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Peptides, proteins & enzymes

BPC-157

BPC-157 / Bepecin peptide

BPC-157 (Bepecin) is an investigational synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide. Compare listed capsules and vials by declared peptide mass, form and testing without interpreting retail strength as a validated dose. Human findings are limited and route-specific; consumer recovery benefits, practical timing and a safe oral or subcutaneous protocol remain unestablished. FDA identifies compounding safety uncertainties, and the 2026 WADA list prohibits BPC-157 in governed sport.

SyntheticMostly Animal EvidenceEmerging ResearchInsufficient EvidenceForm Dependent EvidencePregnancy CautionLong Term Safety Unknown
Updated October 2026/7 min read/12 citations
Reviewed by the NootropicsIndex editorial team.Method: prioritize cited human research and official safety or regulatory sources; compare retailer-listed prices without endorsing products.Affiliate disclosure
01

What is it?

BPC-157 identity and form

3

BPC-157, also called Bepecin or PL-14736, is an investigational synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide. FDA evaluates the free base and acetate separately; a matching common name alone does not prove that two products contain the same form.

Not a routine nootropic or supplement4
Small human reports do not establish consumer recovery or cognition benefits. The 2026 WADA list prohibits BPC-157 at all times in governed sport; this sport rule is distinct from national medicine or supplement law.

Human evidence is preliminary and route-specific

3

Published human reports include a retrospective knee series, an uncontrolled 12-person bladder pilot, and a two-person intravenous safety pilot. Older enema evidence is largely available as meeting abstracts. These reports do not establish oral or subcutaneous recovery efficacy.

No validated consumer protocol3
No validated consumer dose or cycle has been established. FDA found no human pharmacokinetic data for oral, subcutaneous, nasal or transdermal routes in its May 2026 review; a registry protocol is not self-use guidance.
02

Names, aliases and forms

Common NamesBPC-157; Bepecin
Chemical NameBody protective compound 15
Research CodesPL 14736; PL10; PLD-116
03

Mechanisms of action

Repair biology is mostly preclinical

3

Animal and cell literature discusses wound healing, gastrointestinal protection, nitric-oxide pathways, angiogenesis, tendon and ligament repair, and vascular responses. FDA notes that molecular targets remain unidentified and dose-response relationships are not established, limiting translation to people.

04

Potential effects and evidence map

Recovery evidence is predominantly animal or mechanistic. Small uncontrolled or retrospective human reports and older enema abstracts do not establish oral or subcutaneous recovery efficacy. The registered 120-participant Phase 2 hamstring trial remains recruiting without posted results as checked on October 19, 2026. Grade D reflects limited human observations, without validated recovery or nootropic benefits.

Effect domainMagnitudeGrade
Physical energy / endurance5
UnknownConfidence: Low

No controlled human evidence establishes improved physical performance or endurance. Preclinical repair findings and an uncontrolled knee report do not measure these outcomes reliably.

Note No demonstrated benefit in this controlled taxonomy domain; a zero score is not proof of inefficacy. Human recovery evidence remains preliminary and route-specific.

0/5
D
Cellular / long-term brain support6
UnknownConfidence: Medium

No reliable human evidence supports nootropic, neuroprotective, focus, memory, or mood benefits.

Note Human reports concern knee pain, bladder symptoms or short route-specific exposure, rather than healthy-user cognition.

0/5
E
05

Typical dosages and timing

Capsule listing120.5 mg/capsule

One indexed retailer lists 0.5 mg per capsule. This is product-strength and price-normalization context only, rather than a validated dose, protocol or evidence of lawful marketing.

06

Timing & effect horizon

Effect horizonUnknown
Unknown
Onset, duration, and cycles are not established3

Reliable onset, effect duration, oral or subcutaneous human pharmacokinetics, cycling, and long-term repeated-use safety are not established. Do not convert animal healing timelines, retailer instructions, or a trial protocol into a consumer schedule.

Registered study window7

As checked on October 19, 2026, NCT07437547 is registered as recruiting a planned 120 participants for staff-administered subcutaneous BPC-157 or placebo for 14 days after acute hamstring strain. No results are posted. This is a study window, not established onset, effect duration or a recommended cycle.

07

Safety, side effects and risk profile

Legal / regulatory risk4
Confidence: High

The 2026 WADA list prohibits BPC-157 at all times in governed sport. U.S. compounding review is a separate regulatory question.

Note Categorical sport eligibility restriction, not a quantified healthy-adult harm probability. FDA staff reviewed the free base and acetate in 2026; advisory review does not mean drug approval.

Unscored
A
Evidence uncertainty3
Confidence: High

Clinical safety and efficacy remain too limited to define safe consumer use across common routes.

Note The current FDA compounding-safety page states that limited safety information leaves human harm unquantified. No numeric incidence or severity estimate is established for routine oral use.

Unscored
E
Pregnancy / lactation caution3
Confidence: High

Pregnancy, lactation, and pediatric safety have not been established.

Note No controlled human safety evidence supports these populations. This evidence gap is a targeted caution, not a numerical risk estimate.

Unscored
E
Headache / dizziness3
Confidence: Low

Headache appeared in older enema-study abstracts without a clear difference from placebo.

Note Older route-specific enema abstracts cannot establish incidence, causality or common adverse effects for capsules or injections.

Unscored
D
GI discomfort3
Confidence: Low

Flatulence appeared in older enema-study abstracts without a clear difference from placebo.

Note Older route-specific enema abstracts cannot establish incidence or general oral or injectable tolerability.

