BPC-157

Body Protection Compound-157

The 15-amino-acid healing peptide derived from gastric juice protein

FDA Status

Not FDA-approved · Category 2 (compounding restricted, Sept 2023)

Class

Pentadecapeptide · synthetic fragment

Sequence

GEPPPGKPADDAGLV

Half-life

~30 min (subcutaneous)

Mechanism of action

• Promotes angiogenesis via VEGF receptor upregulation
• Modulates nitric oxide synthesis (NO/NOS pathway)
• Stabilizes growth-hormone receptor expression in injured tissue
• Cytoprotective effect on gastrointestinal mucosa

Research areas

• Tendon and ligament injury repair (Phase II ongoing)
• Inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis, Crohn)
• Wound healing and dermal repair
• Gastric ulcer protection (most documented use)

Evidence and clinical data

Strong animal data across 200+ studies. Limited human clinical trials. No published Phase III. The peptide has shown remarkable consistency in rodent models for tissue repair, but bench-to-bedside translation remains the open question.

Safety profile

Excellent animal safety profile across multiple species at doses far exceeding therapeutic ranges. Human safety data is anecdotal. Reported adverse events are rare and mild (injection-site reactions, occasional dizziness).