--- title: "BPC-157: What It Is, Evidence and Legal Status (2026)" description: "BPC-157: synthetic 15-amino-acid fragment of a gastric protein. Evidence grade C. US status as of Oct 17, 2026: not approved. No dosing, no sellers." canonical: https://plainlygraded.com/peptides/bpc-157/ last_updated: 2026-10-17 breadcrumb: "Home > Compounds > BPC-157" publisher: Plainly Graded policy: "No dosing, no sourcing, no vendor links. Every claim cites a public source." --- > We collect and compare information from public, cited sources. We cannot guarantee that it is complete, current or correct. This is not medical advice. Only a doctor can prescribe, and a doctor should confirm anything you read here before you act on it. # BPC-157 Also called "body protection compound", "PL 14736", wolverine (with TB-500) - [FDA: not approved](https://plainlygraded.com/regulatory/#bpc-157) - [503A compounding: under review](https://plainlygraded.com/regulatory/#bpc-157) - [WADA S0 · prohibited at all times](https://plainlygraded.com/regulatory/#bpc-157) STATUS AS OF 17 OCT 2026 FDA: not FDA-approved for any use · 503A: not on the 503A bulks list. FDA advisers recommended it on July 23, 2026; the vote is non-binding and no rule has been proposed · WADA: prohibited at all times under the 2026 WADA List (S0, non-approved substances) · [tracker entry](https://plainlygraded.com/regulatory/#bpc-157) **The short answer:** BPC-157 is a lab-made 15-amino-acid peptide based on a fragment of a protein found in stomach juice. As of October 17, 2026 it is not FDA-approved for any use, and 35 of the 36 studies in the largest recent review were in rodents or cells. Written by [Maren Holt](https://plainlygraded.com/about/team/) 12 PUBLIC SOURCES · UPDATED 17 OCT 2026 · NO TIES TO SELLERS [How we source](https://plainlygraded.com/how-we-source/) ## What is BPC-157? BPC-157 is a synthetic chain of 15 amino acids. Its sequence is taken from a larger protein found in human stomach juice, which is where the name "body protection compound" comes from. The peptide sold online is made in a lab; it is not extracted from the body. Much of the published research on BPC-157 traces back to a single research group in Croatia. In the US, one clinician has published three very small human reports. None had a comparison group, so none can show that BPC-157 caused the improvement people reported. ## What is BPC-157 claimed to do, and what does the evidence show? **Overall grade** **Evidence grade C** **Human studies** 1 **Animal and cell studies** 35 Counts from a 2025 systematic review of orthopaedic and sports-medicine uses (36 studies met its criteria out of 544 screened).[5] GRADE C: SMALL HUMAN PILOTS, CASE SERIES OR UNCONTROLLED REPORTS ONLY · [HOW WE GRADE](https://plainlygraded.com/evidence-grading/) | Use | Claimed | Shown | Grade | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Tendon and ligament | Speeds repair of injuries that won't heal | Faster healing in rat models. One small human report of knee pain (12 people, no comparison group).[5,6] | **Evidence grade C** | | Gut lining | Heals ulcers and "leaky gut" | Protective effects in rodent studies. A company trial in ulcerative colitis was run years ago but its results were never published.[5,7] | **Evidence grade D** | | Bladder pain (interstitial cystitis) | Relieves bladder pain | One pilot report of 12 people with no comparison group.[8] | **Evidence grade C** | | Whole-body recovery | Faster bounce-back after training | No study measured this. | **Evidence grade U** | **The fair point:** Compounds that can't be patented attract less trial money, so "no trials" partly reflects funding, not proof that BPC-157 fails. It still means nobody has shown that it works, or how often it causes harm, in people. ## What are the known risks and side effects of BPC-157? There is too little human data to list BPC-157's side effects with confidence. The concerns FDA staff raised in July 2026 are about what is in unregulated vials (impurities, bacterial toxins, unreliable certificates) and about how often the peptide triggers an immune response. In lab studies BPC-157 promotes new blood-vessel growth. That helps wounds heal, but tumors also rely on it. No study has shown that BPC-157 causes or worsens cancer in people, and no study has ruled it out. People who inject unregulated products report redness, swelling and pain where they inject, and there is a risk of infection if the product or process isn't sterile. Who should be especially careful - **Anyone with a history of cancer or polyps.** Because of the theoretical blood-vessel growth concern. Tell your oncology team before using it. - **People who are pregnant, trying to get pregnant or breastfeeding.** There is no human data in pregnancy. - **Anyone under 18.** It has not been studied in young people. - **Tested athletes and service members.** It is prohibited at all times by WADA and listed as prohibited by the US military. A positive test counts whatever the label said. - **People taking prescription medicines.** Interactions have not been studied. Bring the product label to your clinician. Get medical help now if you have - Swelling of the face, lips or throat, trouble breathing, chest pain, a racing heart or fainting. **Call 911.