Peptide Name
TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4)
Updated February 2026
Complete TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4) research dosing protocol covering loading/maintenance schedule, reconstitution math, half-life context, side effects, and Phase I/II clinical evidence.
Half-life
<2 hours plasma; tissue effects persist days to weeks
Dose range
2-5 mg per injection, 4-10 mg weekly
Status
Not FDA-approved
Developer
RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals (RGN-259 ophthalmic)
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Peptide Name
TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4)
Aliases
Tβ4, TB4, Timbetasin (INN), Ac-SDKPDMAEIEKFDKSKLKKTETQEKNPLPSKETIEQEKQAGES
Category / Class
Tissue Repair / Actin Sequestration Peptide
Half-Life
<2 hours plasma (animal PK data); biological effects persist days to weeks in tissue
Dosing Frequency
2x per week (SubQ); loading phase may use higher frequency
Dose Range
2-5 mg per injection, 4-10 mg per week (community protocol)
Common Vial Sizes
2mg, 5mg, 10mg
Route of Administration
Subcutaneous (SubQ), Intravenous (IV - clinical trials only), Topical (RGN-259 ophthalmic)
Regulatory Status
Not FDA-approved. Research compound. Phase II completed for venous ulcers, dry eye, and epidermolysis bullosa. FDA Category 2 bulk drug substance. Prohibited by WADA under S0.
Developer
RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals (RGN-259 ophthalmic formulation)
Key Stat
Phase I trial reported IV doses up to 1,260 mg daily for 14 days were well tolerated in 40 healthy adults with no dose-limiting toxicities or serious adverse events.
TB-500 is a synthetic version of thymosin beta-4 (Tβ4), a naturally occurring 43-amino acid peptide found in virtually all human and animal cells, and is one of the most widely used systemic tissue repair peptides in the research community.

Thymosin beta-4 is the most abundant member of the beta-thymosin family, representing 70-80% of total beta-thymosin content in cells, and serves as the principal actin-sequestering protein in eukaryotic cells, making it fundamental to cell motility, tissue repair, and regeneration across organ systems.
Structurally, thymosin beta-4 consists of 43 amino acids with molecular weight approximately 4,921 daltons. TB-500, the synthetic research version, is distinguished from endogenous Tβ4 by N-terminal acetylation, which enhances stability and biological activity.
TB-500 has progressed further in formal clinical trials than most research peptides. Phase II programs have demonstrated efficacy signals in chronic wound healing and dry eye syndrome (RGN-259), while a landmark Phase I safety study showed extraordinary high-dose tolerability compared with common community SubQ ranges.
This compound is not FDA-approved for any human indication. It is classified as a Category 2 bulk drug substance by the FDA and is prohibited by WADA. All information on this page is for educational and research reference purposes only.
TB-500's core mechanism is actin sequestration with downstream effects on cell migration, wound closure, angiogenesis, and progenitor-cell recruitment across multiple tissues.

TB-500 sequesters G-actin and regulates conversion into F-actin as needed, enabling rapid cytoskeletal remodeling required for cell migration, division, and tissue repair.
TB-500 enhances migration of keratinocytes, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts to wound sites. Preclinical models reported faster re-epithelialization, improved contraction, and greater collagen deposition.
TB-500 upregulates vascular repair pathways including PI3K/Akt, VEGF/FGF signaling, and ILK activation, supporting collateral blood vessel formation and tissue perfusion in injury contexts.
Published Nature studies reported epicardial progenitor mobilization and neovascularization, suggesting TB-500 can activate endogenous regenerative programs beyond acute injury response.
TB-500 can reduce inflammatory signaling while organizing connective tissue repair and limiting myofibroblast-driven scar formation, relevant to functional recovery in musculoskeletal tissue.
Collectively, these pathways explain why TB-500 is usually modeled as a systemic tissue-repair peptide rather than a localized-only intervention.
Loading (standard)
Weeks 1-4 (up to 6)
4-8 mg/week
Typically split into 2 injections per week (2-4 mg each). Higher end is often used for acute or severe injury context.
