BPC-157 and TB-500: what they are, and their status

These two names are rarely mentioned apart, which makes it easy to read them as one thing. What follows is a neutral overview: what each peptide is, what has been studied, and what their status is.

What each one is

BPC-157 is a synthetic pentadecapeptide, a chain of 15 amino acids based on a sequence found in gastric juice. TB-500 is a synthetic fragment of thymosin beta-4, a protein described in connection with actin binding and cell migration. The pairing is a habit of online discussion, not a pharmacological category.

What has been studied

Both have been examined almost entirely in preclinical settings: cell cultures and animal models. Public trial registries list no completed controlled efficacy trial in humans for BPC-157, and only limited registered human work on thymosin beta-4 derivatives. When FDA staff scientists reviewed the evidence in 2026, they reported finding essentially one small trial abstract for BPC-157, in roughly 46 people and not administered by injection; the same review noted that immunogenicity — the chance of an immune reaction to an injected peptide — is largely unassessed for this group of substances. Details of that review are in our write-up of the 503A vote.

Regulatory and anti-doping status

Neither is approved as a medicine in the United States, the European Union or Australia, and Australia's Poisons Standard lists BPC-157 in Schedule 4, prescription-only. Both are prohibited in sport at all times: BPC-157 falls under S0, the WADA Prohibited List's section for substances with no regulatory approval for human therapeutic use, where the 2026 edition names it among its examples, while thymosin beta-4 and its derivatives — TB-500 among them — are named explicitly under S2.3 (growth factors).

In the United States, FDA staff scientists recommended against all seven peptides under review; in separate votes on 23 July 2026 the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee recommended BPC-157 and TB-500, each by 8–6–1, for the Section 503A list — the bulk-substances list a substance has to be on before a pharmacy may compound with it. A committee vote is a recommendation, not an approval. Wider context: the peptide list with approval status and whether peptides are legal.

Common questions

What are BPC-157 and TB-500?

BPC-157 is a synthetic peptide of 15 amino acids based on a sequence found in gastric juice; TB-500 is a synthetic fragment of thymosin beta-4. Neither is an approved medicine.

Are BPC-157 and TB-500 prohibited in sport?

Both are prohibited at all times, not only in competition. BPC-157 falls under S0, the section of the WADA Prohibited List for substances with no regulatory approval for human therapeutic use, where the 2026 edition names it among its examples; thymosin beta-4 and its derivatives, TB-500 among them, are named under S2.3 (growth factors).

What is the legal status of BPC-157?

It is not approved as a medicine in the United States, the European Union or Australia, and Australia lists it in Schedule 4 of the Poisons Standard, meaning prescription-only. Legality of possession and use depends on where you live.

Sources

• WADA, Prohibited List — S0 (non-approved substances) names BPC-157 among its examples; S2.3 (growth factors) names thymosin beta-4 and its derivatives, e.g. TB-500
• TGA, Poisons Standard (SUSMP) — BPC-157 in Schedule 4
• FDA, Bulk drug substances used in compounding under section 503A — the interim policy on bulk drug substances nominated for compounding
• FDA, Meeting of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, 23–24 July 2026 — votes on BPC-157, KPV, TB-500 and MOTS-c
• ClinicalTrials.gov, registry searches for BPC-157 and thymosin beta-4