BPC-157

What people use it for

• Tendon, ligament and muscle injuries (popular use)
• Gut lining and inflammatory bowel conditions (animal research)

What BPC-157 does in the body

Derived from a protein found in gastric juice. Animal studies suggest it promotes new blood-vessel growth (angiogenesis), interacts with the nitric-oxide system and growth-factor signalling, and speeds healing of several tissue types.

Strength of evidence

Weak in humans: most data come from rodent studies, largely from one research group; very few published human studies.

Look up the evidence

• Reviews on PubMed: Summaries of the published research
• Clinical trials on PubMed: Published studies in people
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Registered trials, past and ongoing

Live searches of official databases. New to the terms? See the glossary.

Reported side effects & risks

• Injection-site reactions
• Unknown long-term effects
• Theoretical concern about promoting blood-vessel growth in existing tumors

Who should avoid it or take extra care

• Pregnant or breastfeeding
• Current or past cancer (it may promote cell growth; theoretical)
• Competitive athletes (prohibited by WADA)

Not a complete list. Check with a doctor or pharmacist about your own health and medicines.

Regulatory status

Not approved. FDA has listed it among bulk substances that raise significant safety concerns for compounding. Prohibited in sport by WADA.

How it's taken

Route: Injection under the skin or into muscle, or by mouth (popular use)

How long it lasts (half-life): Not established in humans (short in animal studies)

Storage

Unreconstituted (powder) vials are usually kept refrigerated or frozen and away from light. Once mixed with bacteriostatic water, keep refrigerated and do not freeze; follow the supplier's stated beyond-use date.

Mixing guides

How much water to add and what each syringe mark holds, worked out for your own dose:

• 5 mg vial
• 10 mg vial

Found in these stacks

• GLOW: Three-peptide blend of GHK-Cu, BPC-157 and TB-500, marketed for skin, hair and recovery.
• KLOW: GLOW plus KPV: four peptides marketed for skin, recovery and inflammation.
• Wolverine stack: BPC-157 with TB-500, the most popular combination for injury recovery.