Maintenance (standard)
Weeks 5-8+
2-4 mg/week
Usually 1-2 injections per week (often 2 mg each) to sustain repair signaling.
Intensive loading
Weeks 1-2
5-10 mg/week
Daily or every-other-day 1-2 mg injections for acute or post-operative scenarios (short-term only).
Standard loading (post-intensive)
Weeks 3-6
4-8 mg/week
Transition to 2x weekly schedule.
Maintenance (extended)
Weeks 7-12
2-4 mg/week
Extend according to recovery assessment.
Cycle guideline (standard)
8-12 weeks total
Loading + maintenance
Common off-period is 4-8 weeks.
Cycle guideline (acute)
4-6 weeks total
Short aggressive loading
Common off-period is 2-4 weeks.
Evidence Level Notice & Dosing Notes
Evidence level: Community SubQ dosing is derived from practitioner experience, equine-veterinary use history, and extrapolation from trial data. Optimal SubQ efficacy dosing is not established in large human musculoskeletal trials.
Loading phase rationale: Protocols often use a loading phase to build tissue concentration before reducing to maintenance dosing.
Injection site flexibility: TB-500 is generally treated as systemic regardless of SubQ site; abdomen, thigh, and deltoid are common sites.
Timing and missed dose: No strict time-of-day requirement. If a dose is missed, take the next convenient dose and resume schedule; do not double-dose.
Post-cycle therapy: TB-500 is not known to suppress hormonal axes and does not typically require tapering or PCT.
Vial Size: 2 mg
BAC Water: 1 mL
Concentration: 2 mg/mL
2 mg: 1.0 mL (100 units)
2.5 mg: N/A
4 mg: N/A
5 mg: N/A
Vial Size: 5 mg
BAC Water: 1 mL
Concentration: 5 mg/mL
2 mg: 0.40 mL (40 units)
2.5 mg: 0.50 mL (50 units)
4 mg: 0.80 mL (80 units)
5 mg: 1.0 mL (100 units)
Vial Size: 5 mg
BAC Water: 2 mL
Concentration: 2.5 mg/mL
2 mg: 0.80 mL (80 units)
2.5 mg: 1.0 mL (100 units)
4 mg: N/A
5 mg: N/A
Vial Size: 10 mg
BAC Water: 2 mL
Concentration: 5 mg/mL
2 mg: 0.40 mL (40 units)
2.5 mg: 0.50 mL (50 units)
4 mg: 0.80 mL (80 units)
5 mg: 1.0 mL (100 units)
Vial Size: 10 mg
BAC Water: 3 mL
Concentration: 3.33 mg/mL
2 mg: 0.60 mL (60 units)
2.5 mg: 0.75 mL (75 units)
4 mg: 1.20 mL (N/A)
5 mg: 1.50 mL (N/A)

Phase I and Phase II thymosin beta-4 programs reported favorable tolerability, while community SubQ reports usually describe mild, transient symptoms.
Phase I safety data: Randomized placebo-controlled trial in 40 healthy adults reported no dose-limiting toxicities or serious adverse events up to 1,260 mg IV daily for 14 days.
Phase II safety context: Venous ulcer, dry-eye, pressure-ulcer, and epidermolysis-bullosa programs generally described thymosin beta-4 as safe and well tolerated.
Community-reported effects: Most common reports include temporary fatigue, headache, mild nausea, lightheadedness, and occasional mild injection-site irritation.
Theoretical concerns: Because TB-500 supports angiogenic and progenitor-cell pathways, active malignancy is commonly treated as a relative contraindication requiring specialist review.
Hormonal effects: TB-500 does not appear to suppress endocrine axes, does not require post-cycle therapy, and is not associated with withdrawal syndromes in published protocol context.
Ruff et al. 2010 (Ann NY Acad Sci)
Phase I • Single dose + 14 days daily
40 healthy adults
IV 42-1,260 mg was well tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities or serious adverse events.
Guarnera et al. 2010 (Ann NY Acad Sci)
Phase II • 3 months
73 patients with venous stasis ulcers
0.03% topical Tβ4 improved healing rate; 25% achieved complete healing within 3 months.