Unscored
D
Safety cannot be assigned a reliable score2

Human safety evidence is insufficient to estimate an ordinary oral-use risk score. Unknown does not mean safe or zero risk. FDA identifies potential immune reactions for certain compounded routes and unresolved peptide-impurity and identity concerns; these route and product hazards remain relevant even though their incidence is not quantified.

Self-injection and gray-market risk3

Self-injection adds risks that capsules do not: sterility and endotoxin failures, reconstitution and dosing error, needle injury, local infection, immune reaction, mislabeled concentration, counterfeit material, and poorly characterized peptide combinations. FDA's 2026 review also reports altered clotting tests and liver-associated signals in rats and dogs after repeated intramuscular exposure; their relevance to human risk is uncertain.

What the limited human safety record shows3

FDA found no reported serious adverse events in several tiny short studies, with unclear monitoring. Its review also describes three injection-related FAERS reports, including redness and swelling, breathlessness requiring emergency assessment, and pigmentation changes. Attribution was limited by sparse information or concurrent peptides; these reports cannot establish incidence or exclude serious harm.

08

Interactions and cautions

Combination and special-population data are lacking3

Human interactions with medicines, supplements or alcohol have not been adequately characterized. Pregnancy, lactation, pediatric use and long-term repeated exposure also lack reliable safety evidence. A lack of documented interactions is not evidence that a combination is safe.

09

Legal and regulatory status

WADA prohibited at all times4

The 2026 WADA Prohibited List names BPC-157 under S0 non-approved substances. This category is prohibited at all times, both in competition and out of competition.

U.S. FDA compounding review3

In its May 2026 staff briefing, FDA recommended against adding BPC-157 free base and acetate to the U.S. 503A Bulks List; the July 2026 advisory meeting considered that question. Staff recommendations and advisory discussions are not drug approval. As checked on October 19, 2026, FDA still describes limited safety information and potential compounding risks. These U.S. statements do not determine legal status in other jurisdictions.

10

Practical buying and quality notes

  • Compare declared peptide mass and free-base or acetate form before price. Capsule count, vial count and net peptide mass are different units. Container contents are not an administered dose; an offer with missing quantity cannot support a reliable normalized-price ranking.3
  • Check the full GEPPPGKPADDAGLV sequence, free base versus acetate identity, net peptide amount, identity testing, impurities, aggregation controls and storage. For products claiming injectable sterility, a generic purity percentage does not establish sterility or endotoxin control. A certificate of analysis should identify the actual product and batch.3
  • A price per capsule and a price per vial are not like-for-like comparisons. Check the amount, form, currency and package details before interpreting a price ranking. Quality testing cannot remove the 2026 WADA prohibition for governed athletes.4
11

FAQ

What is Bepecin?

1

Bepecin is a synonym for BPC-157, a synthetic pentadecapeptide also called body protective compound 15, PL-14736, PL-10, or PLD-116.

What is the BPC-157 dosage?

3

No validated consumer dose has been established. Retail capsule strengths and vial contents describe products, rather than approved dosing or reconstitution guidance.

How long does BPC-157 take to work?

3

Human onset and effect duration are not established, and FDA found no human pharmacokinetic data for common oral, subcutaneous, nasal, or transdermal routes. Animal timelines and online cycles are not evidence-based human schedules.

Is BPC-157 proven for injury recovery?

7

Controlled human evidence does not yet validate faster injury recovery. Existing route-specific reports are small and uncontrolled; the registered Phase 2 hamstring trial has no posted results as checked on October 19, 2026.

Is BPC-157 allowed for athletes?

4

No for WADA-governed sport. The 2026 WADA list names BPC-157 under S0 non-approved substances, prohibited at all times in and out of competition.

12

References

  1. NCATS Inxight Drugs. BPC-157 (UNII 8ED8NXK95P). Accessed 2026-07-14.
  2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks. Accessed 2026-10-19.
  3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Evaluation of BPC-157-Related Bulk Drug Substances (BPC-157 Free Base and BPC-157 Acetate) for Inclusion on the 503A Bulk Drug Substances List. FDA briefing document dated May 11, 2026.
  4. World Anti-Doping Agency. International Standard: Prohibited List 2026. In force January 1, 2026.
  5. Vasireddi N, Hahamyan H, Salata MJ, et al. Emerging Use of BPC-157 in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: A Systematic Review. HSS J. 2025;21(4):15563316251355551.
  6. McGuire FP, Martinez R, Lenz A, Skinner L, Cushman DM. Regeneration or Risk? A Narrative Review of BPC-157 for Musculoskeletal Healing. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2025;18(12):611-619.
  7. ClinicalTrials.gov. BPC 157 for Acute Hamstring Muscle Strain Repair (BPC-HAMSTR), NCT07437547. Accessed 2026-10-19.
  8. Lee E, Padgett B. Intra-Articular Injection of BPC 157 for Multiple Types of Knee Pain. Altern Ther Health Med. 2021;27(4):8-13.
  9. Lee E, Walker C, Ayadi B. Effect of BPC-157 on Symptoms in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis: A Pilot Study. Altern Ther Health Med. 2024;30(10):12-17.
  10. Lee E, Burgess K. Safety of Intravenous Infusion of BPC157 in Humans: A Pilot Study. Altern Ther Health Med. 2025;31(5):20-24.
  11. Klicek R, Sever M, Radic B, et al. Pentadecapeptide BPC 157, in clinical trials as a therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (PL14736), is effective in the healing of colocutaneous fistulas in rats: role of the nitric oxide-system. J Pharmacol Sci. 2008;108(1):7-17.
  12. SwissChems. BPC-157, 0.5 mg per capsule, 60-capsule product listing. Accessed 2026-07-01.
Note

This page is informational and summarizes available evidence. It is not medical advice, a recommendation, or a substitute for guidance from a qualified clinician.