Updated February 2026

BPC-157 Dosing Protocol

Complete BPC-157 protocol guide covering gastric-origin biology, multi-pathway tissue repair mechanisms, community-derived SubQ and oral dosing schedules, reconstitution math, and long-horizon preclinical evidence.

Half-life

<30 minutes

Dose range

250-500 mcg per dose

Status

Not FDA-approved

Developer

N/A (research compound)

COA-Verified Suppliers Carrying BPC-157

Research-grade peptide suppliers vetted for COAs, purity data, and reliability. Use code PEPPALAffiliate disclosure: some outbound supplier links are affiliate links, and we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Orbitrex Peptides

Orbitrex Peptides

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Peptide Tech

HPLC-verified compounds for research.

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Orbitrex Peptides

Orbitrex Peptides

Quality peptides with purity reports.

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Pivot Labs

Pivot Labs

Research-grade peptides with fast shipping.

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Peptide Tech

Peptide Tech

HPLC-verified compounds for research.

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Orbitrex Peptides

Orbitrex Peptides

Quality peptides with purity reports.

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Pivot Labs

Pivot Labs

Research-grade peptides with fast shipping.

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Peptide Tech

Peptide Tech

HPLC-verified compounds for research.

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Quick Reference Card

Peptide Name

BPC-157

Aliases

Body Protection Compound-157, Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157, PL-14736, PLD-116, Bepecin

Category / Class

Tissue Repair / Cytoprotective Peptide

Half-Life

<30 minutes (hepatic metabolism; Vasireddi et al. systematic review)

Dosing Frequency

1-2 times daily (subcutaneous or oral)

Dose Range

250-500 mcg per injection (community protocol)

Common Vial Sizes

5mg, 10mg

Route of Administration

Subcutaneous (SubQ), Intramuscular (IM), Oral

Regulatory Status

Not FDA-approved. Research compound. Phase I trial registered (NCT02637284) but results not submitted. Category 2 bulk drug substance in FDA context. Prohibited by WADA under S0 (non-approved substances).

Developer

N/A

Key Stat

Over 30 years of preclinical research (544+ articles, 1993-2024) with tissue-repair findings across muscle, tendon, ligament, bone, gut, and neural models - with no identified toxic dose (no LD1) in tested species.

What Is BPC-157?

BPC-157 (Body Protection Compound-157) is a synthetic pentadecapeptide derived from a protective protein naturally present in human gastric juice and is one of the most widely researched tissue-repair peptides in the research peptide community. Literature summaries commonly reference more than 544 published articles spanning over 30 years of preclinical investigation.

Concept visual of BPC-157 as a gastric-origin peptide with oral stability and tissue-repair research context.

Structurally, BPC-157 is a 15-amino-acid peptide (Gly-Glu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Ala-Gly-Leu-Val; molecular weight approximately 1,419 Da). A defining characteristic is stability in gastric juice, supporting both injectable and oral protocol models.

Human efficacy data remains limited. A Phase I safety/PK trial (NCT02637284) was registered in 2015 with 42 healthy volunteers but cancelled in 2016 without posted results. A small Phase II ulcerative-colitis program (PL-14736) and limited retrospective knee data are frequently cited in guide literature.

BPC-157 is not FDA-approved for any indication, is discussed as a Category 2 bulk drug substance in FDA compounding context, and is prohibited by WADA. This page is educational and research-reference only.

How BPC-157 Works: Multi-Pathway Tissue Repair & Cytoprotection

BPC-157 is positioned in the literature as a multi-pathway regenerative peptide affecting angiogenesis, nitric-oxide signaling, growth-factor expression, and cytoprotective inflammatory control.

Multi-Pathway Mechanism Infographic

Infographic illustrating BPC-157 pathways including angiogenesis, nitric-oxide modulation, growth-factor signaling, and cytoprotective effects.

Angiogenesis and VEGF Signaling

BPC-157 is reported to upregulate VEGF and VEGFR2 signaling and activate Akt-eNOS pathways, supporting endothelial function, local blood-flow recovery, and repair substrate delivery in injury models.

