BPC-157 vs TB-500: Differences, Evidence and Which Is Studied for What
Quick Answer: BPC-157 and TB-500 are both unapproved peptides sold online for injury and recovery research, but they are different substances studied for different things. BPC-157 is a 15-amino-acid peptide derived from a gastric protection protein, studied mainly in gut and tendon models; TB-500 is a 7-amino-acid fragment (Ac-LKKTETQ) of thymosin beta-4, studied for cell migration and wound repair. Neither has an FDA-approved human dose. For TB-500 the FDA’s 2026 review found no human clinical study at all; for BPC-157 a 2025 systematic review found 35 of 36 studies were preclinical. Neither should be presented as a proven treatment, and the two combined — the so-called ‘Wolverine stack’ — have never been studied in humans.
| BPC-157 | TB-500 | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | 15-amino-acid peptide derived from a gastric protection protein | 7-amino-acid fragment of thymosin beta-4 (Ac-LKKTETQ, residues 17–23) |
| Main research angle | Nitric-oxide system, growth-hormone receptor, gut and tendon models | Actin binding, cell migration, angiogenesis |
| Human evidence | A handful of small reports; a 2025 review found 35 of 36 studies preclinical | None found for the fragment (FDA, 2026) |
| FDA-approved? | No | No |
| WADA status | Prohibited as a non-approved substance (S0) | Named explicitly — prohibited at all times (S2) |
| Established human dose | None | None |
What BPC-157 Is Studied For
BPC-157 is a synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide derived from a protection protein found in human gastric juice. Gut and tendon models dominate its preclinical literature: in animal studies it has been investigated for tendon, ligament, muscle, nerve and gastrointestinal injury, working through angles including the nitric-oxide system and growth-hormone receptor upregulation.
The human record is minimal. A 2025 systematic review screened the BPC-157 literature and included 36 studies, of which 35 were preclinical (animal or cell work) and only one was a small clinical report, with no clinical safety data identified. That is the honest ceiling: there is no FDA-approved human dose, and the body-weight amounts discussed online — including in the table on our BPC-157 calculator page — are community ranges derived largely from animal-study scaling, not trial doses.
What TB-500 Is Studied For — and What It Is Not
TB-500 copies the actin-binding domain of thymosin beta-4, so it is studied in cell-migration and wound-repair models — the processes cells use to move into damaged tissue and rebuild.
TB-500 is NOT thymosin beta-4. Human trials of eye drops, skin gels and IV preparations used the full-length 43-amino-acid thymosin beta-4 molecule (timbetasin); those results cannot be relabelled as TB-500 results. The FDA states the two are not the same substance.
- In a 2003 mouse study, the synthetic LKKTETQ peptide promoted dermal wound repair in diabetic (db/db) and aged mice to a degree comparable with full-length thymosin beta-4 (Philp et al., 2003).
- For the fragment itself, the FDA’s 2026 review searched the published literature, ClinicalTrials.gov and its own adverse-event systems and found no clinical study and no human exposure data by any route, and no animal toxicity studies. There is no established human dose, half-life or safety profile.
The maths for any vial is on our TB-500 dosage calculator.
Regulatory and Sporting Status
- FDA approval: neither BPC-157 nor TB-500 is FDA-approved for any use, in any form.
- Compounding (TB-500): the FDA placed TB-500 (thymosin beta-4 fragment) in Category 2 of its 503A compounding policy in September 2023. It was removed from Category 2 in April 2026 after its nomination was withdrawn — removal is not an authorisation. In July 2026 the FDA’s Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted 8–6 to recommend adding it to the 503A Bulks List, against FDA staff’s recommendation. A committee vote is advisory: until FDA rulemaking finishes, TB-500 is not on the 503A Bulks List.
- Sport: TB-500 is named explicitly on the WADA Prohibited List (‘thymosin-β4 and its derivatives, e.g. TB-500’, category S2) and is banned at all times. BPC-157 is prohibited under S0 as a non-approved substance.
The Wolverine Stack
BPC-157 + TB-500 are frequently marketed together as the ‘Wolverine stack’, on the theory that one provides structural repair signals and the other enhances cell migration. The combination has never been studied in humans, and neither compound has an established human dose on its own. Combining two unstudied substances adds unknown interaction risk on top of unknown individual risk, so this page makes no dosing recommendation for the stack or for either peptide.
Which One Is ‘Better’?
Neither can be called better. There is no head-to-head human trial of BPC-157 vs TB-500, and neither has human efficacy data strong enough to rank. The honest distinction is the research angle — gut and tendon models for BPC-157, cell-migration and wound models for TB-500 — and the evidence ceiling is lower for TB-500, where no human study of the fragment exists at all. Anyone ranking one as a proven treatment is going beyond the evidence for both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BPC-157 FDA approved?
No. BPC-157 has no FDA-approved human dose, and its evidence is mostly preclinical: a 2025 systematic review found 35 of 36 studies were animal or cell studies.
Is TB-500 the same as thymosin beta-4?
No. Thymosin beta-4 is a 43-amino-acid protein; TB-500 is a synthetic 7-amino-acid fragment of it (Ac-LKKTETQ, residues 17–23), and the FDA states they are not the same substance.
Can athletes use BPC-157 or TB-500?
No. TB-500 is named explicitly on the WADA Prohibited List under S2 and is banned at all times; BPC-157 is prohibited under S0 as a non-approved substance.
What is the Wolverine stack?
The Wolverine stack is BPC-157 and TB-500 marketed together for recovery. The combination has never been studied in humans, and neither peptide has an established human dose on its own.
Which calculator do I use for each?
Use the BPC-157 dosage calculator for BPC-157 vials and the TB-500 dosage calculator for TB-500 vials. Both do reconstitution maths only and recommend no dose.
Related Guides
References
- Vasireddi N et al. Emerging Use of BPC-157 in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: A Systematic Review. HSS Journal 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/15563316251355551
- Philp D, Badamchian M, Scheremeta B, Nguyen M, Goldstein AL, Kleinman HK. Thymosin beta 4 and a synthetic peptide containing its actin-binding domain promote dermal wound repair in db/db diabetic mice and in aged mice. Wound Repair and Regeneration 2003;11(1):19–24. doi:10.1046/j.1524-475x.2003.11105.x
- US Food and Drug Administration. Briefing and review materials for TB-500 (thymosin beta-4 fragment, LKKTETQ), Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee meeting, 23–24 July 2026 — FDA found no clinical studies or human exposure data for TB-500 by any route. fda.gov
- US Food and Drug Administration. Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks (Category 2 list and substances previously in Category 2; TB-500 listed September 2023, removed April 2026). fda.gov
- World Anti-Doping Agency. The Prohibited List 2026 — S2.3 Growth factors and growth factor modulators (‘Thymosin-ß4 and its derivatives e.g. TB-500’) and S0 Non-Approved Substances. wada-ama.org
Last checked: November 2026. Compiled from the primary sources above. This page is not individually medically reviewed and is not medical advice.
