BPC-157 sped up bone healing in every animal study that tested it. In rabbits with a radius defect that stayed unhealed for 6 weeks without treatment, the peptide gave an effect comparable to a bone marrow graft and a graft of the animal's own bone. In rats it protected the bone around the teeth in periodontitis, restored the attachment of the Achilles tendon to the heel bone and helped the quadriceps muscle grow back onto the thigh bone. Below we gather these results, describe how the peptide was given and explain what the studies have not yet tested.
What is BPC-157 and why is it studied for bone?
BPC-157 is a peptide of 15 amino acids, derived from a fragment of a protein found in gastric juice. The name comes from "body protection compound". Researchers in Zagreb have described it since the 1990s as a peptide that speeds up the healing of many tissues at once: the stomach lining, tendons, ligaments, muscles and bone.
The first bone study started from a clinical observation. After the stomach is removed, people more often develop osteoporosis and fractures, so the Zagreb team looked for a gastric peptide that supports bone formation. A general overview of the peptide and its research is in the guide what BPC-157 is and what the research shows.
What did the study in rabbits with a bone defect show?
This is the main bone study, published in 1999 in the journal Bone. The researchers removed 0.8 cm of the radius together with its periosteum, in the middle of the bone. In the control group this defect did not heal in a single animal during 6 weeks of follow-up.
The researchers compared several treatments:
- BPC-157 into the muscle: 10 micrograms per kilogram of body weight once a day for 14 days, or in four doses with breaks,
- BPC-157 directly into the defect: 10 micrograms per kilogram, through the skin,
- the animal's own bone marrow: 2 ml placed into the defect on day 7,
- a graft of the animal's own bone: the standard surgical treatment, placed right after the procedure.
BPC-157 given into the muscle for 14 days improved healing as much as the marrow and the bone graft. This was shown by X-rays, the area of the callus, bone density and microscope measurements. Even a dose a thousand times lower, 10 nanograms per kilogram, gave an effect.
The simplest measure was the number of animals with complete union. In the control group no defect healed. After every way of giving BPC-157, including directly into the defect and in doses with breaks, more animals had continuous bone across the whole defect.
Does BPC-157 protect the bone around the teeth?
Yes, in a 2009 study in rats with periodontitis, a disease that destroys the bone holding the teeth. Researchers at Semmelweis University in Budapest tied a silk thread around the first molar. The thread keeps bacteria at the gum and within 12 days causes inflammation with bone loss.
The rats received BPC-157 once a day for 12 days. The bone of the tooth socket was measured with micro computed tomography. BPC-157 clearly reduced bone loss, plasma leakage from the vessels and the inflammatory changes seen under the microscope. In healthy rats the peptide did not change blood flow in the gum.
How did BPC-157 act on the tendon-to-bone junction?
The place where a tendon enters the bone heals especially poorly. In rats an Achilles tendon cut from the heel bone does not grow back on its own. Two Zagreb studies tested whether BPC-157, given once a day into the abdominal cavity, would change this.
| Study | What was measured | BPC-157 result |
|---|---|---|
| Krivic, 2006 | days 1-21 after the cut | better function and strength |
| Krivic, 2006 | tissue structure | more type I collagen |
| Krivic, 2006 | together with a steroid | reversed the steroid's harm |
| Krivic, 2008 | days 1-4, 72 rats | better function every day |
| Krivic, 2008 | inflammation and vessels | less inflammation, more vessels |
In the first study the force needed to break the junction rose, as did its stiffness and elasticity. The collagen fibres were better arranged and there were more blood vessels. All three doses worked: 10 micrograms, 10 nanograms and 10 picograms per kilogram.
The comparison with a steroid is interesting. Methylprednisolone reduced inflammation but also blocked the formation of new vessels and did not improve function. BPC-157 combined both effects: it calmed inflammation and at the same time increased the number of new vessels. Tendon healing is covered in more detail in the guide peptides and tendon and ligament injuries.
Does BPC-157 help a muscle reattach to bone?
A 2025 study in the journal Pharmaceutics tested this. The researchers detached the rats' quadriceps muscle from its attachments on the bone. Without treatment healing failed: the animals walked badly and the knee stayed permanently bent.
Rats on BPC-157 received the peptide by mouth, at 10 micrograms or 10 nanograms per kilogram a day. The researchers followed them from the first day to 90 days after the injury, with ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, strength measurements and under the microscope.
- Walking returned to normal in all measured parameters.
- The gap between muscle and bone shrank on ultrasound to a minimum soon after the injury.
- Knee contracture did not occur.
- New bone formed on the surface, and the muscle fibres grew straight into it.
By day 3 there were more of the cells from which new tissue forms, and the periosteum became active again. After three months the new bone was well organised and denser, and the mature muscle fibres lay parallel against it.