Sosne et al. 2015 (Cornea) - RGN-259
Phase II • Multi-site
Severe dry-eye patients
RGN-259 improved corneal staining, tear-breakup time, and symptoms vs placebo.
Bock-Marquette et al. 2004 (Nature)
Preclinical • N/A
Murine cardiac ischemia model
Demonstrated ILK activation with improved cardiac cell migration, survival, and repair.
Smart et al. 2007 (Nature)
Preclinical • N/A
Adult mouse hearts
Showed epicardial progenitor mobilization and neovascularization.
Philp et al. 2004 (FASEB Journal)
Preclinical • 7 days
Rat full-thickness wound model
Re-epithelialization increased 42% at day 4 and 61% at day 7 with improved contraction/collagen trends.
Zhu et al. 2016 (Cytotherapy)
Pilot • N/A
Acute STEMI patients
Tβ4-pretreated endothelial progenitor-cell transplantation showed safety and efficacy signals.
Maar et al. 2021 (Cells)
Preclinical • 6 days systemic
Adult mice
Systemic TB4 increased capsulin-positive progenitors in adult heart structures.
Spurney et al. 2010 (PLoS One)
Preclinical • Chronic administration
mdx mice
Improved skeletal and cardiac muscle function in dystrophin-deficient model.
Gao et al. 2015 (PLoS One)
Preclinical • N/A
Mouse hair-growth model
Demonstrated Tβ4-associated hair follicle and hair-growth effects.

Thymosin beta-4 has one of the most developed clinical programs among tissue-repair peptides. Phase I established a broad safety margin at doses far above community SubQ protocols, while Phase II trials reported efficacy signals in venous-ulcer healing and dry-eye outcomes. Two landmark Nature publications further support cardiac repair and progenitor-cell mobilization mechanisms that underpin current TB-500 research interest. ClinicalTrials.gov registrations include NCT00832091 plus additional RGN-259 dry-eye and neurotrophic-keratopathy programs.
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)
1-2 weeks
Reconstituted
Do NOT freeze
N/A - freezing damages reconstituted TB-500
Protect from light and moisture, use bacteriostatic water for multi-dose handling, avoid freeze-thaw cycles, and discard any reconstituted solution that is cloudy, discolored, particulate, or beyond the recommended storage window.
Origin
TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4): Synthetic version of endogenous 43-AA protein
BPC-157: Synthetic 15-AA gastric-protein fragment
GHK-Cu: Naturally occurring tripeptide-copper complex
Primary Mechanism
TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4): Actin sequestration, migration, progenitor mobilization
BPC-157: VEGF/angiogenesis, NO modulation, cytoprotection
GHK-Cu: Copper-dependent collagen synthesis and remodeling
Half-Life
TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4): <2 hours plasma; tissue effects persist
BPC-157: <30 minutes
GHK-Cu: ~30 minutes
Route
TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4): SubQ (2x/week)
BPC-157: SubQ, IM, Oral (1-2x daily)
GHK-Cu: SubQ, Topical
Dose Range
TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4): 2-5 mg per injection, 2x weekly
BPC-157: 250-500 mcg 1-2x daily
GHK-Cu: 1-2 mg daily (injectable)
Best Use Context
TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4): Systemic healing, deep tissue, cardiac repair
BPC-157: Localized tendon/ligament/gut repair
GHK-Cu: Skin/wound healing and collagen quality
Oral Viability
TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4): No
BPC-157: Yes - stable in gastric juice
GHK-Cu: No (topical commonly used)
Clinical Trials
TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4): Phase I + Phase II
BPC-157: Limited Phase I/II + broad preclinical
GHK-Cu: Phase II skin/wound context
FDA Status
TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4): Not approved; Category 2 bulk substance
BPC-157: Not approved; Category 2 bulk substance
GHK-Cu: Not approved
Published in Nature
TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4): Yes - cardiac repair and progenitor studies
BPC-157: No
GHK-Cu: No
Unique Advantage
TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4): Very wide human safety margin and systemic action
BPC-157: Oral viability with broad tissue-repair use
GHK-Cu: Collagen-focused mechanism
TB-500 and BPC-157 are commonly combined as the Wolverine Stack, with TB-500 used for systemic repair context and BPC-157 for localized tissue/GI context.
