BPC-157: What the Research Shows

At a glance

What it isA lab-made peptide (a short chain of amino acids). The name stands for “body protection compound 157.”

Studied forTendon, ligament and muscle repair in animals. A few small human reports, on knee pain and bladder symptoms.

Human evidenceVery limited. We found no completed randomized controlled trial in people.

FDA statusNot an approved drug. Not on FDA’s list of bulk substances that pharmacies may compound. A federal decision was still pending when this page was reviewed.

SportNamed on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s 2026 Prohibited List.

Last reviewed October 12, 2026. Regulatory status for these substances has been changing, so we re-check this page and update the date.

What the research shows

Most of what is known comes from laboratory and animal work. A 2025 systematic review in the HSS Journal searched the literature on BPC-157 in orthopaedic sports medicine. After removing duplicates it included 36 studies: 35 in animals or cells and 1 in people. The reviewers found no clinical safety data. ^[1]

One example of the lab work: in an experiment on rat tendon and cultured tendon cells, BPC-157 increased how far tendon cells grew out of the tissue. ^[2] Findings like this suggest where to look. They do not show that the same thing happens in a person.

Reports in people are few and small. A 2025 review counted only three pilot studies of BPC-157 in humans. ^[3] They were a single-clinic chart review of knee injections, an intravenous safety pilot in two people, and a bladder-symptom pilot in 12 people.

In the knee study, 14 of 16 patients contacted by phone reported relief after injections of BPC-157 alone or with thymosin beta-4. There was no comparison group, and the patients rated their own pain months later. ^[4] In the intravenous pilot, two adults received up to 20 mg and reported no side effects. ^[5] Reports like these cannot show that a treatment works, or that it is safe.

One randomized, placebo-controlled trial in ulcerative colitis (53 people, an enema, 2005) was reported only as a conference abstract. When FDA reviewed it, the agency concluded that the data were inadequate to support the efficacy and safety of BPC-157. ^[6]

What is still unknown

Whether BPC-157 helps any human condition, compared with placebo.
Long-term safety in people. No clinical safety data were found in the 2025 systematic review.
Whether oral or liposomal BPC-157 products reach the bloodstream or tissue in any useful amount. FDA’s review found no studies of BPC-157 given by mouth, under the skin, by nasal spray or on the skin. We did not find published human studies of oral liposomal products either.

Where it stands with FDA and in sport

FDA has not approved any drug that contains BPC-157. In FDA’s review, BPC-157 is described as marketed in the United States as an ingredient in dietary supplement products, as oral capsules and tablets. ^[6]

FDA’s page on bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risks lists BPC-157 in a section for nominations that were later withdrawn. FDA says compounded BPC-157 may pose a risk of immune reactions, and that the agency “lacks sufficient information to know whether the drug would cause harm when administered to humans.” ^[7]

In July 2026 an FDA advisory committee reviewed BPC-157, KPV and TB-500. FDA’s own staff proposed that none of them be added to the list of substances pharmacies may compound. Media reports say the committee voted in favor. The committee’s vote is advisory, and we found no final FDA action when this page was reviewed. ^[8]

The World Anti-Doping Agency’s 2026 Prohibited List names BPC-157 under non-approved substances. Competitive athletes should not use it. ^[9]

The product

Quicksilver Scientific Oral Liposomal BPC

Quicksilver Scientific sells an oral liposomal liquid, taken 1 mL at a time, in a 30 mL bottle. Its Supplement Facts panel lists “BPC (as Pentadeca Short Chain Amino Acids)” at 1,000 mcg per serving.^[10]

It is sold as a dietary supplement. It is not an FDA-approved drug, and the label carries the standard notice that the product has not been evaluated by FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

We are not aware of published human studies of this product, or of BPC-157 taken by mouth.

If you are curious about this product, talk with a KOI clinician first. We review your history, your medications and your labs, and we will tell you plainly what is known and not known.

Sources

Good to know

Is BPC-157 FDA approved?

No. FDA has not approved any drug that contains BPC-157, and the agency has said it lacks enough information to know whether compounded BPC-157 would cause harm in people.

Does BPC-157 heal tendons or joints?

In some animal and cell experiments it appears to help tissue repair. In people, the evidence is a few small reports without comparison groups. That is not enough to say that it works.

Can I take it if I compete in sport?

No. BPC-157 is named on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s 2026 Prohibited List.

Go deeper

Explore the Ēnel Health Peptide Atlas

Ēnel Health publishes a free library of peptides, with each compound graded on the human evidence that exists and every entry cited to its sources.

Explore the Peptide Atlas

Not sure what makes sense for you?

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This page is for education. It is not medical advice and does not replace care from a licensed clinician.

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