Nitric Oxide System Modulation

Preclinical literature describes context-dependent modulation of the NO system, including mitigation of both NO-system blockade and excessive NO signaling states.

Growth Factor and Structural Repair Signaling

Evidence reviews describe upregulation across GH receptor, ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, and HGF-associated pathways with downstream fibroblast activity and collagen synthesis support relevant to tendon and ligament recovery models.

Anti-Inflammatory Cytoprotection

BPC-157 is repeatedly characterized as cytoprotective, with broad organ-system protection signals in gut, liver, muscle, CNS, and cardiovascular models while moderating inflammatory cytokine burden.

The combined mechanism is commonly framed as an environment-level healing signal that supports vascularization, structural repair, and cellular protection simultaneously rather than via a single receptor axis.

BPC-157 Dosing Protocol & Dosage Schedule

Initiation

Weeks 1-2

250 mcg once daily

Assess tolerance. For musculoskeletal targets, inject near injury site when feasible; for gut/systemic targets, abdominal SubQ is common.

Standard Therapeutic

Weeks 3-4

250-500 mcg once daily

Most common community range. Can be split into two doses (125-250 mcg AM + PM).

Acute Injury / Intensive

Weeks 1-6

500 mcg twice daily

Higher-end community protocol for significant injury or post-operative recovery contexts.

Oral Protocol

Weeks 4-8

250-500 mcg 1-2x daily

Commonly used for gut-focused protocols; typically taken on an empty stomach.

Important Dosing Notes

Evidence level: Current dosing paradigms are community-derived and extrapolated from preclinical ranges; optimal human dosing has not been established in large controlled clinical trials.

Injection site matters: Localized peri-tendinous or peri-articular SubQ placement is commonly used for musculoskeletal targets, while abdominal SubQ is common for systemic and GI protocols.

Oral viability: Unlike most peptides, BPC-157 is gastric-stable and can be used orally; oral bioavailability is lower for systemic targets but may support direct GI mucosal exposure.

No titration required: Typical protocols start directly in the 250-500 mcg therapeutic range from day one.

Timing and missed dose: No strict time-of-day requirement; split protocols often separate doses by roughly 12 hours. If a dose is missed, resume next scheduled dose without doubling.

Cycle guidance: Common cycles: 2-4 weeks for mild injury, 4-8 weeks for severe/post-op, and up to 8-12 weeks for chronic contexts with off periods between cycles.

BPC-157 Reconstitution Guide

Vial Size: 5mg

BAC Water: 2 mL

Concentration: 2,500 mcg/mL

250 mcg: 0.10 mL (10 units)

500 mcg: 0.20 mL (20 units)

750 mcg: 0.30 mL (30 units)

Vial Size: 5mg

BAC Water: 5 mL

Concentration: 1,000 mcg/mL

250 mcg: 0.25 mL (25 units)

500 mcg: 0.50 mL (50 units)

750 mcg: 0.75 mL (75 units)

Vial Size: 10mg

BAC Water: 2 mL

Concentration: 5,000 mcg/mL

250 mcg: 0.05 mL (5 units)

500 mcg: 0.10 mL (10 units)

750 mcg: 0.15 mL (15 units)

Vial Size: 10mg

BAC Water: 5 mL

Concentration: 2,000 mcg/mL

250 mcg: 0.125 mL (12.5 units)

500 mcg: 0.25 mL (25 units)

750 mcg: 0.375 mL (37.5 units)

Vial Size: 10mg

BAC Water: 10 mL

Concentration: 1,000 mcg/mL

250 mcg: 0.25 mL (25 units)

500 mcg: 0.50 mL (50 units)

750 mcg: 0.75 mL (75 units)

