Drawn from a gastric protein, with a striking preclinical record and thirty uncontrolled humans — the widest gap between interest and evidence in this catalog, until the first placebo trial reads out.
Identity
- Class
- Synthetic pentadecapeptide (15 aa)
- Source
- Synthetic; sequence derived from a gastric protein
- Receptor
- No established receptor; proposed effects on angiogenesis and growth-factor pathways
Key properties
Evidence floorCommunityREF1COMM1Approximate values for the native hormone; engineered analogs are often deliberately larger and far longer-acting. Each figure carries its own provenance tier, and the floor is the weakest of them - the Standard.
Mechanism
BPC-157 is a stable synthetic peptide whose sequence comes from a fragment of a gastric protein. Animal studies report effects on angiogenesis, tendon and gut healing, and nitric-oxide pathways, but its mechanism is not well defined and rigorous human clinical evidence is absent. As of October 2026 the published human record is three small uncontrolled reports from one clinic (knee pain, interstitial cystitis, a two-person infusion safety pilot); the first randomized, placebo-controlled trial (NCT07437547, acute hamstring strain) is recruiting with primary completion expected in 2027.
Reference notes
- The evidence base is predominantly preclinical (rodent); a September 2026 critical review found it too heterogeneous to meta-analyse.
- Every published human report (30 people in total) is uncontrolled; no randomized trial has reported, and the first is due in 2027.
- Its molecular mechanism is proposed rather than firmly established.
- In July 2026 an FDA advisory committee voted 8–6 to recommend it for 503A compounding against agency staff advice; the vote is non-binding and it remains in Category 2.
Regulatory status
United States · reviewed September 2026- Basis
- FDA 503A bulk-substances list, Category 2 (substances that may present significant safety risks), September 2023. In July 2026 the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted 8–6 with one abstention to recommend adding it to the 503A list, against FDA staff advice; the vote is non-binding and the status stands pending rulemaking.
Status describes the molecule as a drug substance under US law and is an editorial reading of the public record — approvals, trial registrations, and the FDA 503A bulk-substances list. It is not legal advice and it changes; the review date above is the last time the table was checked. Other jurisdictions are noted only where they differ materially.
Common questions
- What is BPC-157?
- A synthetic peptide with a broad preclinical repair record; the only human data are three uncontrolled pilots, and the first placebo-controlled trial reads out in 2027. Structurally it is Synthetic pentadecapeptide (15 aa).
- How does BPC-157 work?
- BPC-157 is a stable synthetic peptide whose sequence comes from a fragment of a gastric protein. Animal studies report effects on angiogenesis, tendon and gut healing, and nitric-oxide pathways, but its mechanism is not well defined and rigorous human clinical evidence is absent. As of October 2026 the published human record is three small uncontrolled reports from one clinic (knee pain, interstitial cystitis, a two-person infusion safety pilot); the first randomized, placebo-controlled trial (NCT07437547, acute hamstring strain) is recruiting with primary completion expected in 2027.
- How strong is the evidence for BPC-157?
- PeptideHormone grades BPC-157 at the "Preclinical" evidence tier — the evidence is largely animal or in-vitro, with human data thin or absent. It is catalogued as a community research peptide outside the approved-drug system, and the tier is an editorial judgment about the public literature that can change as the science does.
- What is the half-life of BPC-157?
- The reported circulating half-life of BPC-157 is Poorly characterized in humans.
- Is BPC-157 FDA-approved?
- No — as of September 2026, BPC-157 is an unapproved substance the FDA has placed in Category 2 of its 503A bulk-substances list, citing significant safety risks, so it may not lawfully be compounded. FDA 503A bulk-substances list, Category 2 (substances that may present significant safety risks), September 2023. In July 2026 the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted 8–6 with one abstention to recommend adding it to the 503A list, against FDA staff advice; the vote is non-binding and the status stands pending rulemaking. Status is US-centric and can change; check the FDA record for the current position.
In the literature
Live registry counts · retrieved- Ph 12
- Ph 21
- Ph 30
- Ph 40
Searched as BPC-157. Counts are search hits from the primary registries, not a curated set and not a grade – a measure of how much work exists on BPC-157, not how it turned out.
Selected literature
Curated peer-reviewed reviews, sourced from PubMed. Selected for relevance, not exhaustive — open any entry on PubMed for the full record and its primary citations.
- 1.Multifunctionality and Possible Medical Application of the BPC 157 Peptide-Literature and Patent Review · Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 2025 · PMID 40005999
- 2.Gastric pentadecapeptide body protection compound BPC 157 and its role in accelerating musculoskeletal soft tissue healing · Cell and tissue research, 2019 · PMID 30915550
- 3.Regeneration or Risk? A Narrative Review of BPC-157 for Musculoskeletal Healing · Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine, 2025 · PMID 40789979
- 4.BPC 157 in Rodent Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury: A Critical Review of Preclinical Evidence · International journal of molecular sciences, 2026 · PMID 42794771
External references
BPC-157 in the public knowledge graph — the same entity resolved across the authoritative chemistry and protein databases.