Not an approved drugBPC-157 is not approved by the FDA for any use, and no application for it is on file.[1] In July 2026 FDA staff recommended against allowing it in pharmacy compounding, citing "lack of information on the safety profile and immunogenicity risks".[3] The calculator above does arithmetic only. No amount is suggested, because no approved or adequately tested dose exists.
What is BPC-157?
BPC-157 is a synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide, a fragment of a protein first isolated from human gastric juice.
- Structure
- 15 amino acids: GEPPPGKPADDAGLV[16]
- Formula and weight
- C62H98N16O22, 1,419.5 g/mol
- Other names
- Bepecin, PL 14736
- Origin
- Described by the FDA as a "pentadecapeptide fragment of the BPC protein originally isolated from human gastric juice"[3]
Regulatory status in November 2026
BPC-157's status changed several times in 2026. None of the changes made it an approved drug.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Sept 29, 2023 | FDA places BPC-157 in 503A Category 2, its list of compounding substances that may present significant safety risks.[2] |
| Apr 22, 2026 | The nominations are withdrawn and FDA moves BPC-157 to a separate "nominated but withdrawn" table on the same page. The safety wording stays.[2] |
| July 23, 2026 | At the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, FDA proposes not adding BPC-157 to the 503A bulks list.[4][3] HHS later reports that the committee voted in favor of inclusion.[5] FDA had not posted the minutes when we checked. |
| Oct 30, 2026 | HHS publishes a draft, non-binding enforcement-discretion policy for 503A compounding of BPC-157 acetate (under the skin, into muscle, oral and topical), under ten conditions including a single active ingredient and a patient-specific prescription.[5] |
FDA's safety wording, still on its page, says compounded BPC-157 "may pose risk for immunogenicity for certain routes of administration" and that the agency "lacks sufficient information to know whether the drug would cause harm when administered to humans."[2] The HHS policy says it is "not binding" and does not place BPC-157 on the 503A bulks list.[5] The compounding page explains the policy in full.
Products sold as "research purpose only" are a separate matter. In 2023 the FDA warned a seller of injectable and nasal-spray BPC-157 and TB-500 sold that way.[7] Earlier letters to two compounding pharmacies said BPC-157 was not eligible for compounding at the time.[8][9] BPC-157 is also on the World Anti-Doping Agency's 2026 list under S0, prohibited at all times.[6]
What the human evidence says
This is every published human study we could find, with the amounts the researchers used. They are listed so you can see how thin the evidence is, not as a guide. Most used routes such as an enema, the bladder or a joint, not an injection under the skin.
| Study | Design | Amount and route studied | What was reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veljaca 2002–03 (abstracts, summarized by FDA)[3] | Phase 1, placebo-controlled, 32 healthy adults | 0.25–2 mg/kg by enema, single dose then daily for 7 days | No significant adverse events; BPC-157 mostly not detected in blood |
| Ruenzi 2005 (abstract, summarized by FDA)[3] | RCT, 53 people with mild–moderate ulcerative colitis | 80 mg enema daily for 2 weeks | FDA judged the data "inadequate" |
| Lee & Padgett 2021[10] | Retrospective chart review, 16 patients, one clinic | 2–4 mg injected into the knee, 1–2 doses (per FDA)[3] | Self-reported relief in 14 of 16; no validated outcome measures |
| Lee, Walker & Ayadi 2024[11] | Single-arm pilot, 12 women with interstitial cystitis | 10 mg into the bladder, once | 10 of 12 reported resolution; no control group |
| Lee & Burgess 2025[12] | Safety pilot, 2 adults | 10 mg then 20 mg intravenously | No adverse events or lab changes in 2 people |
| NCT02637284[13] | Phase 1, oral, healthy adults (registered 2015) | 1–6 mg by mouth | Status unknown; no results posted |
- Quality. A 2026 systematic review found 3 studies with 30 people in total, judged all of them "of poor methodological quality" and rated the certainty of evidence "very low".[14]
- Injection under the skin. The FDA found no human pharmacokinetic data for subcutaneous, oral, nasal or skin use.[3]
- New trials. Two trials registered in 2025–2026 (hamstring strain and rotator cuff repair) have no results yet.[15]
BPC-157 side effects: what has been reported
No controlled trial has measured BPC-157's side effects in people; the record is a few FDA reports, small studies that reported none, and the FDA's warnings about immune reactions and impurities.
| Source | What was reported |
|---|---|
| FDA adverse event database, through Dec 2025[3] | 3 reports, all injected products: redness and swelling at the injection site; shortness of breath; darkening of skin and gums that came back when the product was used again (a BPC-157 + TB-500 product labeled "research purposes only") |
| Phase 1, 32 healthy adults (enema)[3] | No significant adverse events; headache and flatulence similar to placebo |
| Small clinic studies, 2 to 16 people[10][11][12] | No adverse events reported; none had a control group or systematic side-effect tracking |
| FDA safety assessment[2] | Possible immunogenicity (immune reactions) and peptide-related impurities; "no, or only limited, safety-related information" |
"No side effects reported" in a 2-person study is not evidence of safety. Products sold as "research use only" add a further unknown: what is actually in the vial. See are peptides safe?
