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BPC-157

Gastric pentadecapeptide · 15 amino acids
What it is

BPC-157 is a short, lab-made peptide (15 amino acids) first found in human stomach juice.[1]

Origin: First described in the early 1990s by Sikiric and colleagues at the University of Zagreb in Croatia. It’s a piece of a larger stomach-juice protein they named body protection compound, or BPC.[1][2][3]

What researchers study it for

Research areas

Almost all of the research is in animals and centers on three areas.

  • Healing of tendons, ligaments, muscle, and bone[4]
  • Protecting the gut lining, including an early ulcerative colitis trial in people reported by its developers[5]
  • New blood vessel growth (angiogenesis) and lower levels of some inflammation signals[4]

Evidence level

Level 2 of 4: Early human reportsA 2025 systematic review found 35 animal studies and only 1 human study, a small look-back report in which 7 of 12 people with knee pain reported relief.[4]

Why so few human trials?

Cautions

Studies and regulators point to several reasons for care.

  • The 2025 review found no clinical safety data in humans and warned of risks from unregulated manufacturing and contamination[4]
  • In rats and dogs, injected BPC-157 broke down quickly, with a half-life under 30 minutes[1]
  • FDA cites possible immune reactions, peptide impurities, and too little safety information to know whether it would harm people[6]
  • A toxicology column in Emergency Medicine News raises concern that, because it boosts blood vessel growth, it could speed the growth of hidden tumors[7]
  • The World Anti-Doping Agency bans it in tested sports at all times[8]

BPC-157 is not FDA approved.[4] In July 2026, an FDA advisory committee reviewed whether pharmacies should be allowed to compound it, and FDA’s own staff review proposed that it not be added.[9]

Also called

BPC-157 goes by several names.

Body Protection Compound-157Gastric pentadecapeptideBPC-15Bepecin

Names from sources [1][4]

Often paired with

TB-500. Together they’re known as the Wolverine blend, also nicknamed the Wolverine stack.[7]

TB-500Together:BlendWolverine blend →

Good to know

Based on animal studies, the team that developed BPC-157 suggests its parent protein may help the stomach protect its own lining.[3] Other researchers point to a layer of mucus and bicarbonate as the stomach’s main shield against acid and the digestive enzyme pepsin.[10]

Handling

Storage basics General

These general basics apply to most freeze-dried research peptides.

Most research peptides come as a freeze-dried powder in a sealed vial
Unmixed vials are generally kept cold, dry, and away from light
Mixed solutions are generally refrigerated, since they are less stable than the dry powder
Peptides 101For mixing basicsNPL Dose CalculatorTo work out concentration after mixing
Go deeper

Sources and studies

These studies and official pages are the research behind this profile.

  1. 1Pharmacokinetics, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of body-protective compound 157, a potential drug for treating various wounds, in rats and dogsHe L, et al. (2022) · Frontiers in Pharmacology
  2. 2The significance of the gastroprotective effect of body protection compound (BPC): modulation by different proceduresSikiric P, et al. (1992) · Acta Physiologica Hungarica
  3. 3A new gastric juice peptide, BPC. An overview of the stomach-stress-organoprotection hypothesis and beneficial effects of BPCSikiric P, et al. (1993) · Journal of Physiology, Paris
  4. 4Emerging Use of BPC-157 in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: A Systematic ReviewVasireddi N, et al. (2025) · HSS Journal
  5. 5New studies with stable gastric pentadecapeptide protecting gastrointestinal tract. significance of counteraction of vascular and multiorgan failure of occlusion/occlusion-like syndrome in cytoprotection/organoprotectionSikiric P, et al. (2024) · Inflammopharmacology
  6. 6Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety RisksU.S. Food and Drug Administration (2026)
  7. 7Will the FDA Allow Compounding Pharmacies to Produce the "Wolverine Stack" and Other Peptides?Gussow L (2026) · Emergency Medicine News
  8. 8The Prohibited ListWorld Anti-Doping Agency (2026)
  9. 9July 23-24, 2026, Meeting of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee: FDA Briefing Document IntroductionU.S. Food and Drug Administration (2026)
  10. 10Gastroduodenal mucus bicarbonate barrier: protection against acid and pepsinAllen A, Flemström G (2005) · American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology