What Is BPC-157?

Overview

BPC-157 (Body Protection Compound-157, Bepecin, PL 14736) is a synthetic pentadecapeptide composed of 15 amino acids (GEPPPGKPADDAGLV), derived from a partial sequence of a larger Body Protection Compound protein naturally found in human gastric juice.[1][2]

Originally isolated by Dr. Predrag Sikiric's research group at the University of Zagreb in 1993, BPC-157 is one of the most extensively studied cytoprotective peptides in preclinical literature. It demonstrates pleiotropic effects across gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, neurological, and vascular models.[8]

A key distinguishing feature is its exceptional stability — BPC-157 resists enzymatic degradation in human gastric juice for over 24 hours, is effective via multiple routes (oral, parenteral, topical) without requiring a carrier molecule, and has shown no lethal dose (LD1) in toxicology studies.[3][9]

The U.S. FDA placed BPC-157 on the Category 2 Bulk Drug Substances list in September 2023, citing potential immunogenicity risks and insufficient safety data for human compounding.[4] WADA explicitly banned BPC-157 under S0 (Non-approved Substances) effective January 1, 2022.[5]