--- title: "GLOW Peptide: What's in It, Evidence and Legal Status" description: "GLOW is a blend of BPC-157, TB-500 and GHK-Cu. No human trial has tested the combination. Evidence per ingredient, US status as of Oct 17, 2026, and…" canonical: https://plainlygraded.com/stacks/glow/ last_updated: 2026-10-17 breadcrumb: "Home > Stacks and blends > GLOW" 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. # GLOW Three-peptide blend: BPC-157, TB-500 and GHK-Cu. Also sold as "GLOW blend", "GLOW stack" - FDA: not approved - WADA: contains 2 prohibited substances - No human trial of the blend STATUS AS OF 17 OCT 2026 **BPC-157 ·** 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) **TB-500 ·** 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 (S2.3: thymosin beta-4 and its derivatives, e.g. TB-500) · [tracker entry](https://plainlygraded.com/regulatory/#tb-500) **GHK-Cu ·** FDA: legal as a cosmetic ingredient; not FDA-approved as a drug · 503A: injectable form off Category 2 since April 15, 2026 but not eligible for compounding; FDA advisers are due to review it before the end of February 2027 · WADA: not named on the 2026 WADA List. Because it is unapproved, the catch-all S0 section may still apply; ask USADA before use · [tracker entry](https://plainlygraded.com/regulatory/#ghk-cu) **The short answer:** GLOW is an unapproved three-peptide blend of BPC-157, TB-500 and GHK-Cu, and as of October 17, 2026 the combination has not been tested in a published human trial. Its skin claims borrow from studies of copper peptide creams, not injections, and two of its three ingredients are banned in sport at all times. Written by [Maren Holt](https://plainlygraded.com/about/team/) 7 PUBLIC SOURCES · UPDATED 17 OCT 2026 · NO TIES TO SELLERS [How we source](https://plainlygraded.com/how-we-source/) ### GLOW at a glance: evidence grade by ingredient | Ingredient | What it is | Grade | FDA | WADA 2026 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [BPC-157](https://plainlygraded.com/peptides/bpc-157/) | Synthetic 15-amino-acid fragment of a gastric protein | **Evidence grade C** | Not approved | S0 prohibited | | [TB-500](https://plainlygraded.com/peptides/tb-500/) | Synthetic fragment of thymosin beta-4, a repair-related protein | **Evidence grade D** | Not approved | S2 prohibited | | [GHK-Cu](https://plainlygraded.com/peptides/ghk-cu/) | Copper-binding three-amino-acid peptide found in human blood | **Evidence grade C** | Not approved as a drug | Not named · ask USADA | | **GLOW (the blend)** | No published human or animal study of the combination | **Evidence grade U** | Not approved | Prohibited | A blend is graded as a blend: good evidence for an ingredient does not transfer to the mix. [How we grade](https://plainlygraded.com/evidence-grading/) ## What is in GLOW? GLOW is a blend of BPC-157, TB-500 and GHK-Cu sold together. Clinics and sellers market it for skin and recovery. Adding KPV to the same three gives the blend sold as KLOW. **Note:** We don't list amounts. Sellers mix these peptides in different proportions and often don't publish them. [Why we don't publish doses or ratios](https://plainlygraded.com/why-we-dont-give-dosing/) ## Does GLOW work for skin? Topical vs injected GHK-Cu GLOW's skin claims rest on GHK-Cu. As a cream, copper peptide has decades of small human cosmetic studies, mostly funded by industry. Injected GHK-Cu has no published human data, and GLOW is sold as an injectable blend. A result for a cream does not transfer to an injection. ## Is GLOW legal in the US, and is it banned in sport? GLOW is not an FDA-approved drug, and none of its ingredients is approved as a drug. FDA's compounding advisers voted in favor of BPC-157 and TB-500 on July 23, 2026, but no rule has been proposed, so no pharmacy can lawfully compound them. Injectable GHK-Cu is due for an advisory review before the end of February 2027. WADA's 2026 List prohibits BPC-157 (S0) and TB-500 (S2) at all times, so the blend is prohibited in tested sport. ### What sellers claim vs what has been shown | Claimed | Shown | | --- | --- | | Glowing, firmer skin | Small human studies of copper peptide creams. Not shown for injected GHK-Cu or for GLOW.[1,7] | | Faster recovery | In rodents, for BPC-157 and thymosin beta-4. Not tested for the blend.[2,3] | What we don't know - Whether injected GHK-Cu does anything for skin in people. - Whether the three peptides interact or stay stable when mixed. - What is actually in products sold online. Why this page has no dosing We don't publish doses, schedules or mixing instructions for GLOW 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/) 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**. Who should be especially careful - **If you are pregnant, trying to get pregnant or breastfeeding.** There is no human data on any of these ingredients in pregnancy. - **If you have or have had cancer.** BPC-157 and thymosin beta-4 have a theoretical blood-vessel growth concern. - **If you compete in tested sport or serve in the military.** GLOW contains two substances prohibited at all times. - **If you have liver disease or a copper-related condition.** GHK-Cu adds copper. ### Compare next - [BPC-157](https://plainlygraded.com/peptides/bpc-157/) - [TB-500](https://plainlygraded.com/peptides/tb-500/) - [GHK-Cu](https://plainlygraded.com/peptides/ghk-cu/) - [KLOW](https://plainlygraded.com/stacks/klow/) - [Wolverine stack](https://plainlygraded.com/stacks/wolverine-stack/) **Sources** 1. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Regenerative and protective actions of the GHK-Cu peptide in the light of the new gene data, 2018. 2. HSS Journal. [Emerging use of BPC-157 in orthopaedic sports medicine: a systematic review](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40756949/), 2025. PMID 40756949. 3. ClinicalTrials.gov. Thymosin beta-4 (RGN-259) eye-drop trials in neurotrophic keratopathy and dry eye. 4. US Food and Drug Administration. Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, meeting of July 23-24, 2026: briefing documents and vote record, 2026-07-23. 5. US Food and Drug Administration. 503A bulk drug substances: interim categories, updated April 15, 2026, 2026-04-15. 6. World Anti-Doping Agency. [2026 Prohibited List (sections S0 and S2)](https://www.wada-ama.org/en/prohibited-list), 2026-01-01. 7. NPR. [The copper peptide trend has gone from creams to injections, ahead of the science](https://www.kuow.org/npr-news/2026-09-07/the-copper-peptide-trend-has-gone-from-creams-to-injections-ahead-of-the-science), 2026-09-07. (news report) **Changelog** 17 OCT 2026 Outline draft from brief 2. Full sections still to be written. 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/stacks/glow/