TB-500 is usually dosed less frequently at milligram levels while BPC-157 uses daily microgram dosing.
Reconstitution concentration and unit math differ across compounds and should always be verified before use.
For the full combination model, see /stacks/wolverine-stack.
See the Wolverine Stack Protocol and BPC-157 Protocol for compound-specific guides.
Stack 1
Compounds: TB-500 (2-5 mg twice weekly) plus BPC-157 (250-500 mcg daily).
TB-500 is typically injected SubQ twice weekly at any site, while BPC-157 is usually dosed daily and often placed near target tissue.
This pairing combines systemic actin-regulation and progenitor effects (TB-500) with localized angiogenic/cytoprotective signaling (BPC-157).
See the compound-specific BPC-157 Protocol for additional context.
See full stack protocolStack 2
Compounds: TB-500 (2-5 mg twice weekly) plus GHK-Cu (1-2 mg daily SubQ or topical).
This stack emphasizes TB-500 systemic migration/healing pathways with GHK-Cu collagen and extracellular-matrix remodeling support.
See full stack protocolA common start is 2-2.5 mg SubQ twice weekly (4-5 mg/week) during loading. Intensive starts may use 1-2 mg daily or every other day in weeks 1-2, then transition to maintenance around 2-4 mg/week.
TB-500 has a short plasma half-life (often cited under 2 hours in animal PK), but downstream tissue effects can persist for days to weeks, which supports twice-weekly schedules in community protocols.
Reports commonly describe improved flexibility and reduced stiffness within 1-2 weeks, with broader recovery trends over 4-8 weeks. Preclinical wound models reported accelerated re-epithelialization and repair metrics.
Draw bacteriostatic water, inject against the vial wall, gently roll until dissolved, and refrigerate at 2-8C. A common setup is 5 mg + 1 mL (5 mg/mL), where 2.5 mg equals 0.50 mL or 50 units on a U-100 syringe. Use https://www.peppal.app/calculator for custom math.
No. TB-500 is not FDA-approved for any indication. It is generally referenced as a research compound and Category 2 bulk drug substance context, and it is prohibited by WADA under S0 non-approved substances.
Most commonly reported effects are mild and transient: temporary fatigue, headache, mild nausea, lightheadedness, and occasional minor injection-site irritation.
TB-500 is usually used for systemic, whole-body repair context and dosed at milligram levels twice weekly, while BPC-157 is commonly used for localized tissue and GI context with daily microgram dosing. They are often combined in the Wolverine Stack.
Common research vial sizes are 2 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg lyophilized formats.
Common choices are 5 mg + 1 mL (5 mg/mL), 10 mg + 2 mL (5 mg/mL), or 5 mg + 2 mL (2.5 mg/mL), depending on preferred injection volume and unit precision.
A Phase I trial reported IV thymosin beta-4 doses up to 1,260 mg daily for 14 days in healthy adults without dose-limiting toxicity, far above typical community SubQ ranges.
Store reconstituted TB-500 upright at 2-8C and use within 1-2 weeks. Do not freeze reconstituted solution. Lyophilized powder is usually stored frozen for long-term stability.
Key programs include Phase I IV safety in healthy adults and Phase II studies in venous ulcers and dry eye (RGN-259), plus broad preclinical work including Nature publications on cardiac repair and progenitor mobilization.
<30 min
Tissue Repair / Cytoprotective
View protocol~30 min
Collagen Remodeling
View protocolProtocol
Joint Protection / Cartilage
View protocol~2 hours
GH Secretagogue
View protocol~6-8 days
GHRH Analogue
View protocolStack protocol
Combined Tissue Repair
View protocolThe information on this page is for educational and research reference purposes only. TB-500 is not FDA-approved for any human indication and is classified 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. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before considering any peptide protocol.
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