BPC-157
Also known as Body Protection Compound 157, pentadecapeptide BPC-157
Enormously popular online, and approved for human use precisely nowhere. Nearly all the evidence is in rodents.
$40–120 per vial on grey markets. Not available through pharmacies.
How it works
A synthetic fragment derived from a protein found in gastric juice. Animal work suggests it upregulates VEGF and growth factor signalling, promoting angiogenesis and accelerating healing of tendon, ligament, muscle and gut tissue. The mechanism in humans is essentially uncharacterised.
How it's used
There is no approved human protocol, no pharmacy supply, and no regulatory oversight. It is sold as a "research chemical", which means purity, sterility and actual contents are unverified. The World Anti-Doping Agency added it to the prohibited list in 2022. If you have a tendon or gut problem, the evidence-backed route is physiotherapy, load management or gastroenterology.
Trade-offs
In favour
- Consistent and fairly striking results in rodent healing models
- Reported low acute toxicity in animal studies
- Anecdotal reports of soft-tissue recovery are numerous
Against
- No completed human efficacy trials
- Not approved anywhere; no legitimate supply chain
- Banned in tested sport
- Unknown long-term effects — angiogenesis promotion is not obviously benign
Risks and side effects
- Unregulated product: contamination, wrong dose, wrong compound, non-sterile vials
- Injection-site infection and abscess
- Promoting blood vessel growth has an obvious theoretical downside if any occult tumour is present
- Zero human safety data over any meaningful timeframe
- Possession or supply may be an offence depending on your jurisdiction
How good is the evidence?
Extensive rodent literature, effectively no human evidence. Popularity online is not a substitute for a trial, and the absence of human safety data is the main point.
Sources
Sources point to guideline bodies and literature searches rather than single papers, so they stay accurate as the evidence moves.