How might BPC-157 influence bone healing?
A 2025 systematic review collected the mechanisms described in the studies. BPC-157 increased the number of growth hormone receptors in cells and stimulated pathways responsible for cell growth. It also supported the formation of new blood vessels and lowered the level of inflammatory molecules.
Bone heals only when blood reaches the fracture site. New vessels bring oxygen and the cells from which the callus forms, which is why the effect on vessels matters so much here. The authors of the review listed that in animal models BPC-157 improved the function, structure and strength of muscles, tendons, ligaments and bone.
How was BPC-157 given in the bone studies?
Each study used a different route, and all of them gave a result:
| Study | Animal | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Sebecic, 1999 | rabbit | into the muscle or the defect |
| Keremi, 2009 | rat | systemic, once a day |
| Krivic, 2006 and 2008 | rat | into the abdominal cavity |
| Matek, 2025 | rat | by mouth |
The doses were calculated per kilogram of the animal's body weight and cannot be transferred directly to humans. A comparison of routes in humans and animals is in the guide BPC-157 oral vs injection.
What is known about BPC-157 and bone in humans?
No clinical studies of BPC-157 for fractures in humans have been published. The 2025 systematic review found 36 papers on BPC-157 and the musculoskeletal system, 35 of them animal and cell studies. The only clinical paper concerned knee pain. We describe it in the guide BPC-157 for joints and the knee.
The same review reports that BPC-157 is broken down in the liver in less than 30 minutes and is cleared by the kidneys. Safety studies in animals showed no adverse effects in several organ systems. Safety data in humans are lacking. BPC-157 is not a registered medicine and is on the list of substances banned in sport, as explained in the guide BPC-157, TB-500 and the WADA ban.
Where to buy BPC-157 and how much does it cost?
The shop has three BPC-157 vials:
| Product | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| BPC-157 5 mg Bio-Peptide | 20 EUR | in stock |
| BPC-157 5 mg Genheal | 20 EUR | on backorder |
| BPC-157 20 mg Nouveaux Ltd. | 65 EUR | on backorder |
All variants are gathered on the BPC-157 page, and the price per milligram of each vial is compared in the guide BPC-157 5 mg or 20 mg. The products in the shop are material for laboratory research, not a medicine.
Frequently asked questions
Does BPC-157 speed up bone healing?
In animal studies, yes. In rabbits with a radius defect BPC-157 gave an effect comparable to a bone marrow graft and a graft of the animal's own bone, while without treatment the defect did not heal in any animal.
Has BPC-157 been studied for fractures in humans?
No. A 2025 systematic review found 35 preclinical studies and one clinical paper, which concerned knee pain rather than fractures.
Does BPC-157 act on the bone around the teeth?
In rats with periodontitis, BPC-157 given once a day for 12 days reduced the loss of tooth socket bone and inflammation of the gums.
How was BPC-157 given in the bone studies?
Into the muscle, directly into the defect, into the abdominal cavity and by mouth. Each of these routes improved healing in the study that tested it.
How much does BPC-157 cost in the shop?
A 5 mg vial costs 20 EUR from Bio-Peptide and Genheal, and a 20 mg vial from Nouveaux Ltd. costs 65 EUR.
Sources
- Sebecić B, Nikolić V, Sikirić P et al. Osteogenic effect of a gastric pentadecapeptide, BPC-157, on the healing of segmental bone defect in rabbits: a comparison with bone marrow and autologous cortical bone implantation. Bone, 1999, 24(3): 195-202. https://doi.org/10.1016/s8756-3282(98)00180-x
- Keremi B, Lohinai Z, Komora P et al. Antiinflammatory effect of BPC 157 on experimental periodontitis in rats. Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 2009, 60 Suppl 7: 115-122. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20388954/
- Krivic A, Anic T, Seiwerth S, Huljev D, Sikiric P. Achilles detachment in rat and stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157: Promoted tendon-to-bone healing and opposed corticosteroid aggravation. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 2006, 24(5): 982-989. https://doi.org/10.1002/jor.20096
- Krivic A, Majerovic M, Jelic I, Seiwerth S, Sikiric P. Modulation of early functional recovery of Achilles tendon to bone unit after transection by BPC 157 and methylprednisolone. Inflammation Research, 2008, 57(5): 205-210. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00011-007-7056-8
- Matek D, Matek I, Staresinic E et al. Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 as Therapy After Surgical Detachment of the Quadriceps Muscle from Its Attachments for Muscle-to-Bone Reattachment in Rats. Pharmaceutics, 2025, 17(1): 119. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17010119
- Vasireddi N, Hahamyan H, Salata MJ et al. Emerging Use of BPC-157 in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: A Systematic Review. HSS Journal, 2025, 21(4): 485-495. https://doi.org/10.1177/15563316251355551