What Is BPC-157? Sequence, Salt Forms and Regulatory Status

BPC-157 is a synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide, GEPPPGKPADDAGLV (C62H98N16O22, 1,419.5 g/mol), corresponding to a partial sequence of a protein first isolated from human gastric juice. BPC-157 is sold as a free acid or as salts such as the acetate. As of November 2026, BPC-157 is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

What is BPC-157?

BPC-157 is a pentadecapeptide, a chain of 15 amino acids. In FDA's 2026 briefing document, BPC is spelled out as Body Protection Compound, and BPC-157 is described as "a pentadecapeptide fragment of the BPC protein originally isolated from human gastric juice" (FDA, 2026). The name is historical nomenclature from the discovery period, not a description of verified properties.

The same FDA document records that researchers at the University of Zagreb, Croatia, first synthesized BPC-157 in the early 1990s, and that a 1993 report described its synthesis by stepwise condensation (FDA, 2026). In development and regulatory records, BPC-157 also appears under the codes PL 14736 (written PL-14736 by FDA) and Bepecin.

FDA lists the same sequence, formula and molecular weight for BPC-157 (free base), the regulatory term for the peptide without a counter-ion (FDA, 2026). The full spec sheet is on the BPC-157 product page.

BPC-157 free acid, acetate and arginate: how do the forms differ?

The PeppedCo catalog lists BPC-157 by its free-acid formula. Other sources sell BPC-157 acetate and products labeled BPC-157 arginate. FDA reports having "encountered multiple salts, and derivatives, including different active moieties" under the BPC-157 name, and FDA considers a free base and each of its salts to be distinct active pharmaceutical ingredients (FDA, 2026).

The acetate formula is the one given in an interim enforcement policy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), current as of November 2026. In each salt formula, x is the number of counter-ion equivalents per peptide molecule, a value a COA for a salt form should state. How each form changes a certificate of analysis (COA):

• Identity. Mass spectrometry (MS) measures the peptide ion, so the free acid, acetate and arginate should all give the same BPC-157 signals listed in the next section. An arginate sample can also show a free arginine ion at a mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) near 175.12 (calculated).
• Purity. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) purity compares the BPC-157 peak with peptide-related impurities. Counter-ions and residual water do not appear in that percentage.
• Peptide content. A salt form holds less BPC-157 per milligram of powder than the free acid, because part of the weighed mass is counter-ion. A COA for a salt should name the counter-ion and, ideally, report counter-ion or peptide content.
• Labeling. The COA and the vial label should name the same form and the same lot number.

For the BPC-157 + TB-500 blend, a 1:1 co-lyophilized mix, the COA should show MS identity data for both peptides.

What mass spectrometry values should BPC-157 show?

The expected values below were calculated from the molecular formula C62H98N16O22. The monoisotopic mass sums the most abundant isotope of each element (carbon-12 at 12.00000 Da, hydrogen-1 at 1.00783 Da, nitrogen-14 at 14.00307 Da and oxygen-16 at 15.99491 Da). Each positive charge adds one proton (1.00728 Da), and a sodium adduct adds 22.98922 Da.

BPC-157 has two readily protonated sites, the free N-terminal amine and the lysine side chain, so electrospray spectra would be expected to show mainly the 1+ and 2+ ions. Small deviations reflect instrument calibration and whether a report quotes monoisotopic or average masses, which a COA should state.

Because FDA has encountered derivatives with different active moieties sold under the BPC-157 name, a mass that matches these values is the central identity check. How to Read a Peptide COA explains each COA field, and the COA for each released lot is published on the Lab Testing page.

What does the BPC-157 literature consist of?

Most published BPC-157 research is preclinical, meaning animal and cell experiments. The nominators who asked FDA to evaluate BPC-157 for compounding submitted a list of 25 articles reporting nonclinical studies (FDA, 2026).

The BPC-157 literature is concentrated in one laboratory. A 2026 investigation published by STAT reported that almost all existing BPC-157 data come from a single group of researchers in Croatia led by Predrag Sikiric of the University of Zagreb. The same report found that the large majority of the roughly 200 BPC-157 studies listed on PubMed include Sikiric or a colleague as a main author, and that a research group in Taiwan has published several BPC-157 studies (Talpos, 2026). When nearly all data come from one group, few findings have been tested by unaffiliated laboratories.

Human data on BPC-157 are limited to a handful of small reports, according to FDA's 2026 review (FDA, 2026):

• a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of BPC-157 under the code PL 14736, known only from a 2005 meeting abstract (53 participants randomized, 46 completed);
• a 12-participant study, a 17-participant report and a two-participant report;
• one registered Phase 1 study (NCT02637284), with no posted outcome data and no publication.

FDA described these human studies as short in duration with small sample sizes. No large randomized controlled trial of BPC-157 has been published as a peer-reviewed paper.

Is BPC-157 FDA approved?

As of November 2026, BPC-157 is not approved by the FDA for human use: FDA's July 2026 briefing document states that neither BPC-157 (free base) nor BPC-157 acetate is a component of an FDA-approved drug (FDA, 2026). Four 2026 actions concern pharmacy compounding, not drug approval:

1. April list change. On April 15, 2026, FDA announced that 12 peptides would leave Category 2 of its interim 503A bulk drug substance categories after their nominators withdrew the nominations (Ravitz et al., 2026). BPC-157 (free base) and BPC-157 acetate, in Category 2 since September 2023, left it on April 22, 2026, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notes that neither the placement nor the removal changed their status under section 503A (HHS, 2026).
2. July 23 agenda. FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (PCAC) scheduled BPC-157 (free base) and BPC-157 acetate for discussion on July 23, 2026, alongside KPV, TB-500 and MOTS-c (Federal Register, 2026).
3. Committee vote. FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) recommended against listing either form, and the committee voted in favor of inclusion. PCAC votes are advisory (HHS, 2026).
4. Interim policy. As of November 2026, an HHS interim enforcement discretion policy covers six peptides, including BPC-157, compounded under section 503A by a state-licensed pharmacy, federal facility or licensed physician. HHS notes that compounded drugs are not FDA-approved (HHS, 2026).

For sport, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2026 Prohibited List names BPC-157 as an example in section S0, non-approved substances, which are prohibited at all times and classified as Specified Substances (WADA, 2026).

How should lyophilized BPC-157 be stored?

FDA's 2026 briefing document describes BPC-157 (free base) as a white to off-white lyophilized powder. The document reports room-temperature stability of the lyophilized powder for 3 weeks, together with a recommendation to store BPC-157 desiccated below −18 °C because of moisture exposure, and it cites expected stability of BPC-157 acetate below −20 °C (FDA, 2026).

The BPC-157 sequence contains no methionine, cysteine or tryptophan, the residues most prone to oxidation, so moisture control and cold storage are the main handling points. Practical steps for the lyophilized powder:

• keep vials sealed until needed and store them cold and dry;
• let a cold vial reach room temperature before opening to limit condensation;
• record the form, lot number and COA with each experiment.

How to Store Lyophilized Peptides covers storage conditions in detail, and How to Vet a Research Peptide Supplier covers the documents to request before buying.

Sourcing BPC-157 for laboratory research

Every PeppedCo lot of BPC-157 is third-party tested before release: HPLC for purity and mass spectrometry for identity, with a purity release threshold of 98.0% or higher by HPLC. The lot number is printed on every vial, and anyone can look up a lot at /lab-testing/#verify. BPC-157 is supplied as lyophilized powder in sealed glass vials, with the full spec sheet on the BPC-157 product page.