Step-by-Step Reconstitution Instructions

Minimalist photographic close-up sequence illustrating reconstitution guide: step 1 vial, step 2 draw bacteriostatic water and syringe, step 3 mix into vial.
  1. Remove the plastic cap from the BPC-157 vial, swab the stopper, and allow it to dry.
  2. Draw the planned bacteriostatic water volume using a sterile syringe.
  3. Inject BAC water against the vial wall, not directly onto lyophilized powder.
  4. Allow water to flow gently and avoid forceful spray into the powder bed.
  5. Gently roll the vial for 30-60 seconds until fully dissolved. Do not shake.
  6. Confirm solution is clear and colorless with no particles or discoloration.
  7. Label concentration/date and refrigerate upright at 2-8C (36-46F).
Need exact syringe units for a custom vial size or water volume? Use the free Peptide Reconstitution Calculator.Open Calculator

BPC-157 Side Effects - What Preclinical Research Shows

Critical limitation: BPC-157 has no completed human clinical safety trials. Current safety framing is derived primarily from preclinical animal studies plus limited case-level and community reporting.

Preclinical safety profile: Across decades of animal research, reviews report favorable tolerability with no identified lethal dose and no consistent teratogenic, genotoxic, or anaphylactic signal in available models.

Injection-site reactions: Most commonly reported effects are mild local redness, irritation, or swelling that usually resolve and can be reduced by rotating sites.

Oral or nasal tolerability: Oral protocols may cause mild GI discomfort in some users; nasal formats may cause transient irritation, sneezing, or cough.

Theoretical angiogenesis concern: Because BPC-157 may promote angiogenic pathways, there is theoretical caution for individuals with active malignancy, despite no direct evidence of carcinogenesis in available studies.

Hormonal profile: BPC-157 is not generally associated with endocrine suppression or post-cycle therapy requirements in community use reports.

Grey-market risk: A practical risk is product quality variance in unregulated supply chains, including contamination, potency mismatch, and impurity exposure.

BPC-157 Research & Preclinical Evidence

Vasireddi et al. (Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Systematic Review)

Systematic review2025 publication

36 studies (35 preclinical, 1 clinical)

Reported enhanced angiogenesis and repair signaling with favorable preclinical safety profile; half-life context under 30 minutes.

Gwyer et al. (Cell Tissue Research)

Review2019 publication

Musculoskeletal healing literature

Described BPC-157 potential in tendon, ligament, and muscle repair; evidence base largely rodent.

Sikiric et al. program (multiple publications)

Primary preclinical research1993-2024

Rat models across organ systems

Broad cytoprotective and regenerative findings across GI, CNS, cardiovascular, and musculoskeletal injury models.

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02637284

Phase IRegistered 2015; cancelled 2016

42 healthy volunteers

Safety and PK study was registered but no results were published after cancellation.

PL-14736 ulcerative-colitis program

Phase IIEarly 2000s

Ulcerative colitis patients

Guide literature cites efficacy signal and acceptable safety profile; complete modern trial dataset is limited.

Retrospective chronic knee-pain cohort

RetrospectivePublished in review context

12 patients

7 of 12 reported pain relief longer than 6 months after a single intra-articular injection.

Philp et al. (FASEB Journal)

Preclinical2004 publication

Rat wound model

Topical/IP BPC-157 increased re-epithelialization by 42% at 4 days and 61% at 7 days versus controls, with increased collagen deposition and angiogenesis.

Clinical evidence chart showing BPC-157 publication breadth, strong preclinical data, and limited human trial outcomes.

BPC-157 has broad preclinical breadth but limited clinical depth. Published literature emphasizes consistency across animal injury models and administration routes (SubQ, IM, oral, topical, IP), while the key evidence gap remains controlled human efficacy and long-term safety datasets.

Storage & Handling

Lyophilized (powder)

-20C (freezer)

Long-term (years)

Lyophilized (powder)

2-8C (refrigerator)

Months

Lyophilized (powder)

15-25C (room temp)

Weeks (shipping tolerance)

Reconstituted

2-8C (refrigerator)

Up to 30 days

Reconstituted (frozen aliquots)

-20C (freezer)

3-4 months

Protect from light, use bacteriostatic water for multi-dose handling, minimize freeze-thaw cycles, and discard any cloudy or discolored solution.

