BPC-157 vs TB-500
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
The short answer
These two are sold as a pair and often described as if they were the same. They are different molecules with separate studies. This page puts the two records next to each other so you can see the difference, not just be told about it.
- BPC-157 people
- 31
- BPC-157 nulls
- 1
- TB-500 people
- 0
- TB-500 nulls
- 0
Dose
No human dose established
No published study has given BPC-157 as a shot under the skin or as a pill, the ways most buyers take it. Amounts that circulate in forums are not a human dose. Amounts that were given in studies sit in Human evidence on this page.
Commonly reported amounts, in mcg. BPC-157 has no approved label and no completed human dosing trial.
Amounts commonly reported by people buying BPC-157, recorded for this archive's reconstitution calculator, are 250, 500 and 750 mcg. They are self-reports rather than trial doses, and this archive does not recommend any of them. No human dose has been established for BPC-157.
| Reported amount | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|
| 250 mcg | Commonly reported, no published human dosing trial |
| 500 mcg | Commonly reported, no published human dosing trial |
| 750 mcg | Commonly reported, no published human dosing trial |
Dose
No human dose established for TB-500
No published study has given TB-500 to people. Doses quoted for it usually belong to thymosin beta-4, a different molecule. Amounts that circulate on vendor pages are not a human dose.
Commonly reported amounts, in mg, usually given once or twice a week. No approved label.
Amounts commonly reported by people buying TB-500, recorded for this archive's reconstitution calculator, are 1, 2, 2.5 and 5 mg. They are self-reports rather than trial doses, and this archive does not recommend any of them. No human dose has been established for TB-500.
| Reported amount | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|
| 1 mg | Commonly reported, no published human dosing trial |
| 2 mg | Commonly reported, no published human dosing trial |
| 2.5 mg | Commonly reported, no published human dosing trial |
| 5 mg | Commonly reported, no published human dosing trial |
First-hand reports are counted on each profile and never added together. This page sets two published records side by side. It does not pick a winner.
Column A
BPC-157Body Protection Compound 157
A lab-made piece of a stomach protein. It has lots of animal studies on tendon, muscle and gut healing. In people there is very little: two enema studies in Croatia, three small clinic reports with nobody to compare against, and one injury study with a dummy group that is still signing people up.
Column B
TB-500TB-500 (N-acetylated thymosin beta-4 fragment 17 to 23, Ac-LKKTETQ)
A lab-made chain of seven amino acids cut from thymosin beta-4, sold under a research name. No published study has given TB-500 to people. The human studies people quote for it used the full 43 amino acid parent peptide, which is a different molecule.
The mistake this page exists to correct
TB-500 is routinely sold on the strength of the RegeneRx clinical program. That program tested thymosin beta-4, the full 43 building block peptide. It did not test the seven building block piece in the vial. A lab test by Ghent University in 2012 and the FDA review of 2026 both found the product sold is the capped piece Ac-LKKTETQ. The trial record does not carry over. Check the mass on a certificate of analysis before you assume which molecule you have.
Side by side, on the facts we can check
| What we compare | BPC-157 | TB-500 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Healing & Recovery | Healing & Recovery |
| FDA status | Not FDA-approved. In April 2026 the FDA took it off Category 2, its list of pharmacy ingredients with safety worries. In July 2026 the FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted 8 to 6, with one member abstaining, in favor of letting pharmacies make it. The FDA's own reviewers had advised against that. The FDA has not acted yet | Not FDA-approved. In April 2026 the FDA took it off Category 2, its list of pharmacy ingredients with safety worries. In July 2026 the FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted 8 to 6, with one member abstaining, in favor of letting pharmacies make it. The FDA's own reviewers had advised against that. The FDA has not acted yet |
| Half-life | Under 30 minutes in plasma in a two-person pilot; the animal literature describes effects lasting hours to days. | Not established in humans |
| Molecular weight | 1,419.5 Da | 889.0 Da (free base); 949.1 Da (acetate) |
| How it works | In animals, BPC-157 helps grow new blood vessels. It works with nitric oxide, a gas the body uses to widen blood vessels. In tendon cells from animals, it raises growth hormone receptors and growth signals. Nobody has found the exact switch it acts on. The FDA's 2026 review gave that as one reason it could not judge whether it should work. In people, very little is known. After an enema, it could not be found in the blood. A two-person test suggests it leaves the blood in under 30 minutes. Animal studies describe effects that last hours to days. | The fragment holds LKKTET, the part of thymosin beta-4 that grabs actin. Actin is a protein that lets cells move and change shape. The idea is that the fragment grabs loose actin the way the parent peptide does. That would help cells move into an injury and help new blood vessels grow there. The FDA's review notes a catch. The wound healing work was mostly done with a version of the fragment without its acetyl cap, or with the full parent peptide. Those results cannot simply be applied to the capped fragment sold as TB-500. |
| Studies in people | 7 | 2 |
| Evidence | Limited: 3 completed trials, 31 people given it | Preliminary: 1 registered with no result |
| Legal status, US | Not approved; research use only | Not approved; research use only |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between BPC-157 and TB-500?
BPC-157: A lab-made piece of a stomach protein. It has lots of animal studies on tendon, muscle and gut healing. In people there is very little: two enema studies in Croatia, three small clinic reports with nobody to compare against, and one injury study with a dummy group that is still signing people up. TB-500: A lab-made chain of seven amino acids cut from thymosin beta-4, sold under a research name. No published study has given TB-500 to people. The human studies people quote for it used the full 43 amino acid parent peptide, which is a different molecule.
Which has stronger research evidence, BPC-157 or TB-500?
Each compound gets a band worked out from facts we counted, with the math shown. BPC-157 is Limited (3 completed trials, 31 people given it). TB-500 is Preliminary (1 registered with no result). That counts how much has been done in people. It does not rate whether either one works, and neither one is called the winner.
Are BPC-157 and TB-500 FDA-approved?
BPC-157: Not FDA-approved. In April 2026 the FDA took it off Category 2, its list of pharmacy ingredients with safety worries. In July 2026 the FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted 8 to 6, with one member abstaining, in favor of letting pharmacies make it. The FDA's own reviewers had advised against that. The FDA has not acted yet. TB-500: Not FDA-approved. In April 2026 the FDA took it off Category 2, its list of pharmacy ingredients with safety worries. In July 2026 the FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted 8 to 6, with one member abstaining, in favor of letting pharmacies make it. The FDA's own reviewers had advised against that. The FDA has not acted yet.
Related posts
Blog articles that cover BPC-157 or TB-500, newest first.
- Healing & Recovery / Sep 27, 2026 / 9 minPeptides for Joint Pain: BPC-157, TB-500, Lorecivivint, Pentosan and Collagen Peptides, Evidence Tiered
- Healing & Recovery / Sep 27, 2026 / 8 minPeptides for Gut Health: BPC-157, KPV and Larazotide Ranked by Human Evidence
- Safety / Sep 27, 2026 / 9 minPeptide Side Effects by Class: What Is Documented, What Is Anecdotal
- Safety / Sep 27, 2026 / 8 minHow to Read a Peptide Certificate of Analysis: HPLC Purity, Mass Spec Identity, Endotoxin, and Janoshik Verification
Reviewed Sep 2026. This page puts two published records side by side. It is for learning, and it is not medical advice. When this site shows a dose, it is the dose a trial or a clinic actually used, or what people say they did, with the source attached. None of it tells you what to take.