** - Redness spreading from an injection site, warmth, pus or a fever. Get same-day care. - Unsure what you took or whether a reaction is serious: **Poison Control 1-800-222-1222** (free, 24 hours). - Thoughts of harming yourself: call or text **988**. ## Is BPC-157 legal? Not FDA-approved for any use.[1] Not on the 503A bulks list. FDA advisers recommended it on July 23, 2026; the vote is non-binding and no rule has been proposed.[2,10,11] - **23 JUL 2026:** FDA's compounding advisory committee voted in favor of adding BPC-157 to the 503A bulks list. Advisory only: compounding stays off-limits unless FDA writes a rule.[2,10] - **15 APR 2026:** Removed from FDA's Category 2 because its nomination was withdrawn. It was not added to Category 1. Removal is not approval.[1,12] - **SEP 2023:** Placed in Category 2 over immune-reaction, impurity and limited-human-data concerns.[9] Every status change for BPC-157 is logged with its date and source in the [regulatory tracker entry for BPC-157](https://plainlygraded.com/regulatory/#bpc-157). ## Is BPC-157 banned in sport? Prohibited at all times under the 2026 WADA List (S0, non-approved substances).[3] The US military's Operation Supplement Safety lists BPC-157 as prohibited.[4] Anti-doping rules work on strict liability: a positive test counts whatever the label said. ## What don't we know about BPC-157? Still unknown - Long-term effects in people: no controlled human trial has been published. - Whether taking it by mouth works in people: oral use has only been studied in animals. - What is actually in products sold online: an unapproved product has no required quality testing. - Whether it affects existing tumors: the blood-vessel signal has not been studied in people with cancer. - Effects in pregnancy and breastfeeding: there is no human data. Why this page has no dosing We don't publish doses, schedules or mixing instructions for BPC-157 or any unapproved peptide. No human dose has been established for most of these uses, so we list what to ask a licensed prescriber instead. [Here's why, and who can legally answer](https://plainlygraded.com/why-we-dont-give-dosing/) ## What should you tell your doctor if you're using BPC-157? Tell them exactly what you took, for how long, and where it came from, and bring the label. These questions can help the conversation: - Is there an approved treatment for my injury or condition that has been tested in people? - What should I watch for, and which symptoms mean I should stop and call you? - Should anything be checked before or while I use it? - Could it interact with the medicines I already take? ### Compare next - [The Wolverine stack](https://plainlygraded.com/stacks/wolverine-stack/) - [KLOW, explained](https://plainlygraded.com/stacks/klow/) - [GLOW, explained](https://plainlygraded.com/stacks/glow/) - [TB-500](https://plainlygraded.com/peptides/tb-500/) **Sources** 1. US Food and Drug Administration. 503A bulk drug substances: interim categories, updated April 15, 2026, 2026-04-15. 2. US Food and Drug Administration. Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, meeting of July 23-24, 2026: briefing documents and vote record, 2026-07-23. 3. World Anti-Doping Agency. [2026 Prohibited List (sections S0 and S2)](https://www.wada-ama.org/en/prohibited-list), 2026-01-01. 4. Operation Supplement Safety (US Department of Defense). [BPC-157](https://www.opss.org/node/512764). 5. HSS Journal. [Emerging use of BPC-157 in orthopaedic sports medicine: a systematic review](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40756949/), 2025. PMID 40756949. 6. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. [Intra-articular injection of BPC 157 for multiple types of knee pain](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34324435/), 2021. PMID 34324435. 7. ClinicalTrials.gov. [BPC-157 in ulcerative colitis (trial record)](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02637284). NCT02637284. 8. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. [BPC 157 for interstitial cystitis: a pilot study](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39325560/), 2024. PMID 39325560. 9. US Food and Drug Administration. Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks, 2023-09. 10. DLA Piper. [FDA AdComm recommends adding six peptides to bulk list](https://www.dlapiper.com/en-ae/insights/publications/2026/07/fda-adcomm-recommends-adding-six-peptides-to-bulk-list), 2026-07-31. (law-firm or secondary summary) 11. McDermott Will & Emery. [Bulk list bound? PCAC backs majority of peptides in two-day public meeting](https://www.mcdermottlaw.com/insights/bulk-list-bound-pcac-backs-majority-of-peptides-in-two-day-public-meeting/), 2026-07-27. (law-firm or secondary summary) 12. Frier Levitt. [FDA peptides 'do not compound' list update 2026](https://www.frierlevitt.com/articles/fda-peptides-do-not-compound-list-update-2026/), 2026-04-16. (law-firm or secondary summary) **Changelog** 17 OCT 2026 Draft. Statuses read from the regulatory record dated 2026-10-17. Spotted an error? [Report it](https://plainlygraded.com/corrections/). We never change a page's updated date without changing its content. --- We collect and compare information from public, cited sources. We cannot guarantee that it is complete, current or correct. This is not medical advice. Only a doctor can prescribe, and a doctor should confirm anything you read here before you act on it. Canonical page: https://plainlygraded.com/peptides/bpc-157/