BPC-157 vs. TB-500 vs. GHK-Cu

Origin

BPC-157: Synthetic fragment of gastric protective protein

TB-500: Synthetic version of thymosin beta-4

GHK-Cu: Naturally occurring tripeptide-copper complex

Primary Mechanism

BPC-157: VEGF/angiogenesis, NO modulation, cytoprotection

TB-500: Actin regulation, cell migration, stem cell mobilization

GHK-Cu: Copper-dependent collagen synthesis and remodeling

Half-Life

BPC-157: <30 minutes

TB-500: <2 hours (plasma)

GHK-Cu: ~30 minutes

Route

BPC-157: SubQ, IM, Oral

TB-500: SubQ

GHK-Cu: SubQ, Topical

Dose Range

BPC-157: 250-500 mcg 1-2x daily

TB-500: 2-5 mg 2x weekly

GHK-Cu: 1-2 mg daily (injectable)

Best For

BPC-157: Localized tissue repair, GI healing

TB-500: Systemic healing and deep tissue recovery

GHK-Cu: Skin/wound healing and collagen focus

Oral Viability

BPC-157: Yes

TB-500: No

GHK-Cu: No (topical route used)

Clinical Trials

BPC-157: Phase I/II (limited); extensive preclinical evidence

TB-500: Phase II programs

GHK-Cu: Phase II skin/wound contexts

FDA Status

BPC-157: Not approved

TB-500: Not approved

GHK-Cu: Not approved

Unique Advantage

BPC-157: Oral viability plus broad preclinical tissue-repair evidence

TB-500: Systemic recovery and migration-driven repair profile

GHK-Cu: Skin and collagen-focused copper pathway support

BPC-157 and TB-500 are often paired as a tissue-repair combination in community protocols, while GHK-Cu is usually used for collagen- and skin-focused goals.

BPC-157 is usually selected for localized tendon, ligament, joint, and GI contexts, whereas TB-500 is used for broader systemic recovery paradigms.

Reconstitution concentration and dose frequency differ substantially across all three compounds and should be calculated carefully.

See the TB-500 protocol and GHK-Cu protocol for compound-specific guides.

BPC-157 Stacking Protocols

Stack 1

BPC-157 + TB-500 ("Wolverine Stack")

Compounds: BPC-157 (250-500 mcg daily) plus TB-500 (2-5 mg twice weekly). This stack combines localized BPC-157 repair signaling with broader systemic TB-500 regenerative support.

Timing model: BPC-157 is commonly dosed daily near the target tissue while TB-500 is used twice weekly; both may be administered on shared dosing days with separate syringes.

View stack protocol

Stack 2

BPC-157 + CJC-1295/Ipamorelin (Recovery Stack)

Compounds: BPC-157 (250-500 mcg daily) with CJC-1295/Ipamorelin (commonly 100 mcg each at bedtime) for combined tissue-repair and GH-pulse support context.

See the compound-specific See CJC-1295 with DAC protocol for additional context.

View stack protocol

Frequently Asked Questions - BPC-157

Q1: What is the starting dose of BPC-157?

The most common starting dose is 250 mcg subcutaneously once daily for 1-2 weeks, with many protocols then moving to 500 mcg daily or 250 mcg twice daily based on response and goals.

Q2: What is BPC-157's half-life?

Published review context describes a plasma half-life under 30 minutes, but downstream biological repair effects may persist longer than plasma presence due to pathway-level signaling.

Q3: What results can be expected from BPC-157?

Community reports often describe early pain/mobility changes within 5-10 days, with tendon/ligament and structural healing trends commonly discussed across 2-8 weeks. These are not large-trial clinical endpoints.

Q4: How do you reconstitute BPC-157?

