BPC-157 vs TB-500: FDA status, research and differences

	BPC-157	TB-500
FDA status	Not FDA approved. No approved product in any country ^[1]	Not FDA approved. Not part of any FDA-approved drug ^[2]
Studied for	Gut, tendon and other tissue injury, mostly in rats. Only tiny human pilot studies ^{[1, 10]}	Wound repair in lab and animal studies. FDA found no studies giving TB-500 to humans ^[2]
Route	Mostly into the abdomen in rats. Small human studies used enema, knee joint, bladder wall and IV routes ^{[1, 12]}	Under the skin in horses and into the abdomen in rats ^[2]
Key trials	Rat tendon study; 3 small human studies with 30 people in total ^{[12, 10]}	No human trials of TB-500. Human trials used full-length thymosin beta-4 ^{[2, 11, 15]}
What it is	15 amino acid piece of a gastric juice protein, first described in 1993 ^{[8, 1]}	7 amino acid piece of thymosin beta-4 (amino acids 17 to 23) with an acetyl group ^[2]
Half-life	Not known in humans. 5.3 minutes in dogs to 15.2 minutes in rats ^[1]	Not known in humans ^[2]
503A compounding	Not on the 503A bulks list or in any category. FDA staff proposed against adding it in July 2026 ^{[4, 5]}	Not on the 503A bulks list or in any category. FDA staff proposed against adding it in July 2026 ^{[4, 5]}
WADA	Banned at all times under S0 Non-approved substances ^[7]	Banned at all times under S2.3, as a derivative of thymosin beta-4 ^[7]

BPC-157 and TB-500 are two lab-made peptides often named together online. Neither is FDA approved, and neither may be compounded from bulk powder by a 503A pharmacy as of Oct 25, 2026 ^{[1, 2, 4]}. They are different molecules from different sources. BPC-157 is a 15 amino acid piece of a stomach protein ^[8]. TB-500 is a 7 amino acid piece of thymosin beta-4, a natural peptide ^[2].

Where they come from

BPC-157 was first described in 1993 by researchers in Croatia. They called it a 15 amino acid fragment of a protein, named BPC, found in gastric juice ^[8]. FDA says its molecular targets have not been found and its mechanism is poorly understood ^[1].

TB-500 is a synthetic copy of amino acids 17 to 23 of thymosin beta-4, with an acetyl group added ^[2]. Thymosin beta-4 itself has 43 amino acids ^[9]. FDA says TB-500 appears to have first been made in 2003 ^[2]. FDA also notes that results for the natural fragment cannot simply be applied to the acetylated TB-500 ^[2].

What has been studied

Most BPC-157 research is in rats. In a 2003 rat study, it was studied for repair of cut Achilles tendons, and treated rats had stronger tendons than controls ^[12]. Human data are very thin. A 2026 systematic review found only 3 human studies with 30 people in total and rated the evidence very low certainty ^[10]. One was a chart review of 16 adults with knee pain, with no control group ^[14].

For TB-500, FDA found no articles in which it was given to humans ^[2]. In mice, both thymosin beta-4 and the unmodified 7 amino acid fragment were linked to faster skin wound repair ^[13]. Human trials have tested full-length thymosin beta-4, not TB-500. A phase 1 IV study in 40 healthy adults found mild or moderate side effects ^[11]. A small eye drop trial for a corneal condition found full closure in 6 of 10 on drops vs 1 of 8 on placebo, which was not statistically significant ^[15]. See the BPC-157 and TB-500 pages for full study lists.

Safety

FDA says it lacks enough information to know whether either peptide would cause harm in people ^[3]. For both, FDA is concerned about immune reactions when they are injected, and about impurities in products ^{[1, 2, 3]}.

FDA's adverse event database has reports of injection site reactions, shortness of breath, and skin and gum darkening after BPC-157 use, though FDA could not tell if BPC-157 caused them ^[1]. For TB-500, FDA found no clinical studies or human exposure data, so its risks in people are unknown ^[2].

Legal status

FDA's 503A categories list, updated May 14, 2026, does not place either peptide in category 1, 2 or 3 ^[4]. FDA lists both among substances once in category 2 whose nominations were withdrawn ^[3]. At its July 23, 2026 advisory committee meeting, FDA staff proposed that BPC-157 and TB-500, in free base and acetate forms, NOT be added to the 503A bulks list ^[5]. FDA says it will not make a final decision until the committee process is complete ^[5]. As of Oct 25, 2026, FDA had not posted minutes or vote results on its meeting page ^[6]. See the FDA Peptide Status Tracker for updates.

Both are banned in sport at all times. WADA lists BPC-157 under S0 and thymosin beta-4 derivatives such as TB-500 under S2.3 ^[7].

Frequently asked questions

Is BPC-157 the same as TB-500?

No. BPC-157 is a 15 amino acid piece of a gastric juice protein ^[8]. TB-500 is a 7 amino acid piece of thymosin beta-4 ^[2].

Are BPC-157 and TB-500 FDA approved?

No. FDA says no BPC-157 product is approved in any country, and TB-500 is not part of any FDA-approved drug ^{[1, 2]}.

Can a pharmacy compound BPC-157 or TB-500?

Not under section 503A as of Oct 25, 2026. Neither is on the 503A bulks list, and FDA staff proposed against adding them in July 2026 ^{[4, 5]}.

Has TB-500 been tested in humans?

FDA found no articles in which TB-500 was given to humans. Human trials used full-length thymosin beta-4 ^{[2, 11]}.

Has BPC-157 been tested in humans?

Only in very small studies. A 2026 review found 3 human studies with 30 people in total ^[10].

Are BPC-157 and TB-500 banned in sports?

Yes. WADA bans BPC-157 under S0 and TB-500 under S2.3, in and out of competition ^[7].