BPC-157 concentration chart
Because there is no approved or established dose, this chart is dose-neutral: it shows what one syringe unit holds at each mix, in micrograms and in nanomoles. Nanomoles use BPC-157's molecular weight of 1,419.5 g/mol, so 100 mcg is 70.4 nmol.
| Vial + liquid | mg/mL | mcg per unit | nmol per unit | Units per 100 mcg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 mg + 1 mL | 2 | 20 | 14.09 | 5 |
| 2 mg + 2 mL | 1 | 10 | 7.04 | 10 |
| 2 mg + 3 mL | 0.667 | 6.67 | 4.7 | 15 |
| 5 mg + 1 mL | 5 | 50 | 35.22 | 2 |
| 5 mg + 2 mL | 2.5 | 25 | 17.61 | 4 |
| 5 mg + 3 mL | 1.667 | 16.67 | 11.74 | 6 |
| 10 mg + 1 mL | 10 | 100 | 70.45 | 1 |
| 10 mg + 2 mL | 5 | 50 | 35.22 | 2 |
| 10 mg + 3 mL | 3.333 | 33.33 | 23.48 | 3 |
To read it the other way: at 5 mg in 2 mL, each unit holds 25 mcg, so 100 mcg is 4 units. Every number comes from the published formulas.
Other peptide pages
The peptides most often looked up alongside this one. Each page gives that peptide's FDA status, compounding status and published human evidence, with sources; the status table has all 23 in one place.
- TB-500Not approved A 7-amino-acid fragment of thymosin beta-4. No human trials of TB-500 itself.
- BPC-157 + TB-500 blendNot approved Two peptides in one vial: the arithmetic of a fixed ratio.
- GHK-CuNot approved Copper peptide. Studied on skin; injectable use has no published trials.
- KPVNot approved Lys-Pro-Val tripeptide. No human data by any route.
- LL-37Not approved Human cathelicidin. Topical wound trials; FDA cites tumor concerns.
- TesamorelinFDA-approved Egrifta SV and Egrifta WR. Labeled doses, diluents and volumes.
Frequently asked questions
What are the side effects of BPC-157?
Is BPC-157 FDA-approved?
No. There is no FDA-approved product containing BPC-157 and no application on file.[1]
Is BPC-157 legal?
BPC-157 is not an FDA-approved drug, and the FDA has treated research-use BPC-157 sold for human use as an unapproved drug.[1][7] A draft HHS policy from October 2026 covers compounding it by licensed pharmacies under conditions.[5] It is banned in sport.[6] See are peptides legal? This is not legal advice.
Can a pharmacy compound BPC-157 in 2026?
BPC-157 is not on the 503A bulks list. Since October 30, 2026, a draft HHS policy says HHS does not intend to take enforcement action against state-licensed pharmacies that compound BPC-157 acetate under ten conditions. The policy is non-binding and HHS says it may revisit it if a safety signal appears.[5]
How do I work out units for BPC-157?
The same way as for any peptide: divide the mg in the vial by the mL of liquid to get mg/mL, divide the amount you need (in mg) by that, and multiply by 100. For example, 100 mcg from a 5 mg vial mixed with 2 mL is 4 units. This is arithmetic, not a suggested amount.
Is BPC-157 banned in sport?
Yes. The WADA 2026 Prohibited List names BPC-157 under S0, non-approved substances, prohibited at all times.[6] See peptides banned in sport.
Sources
- openFDA Drugs@FDA searches for BPC-157, thymosin, CJC-1295, ipamorelin, MOTS-c and prezatide (no application found)
- Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks
- FDA briefing document: BPC-157-related bulk drug substances
- Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee meeting, July 23–24, 2026
- Enforcement discretion policy regarding 503A compounding using certain peptide bulk drug substances (91 FR 68526)
- World Anti-Doping Code: Prohibited List 2026
- Warning letter: Warrior Labz SARMS
- Warning letter: Prescription Dispensing Laboratories (PD Labs)
- Warning letter: Tailor Made Compounding LLC
- Lee E, Padgett B. Intra-articular BPC-157 for knee pain: retrospective review (Altern Ther Health Med 2021;27(4):8–13)
- Lee E, Walker C, Ayadi B. BPC-157 for interstitial cystitis: pilot study (Altern Ther Health Med 2024;30(10):12–17)
- Lee E, Burgess K. Intravenous BPC-157 safety pilot, n = 2 (Altern Ther Health Med 2025;31(5):20–24)
- NCT02637284: oral BPC-157 phase 1 in healthy volunteers (status unknown)
- Poolton JT et al. Systematic review of BPC-157 in humans (Acta Orthop Belg 2026;92(3))
- NCT07437547 (hamstring strain) and NCT07803250 (rotator cuff repair): BPC-157 trials registered 2025–2026
- PubChem CID 9941957: BPC-157