Common setups include 5 mg + 2 mL (2,500 mcg/mL) or 5 mg + 5 mL (1,000 mcg/mL). Inject BAC water down the vial wall, swirl gently, do not shake, and refrigerate mixed solution. Use https://www.peppal.app/calculator for custom concentration math.

Q5: Is BPC-157 FDA-approved?

No. BPC-157 is not FDA-approved for any indication. It is discussed as a Category 2 bulk drug substance in FDA compounding context and is prohibited by WADA under S0 non-approved substances.

Q6: What are the most common side effects of BPC-157?

Most commonly reported effects are mild injection-site irritation. The broader risk profile in real-world settings often relates to unregulated product quality and contamination risk rather than demonstrated peptide toxicity in preclinical studies.

Q7: How does BPC-157 compare to TB-500 and GHK-Cu?

BPC-157 is usually used for localized tissue and GI repair contexts, TB-500 for broader systemic regenerative protocols, and GHK-Cu for collagen and skin-focused outcomes. BPC-157 is also notable for oral viability.

Q8: What vial sizes is BPC-157 available in?

The most common research vials are 5 mg and 10 mg lyophilized powder formats.

Q9: How much bacteriostatic water should be added to BPC-157?

Popular options include 5 mg + 2 mL for low injection volume or 5 mg + 5 mL for easier syringe math. For 10 mg vials, 2 mL, 5 mL, and 10 mL are all commonly used depending on concentration preference.

Q10: What is the maximum dose of BPC-157 studied?

Animal studies report exposures up to 10 mcg/kg without identified lethal dose in published safety context. Community protocols typically remain at 250-500 mcg per dose, occasionally up to 1,000 mcg/day for acute contexts.

Q11: How should reconstituted BPC-157 be stored?

Store mixed solution upright at 2-8C and use within about 30 days. Lyophilized powder is more stable for longer storage, and frozen aliquots may be used short-term when freeze-thaw cycling is minimized.

Q12: Can BPC-157 be taken orally?

Yes. BPC-157 is unusual among peptides in that it is described as stable in gastric juice, supporting oral protocols, particularly in gut-focused applications.

Sources & Research

  1. Vasireddi N, et al. "Emerging Use of BPC-157 in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: A Systematic Review." Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, 2025 PubMed.
  2. Gwyer D, Wragg NM, Wilson SL. "Gastric pentadecapeptide body protection compound BPC 157 and its role in accelerating musculoskeletal soft tissue healing." Cell and Tissue Research, 2019 PubMed.
  3. Sikiric P, et al. "The Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 Pleiotropic Beneficial Activity and Its Possible Relations with Neurotransmitter Activity." Pharmaceuticals, 2024 PMC.
  4. Sikiric P, et al. "Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 and the central nervous system." Neural Regeneration Research, 2022 Journal.
  5. Philp D, et al. "Thymosin beta 4 promotes angiogenesis and wound healing." FASEB Journal, 2004 Cited in BPC-157 comparative context.
  6. Sikiric P, et al. "Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 ... is effective in the healing of colocutaneous fistulas in rats: role of the nitric oxide-system." Journal of Pharmacological Sciences, 2008 PubMed.
  7. Sikiric P, et al. "Multifunctionality and Possible Medical Application of the BPC 157 Peptide - Literature and Patent Review." Pharmaceuticals, 2025 MDPI.
  8. Narrative review "Regeneration or Risk? A Narrative Review of BPC-157 for Musculoskeletal Healing." PMC, 2025 PMC.
  9. ClinicalTrials.gov - Safety, Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetics of PL 14736 in Healthy Volunteers (NCT02637284). Trial.
  10. Systematic review abstract "Oral Peptide BPC-157 - An Emerging Adjunct to Gastrointestinal Therapies?" American College of Gastroenterology, 2025 Journal.

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Disclaimer

The information on this page is for educational and research reference purposes only. BPC-157 is not FDA-approved and is discussed as a Category 2 bulk drug substance. It is prohibited by WADA. No compounds discussed on this site are intended for human consumption. This is not medical advice.

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