BPC-157 — Gastric pentadecapeptide / pleiotropic cytoprotective peptide
BPC-157 is the most clinically used peptide in sports medicine and integrative practice with the least regulatory oversight. The evidence gap is stark: hundreds of animal studies, zero completed Phase 3 human RCTs. The human IBD trials (PL 14736 enema formulation) were encouraging but not Phase 3 level. The oral bioavailability documentation is clinically relevant — the gastric juice origin protein suggests oral stability, but systemic oral bioavailability for musculoskeletal indications remains unproven. Practitioners should be transparent with patients: this is a C-grade compound with compelling preclinical data but no human registration trial. The pro-angiogenic mechanism warrants caution in patients with any malignancy history.
Overview
This page is part of Hormonaly's evidence-graded compound library. All clinical claims are linked to peer-reviewed sources via our dual-layer citation verification pipeline.
Compound Class
Gastric pentadecapeptide / pleiotropic cytoprotective peptide
Mechanism of Action
Synthetic 15-amino acid peptide derived from human gastric juice protein BPC. Pleiotropic mechanism: (1) Upregulates nitric oxide (NO) synthesis — primary driver of angiogenesis, vaspdilation, and tissue perfusion; (2) Activates FAK (focal adhesion kinase) and paxillin pathways promoting cytoskeletal reorganization and cell migration; (3) Upregulates GH receptor expression — sensitizes tissues to growth hormone signal; (4) Inhibits inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6) via NF-κB suppression; (5) Directly interacts with dopaminergic, GABAergic, and serotonergic systems. Remarkably stable in gastric acid (unlike most peptides) — oral bioavailability is notable and distinguishes it from other peptides. Animal models show consistent healing across tendon, ligament, muscle, GI tract, bone, and neural tissue.
Regulatory Status
Not FDA-approved; not scheduled; compounded peptide available through compounding pharmacies; IND studies conducted (PL 14736 by Pliva)
Evidence Level
Moderate preclinical, limited human — Extensive animal RCT data across multiple injury models consistently shows healing acceleration; Phase 1 human trials (PL-10, PL 14736 for IBD) have been conducted; NO completed Phase 3 RCTs; therefore C-grade