Des, 2011 (review)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Sikiric+BPC+157+gastrointestinal+review+2011"},{"citation":"Chang CH, et al. The promoting effect of pentadecapeptide BPC 157 on tendon healing involves tendon outgrowth, cell survival, and cell migration.","where":"J Appl Physiol, 2011","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Chang+BPC+157+tendon+healing+2011"}]},{"outcome":"Gut mucosal healing","grade":"D","grade_meaning":"no human evidence","effect_size":"not measurable","adverse":false,"human_studies":"0 controlled","evidence":"Rat ulcer and colitis models. The original research programme; still preclinical.","references":[{"citation":"Sikiric P, et al. Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157: novel therapy in gastrointestinal tract.","where":"Curr Pharm Des, 2011 (review)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Sikiric+BPC+157+gastrointestinal+review+2011"}]},{"outcome":"Pain reduction","grade":"D","grade_meaning":"no human evidence","effect_size":"not measurable","adverse":false,"human_studies":"1 case series (n=12)","evidence":"A retrospective case report of 12 knee-pain patients given intra-articular injections; no control group. The only human study a 2025 systematic review could find.","references":[{"citation":"Vasireddi N, Hahamyan H, Salata MJ, et al. Emerging use of BPC-157 in orthopaedic sports medicine: a systematic review.","where":"HSS Journal, 2025;21(4):485–495","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15563316251355551"}]},{"outcome":"Safety in humans","grade":"D","grade_meaning":"no human evidence","effect_size":"not measurable","adverse":true,"human_studies":"1 open-label pilot (n=2)","evidence":"Two healthy adults given intravenous doses in an uncontrolled 2025 pilot showed no biomarker changes. That is the entire human safety literature.","references":[{"citation":"Vasireddi N, Hahamyan H, Salata MJ, et al. Emerging use of BPC-157 in orthopaedic sports medicine: a systematic review.","where":"HSS Journal, 2025;21(4):485–495","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15563316251355551"},{"citation":"Lee E, Burgess J. Intravenous BPC-157 in healthy adults: an open-label pilot.","where":"2025 (pilot, n = 2)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=BPC+157+intravenous+pilot+healthy+adults+2025"},{"citation":"U.S. FDA. Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks (BPC-157).","where":"FDA, 2023","url":"https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/certain-bulk-drug-substances-use-compounding-may-present-significant-safety-risks"}]}],"regions":[{"region":"European Union","status":"Unauthorised medicinal product","note":"No marketing authorisation in any member state. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law; 'research use only' labels do not change that."},{"region":"United States","status":"Not approved; compounding under review","note":"Removed from FDA's Category 2 list on 22 April 2026; the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee recommended it for the 503A bulks list in July 2026 (8–6, 1 abstention). Not on the list yet and not an approved drug. Sold otherwise as an unapproved 'research chemical'."},{"region":"United Kingdom","status":"Unlicensed medicine","note":"Not licensed by the MHRA. Selling or supplying it is an offence under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012; importing a small quantity purely for personal use is not itself an offence, but consignments are seized."},{"region":"Australia","status":"Schedule 4, unapproved","note":"Prescription-only substance not on the ARTG. Obtainable only on prescription (compounded or imported under the Personal Importation Scheme with a prescription). Named in the TGA's April 2026 advisory."},{"region":"Canada","status":"Not authorised","note":"No Drug Identification Number; selling it is illegal. Among the products Health Canada seized from a domestic vendor in August 2025. Residents cannot import prescription drugs by mail."},{"region":"Sport (WADA)","status":"Prohibited at all times","note":"Named under S0 (non-approved substances) on the Prohibited List since 2022."}],"faq":[{"q":"Is there any human research on BPC-157?","a":"No controlled trials. A 2025 systematic review screened 544 articles from 1993–2024 and found one human study — a retrospective case report of 12 patients — alongside 35 animal studies. A separate 2025 pilot gave the peptide intravenously to two healthy volunteers without a control group. Neither design can show that the peptide caused an effect."},{"q":"Why is the grade D if the animal results are so consistent?","a":"Because LYO grades only count human evidence. Consistent animal data is exactly the reason a human trial should be run — it is not a reason to grade as though one had been."},{"q":"Is BPC-157 safe?","a":"Unknown. No systematic safety data exists in humans. A lack of reported harm in a market with no reporting system is not evidence of safety."},{"q":"Is BPC-157 legal?","a":"It is not an approved medicine in any major market. In the EU, selling it for human use is an offence for the seller. It is prohibited in sport by WADA. Rules for possession vary by country."}],"references":[{"cite":"Sikiric P, et al. Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157: novel therapy in gastrointestinal tract.","where":"Curr Pharm Des, 2011 (review)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Sikiric+BPC+157+gastrointestinal+review+2011","note":"Animal data; the originating laboratory."},{"cite":"Chang CH, et al. The promoting effect of pentadecapeptide BPC 157 on tendon healing involves tendon outgrowth, cell survival, and cell migration.","where":"J Appl Physiol, 2011","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Chang+BPC+157+tendon+healing+2011","note":"Rat Achilles tendon model."},{"cite":"Vasireddi N, Hahamyan H, Salata MJ, et al. Emerging use of BPC-157 in orthopaedic sports medicine: a systematic review.","where":"HSS Journal, 2025;21(4):485–495","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15563316251355551","note":"544 articles screened; 36 included — 35 preclinical, 1 clinical (a 12-patient retrospective case report). No clinical safety data found."},{"cite":"Lee E, Burgess J. Intravenous BPC-157 in healthy adults: an open-label pilot.","where":"2025 (pilot, n = 2)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=BPC+157+intravenous+pilot+healthy+adults+2025","note":"Uncontrolled; biomarkers only; no efficacy endpoints. Same research group as other human reports."},{"cite":"U.S. FDA. Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks (BPC-157).","where":"FDA, 2023","url":"https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/certain-bulk-drug-substances-use-compounding-may-present-significant-safety-risks","note":"Regulatory status in the United States."}],"last_reviewed":"2026-09-02","literature_searched_to":"2026-09-02","changelog":[{"date":"2026-09-02","note":"Human-evidence rows made precise: one retrospective case series (n=12) and one open-label IV pilot (n=2) now cited; 2025 systematic review added. Grades unchanged."},{"date":"2026-09-01","note":"Initial publication. All outcomes graded D on the basis of no controlled human trials."}],"license":"CC BY 4.0 — cite as “LYO Research” with a link.","methodology":"https://lyoresearch.com/methodology"}