Key takeaways
- BPC-157 is not an approved drug anywhere, and there is no established human dose.
- mcg per unit = vial (mg) × 1000 ÷ water (mL) ÷ 100. A 5 mg vial with 2 mL holds 25 mcg per unit.
- Units = amount (mcg) ÷ mcg per unit. At 25 mcg per unit, 250 mcg is 10 units, or 0.1 mL.
- The evidence is mostly animal studies. FDA found only five small, short human studies.
- It is prohibited in sport under WADA class S0 and is on the DoD prohibited ingredient list.
How to use the BPC-157 calculator
The calculator converts an amount of BPC-157 into a volume and a syringe reading. It does not suggest an amount. It updates as you type and saves your inputs in the page link.
- Peptide in the vial. Enter the mg on the label. Products described in FDA’s review include 5 mg and 10 mg vials, so both are presets.
- Bacteriostatic water added. Enter the mL of diluent in the vial. The presets cover 1, 2 and 3 mL.
- Amount. BPC-157 amounts are usually written in micrograms (mcg). 1 mg is 1,000 mcg. The calculator warns you if an entry looks like a unit mix-up.
- Syringe. Small volumes read more precisely on a 0.3 or 0.5 mL syringe. All U-100 syringes read 100 units per mL.
- Check the result. Read the units and mL. If a vial holds two peptides, use the peptide blend calculator instead.
What is BPC-157?
BPC-157 is a synthetic peptide of 15 amino acids, sometimes called a pentadecapeptide. The name stands for body protection compound 157. Researchers at the University of Zagreb first described it in 1993 as a partial sequence of a larger protein, BPC, reported in human gastric juice. It is also known by the research names Bepecin and PL-14736. Its sequence is Gly-Glu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Ala-Gly-Leu-Val, and its molecular weight as the free base is 1,419.5 g/mol, according to the FDA’s 2026 review.
BPC-157 is promoted online for gut, tendon and wound healing. Those claims rest almost entirely on animal work. It is sold as injectable powder, oral capsules and oral or nasal sprays, sometimes labeled for research use only.
Is BPC-157 FDA-approved or legal?
BPC-157 is not approved by the FDA or any other regulator. FDA’s review found no approved product containing it in any country, no United States Pharmacopeia monograph, and no official nonproprietary name. The regulatory story since 2023 has several steps:
- September 29, 2023. FDA placed BPC-157 in category 2 of its 503A compounding list, meaning substances that may present significant safety risks. FDA cited possible immunogenicity (an unwanted immune response), peptide-related impurities, difficulty characterizing the ingredient, and little or no safety information.
- April 2026. The two groups that had nominated BPC-157 withdrew their nominations. FDA’s category 2 page, updated April 22, 2026, now lists BPC-157 under substances previously in category 2 that were withdrawn.
- May 2026. FDA evaluated BPC-157 on its own initiative for ulcerative colitis. Its staff concluded that the evaluation criteria weigh against adding it to the 503A bulks list, the list of ingredients pharmacies may use to compound drugs.
- July 23, 2026. FDA’s Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted 8 to 6, with one abstention, to recommend adding BPC-157 for ulcerative colitis, RAPS reported. The vote is advisory. FDA makes the final decision, and the bulks list itself is set by federal regulation. At our September 2026 review, we found no final FDA action adding it.
Outside the FDA, the World Anti-Doping Agency’s 2026 Prohibited List names BPC-157 in class S0, non-approved substances, which are banned at all times. Operation Supplement Safety, the Department of Defense’s supplement program, lists it as a prohibited dietary supplement ingredient and calls it an unapproved drug.
What the BPC-157 evidence shows, and what it does not
Most published BPC-157 research is in rats, mice and dogs. Animal results do not always hold up in people, so they cannot tell you whether BPC-157 works or is safe in humans. FDA’s 2026 review searched the medical literature and found five clinical studies that gave BPC-157 to people:
- A rectal enema study in 24 healthy volunteers, reported only as meeting abstracts.
- A placebo-controlled enema trial in 53 people with ulcerative colitis, also reported only as a meeting abstract. FDA judged the data inadequate to support effectiveness or safety.
- Knee injections in 17 people with knee pain. FDA notes the report also describes a compounded combination with thymosin beta-4.
- Injections into the bladder wall in 12 people with interstitial cystitis.
- An intravenous infusion pilot in 2 healthy volunteers.
No serious adverse events were reported, but FDA noted that the studies were short and small, safety monitoring was unclear, and the amounts used were likely exploratory. A phase 1 oral tablet study registered in Mexico (NCT02637284) has no posted results. FDA found no human pharmacokinetic data, meaning no measurements of how the body absorbs and clears BPC-157, after oral, under-the-skin, nasal or skin application. In rats and dogs given it intravenously, its half-life was only 5.3 to 15.2 minutes.
FDA’s adverse event database held three reports tied to injected BPC-157, including an injection-site reaction and shortness of breath. Whether BPC-157 caused them is unclear.
The BPC-157 mcg to units formula
BPC-157 is usually counted in micrograms, so the formula converts the vial’s mg to mcg first.
Shortcut: mcg per unit = C ÷ 100. Units = amount ÷ mcg per unit. Check: 5 mg in 2 mL is 2,500 mcg/mL, or 25 mcg per unit; 250 ÷ 25 = 10 units.
| Term | Meaning | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Vial | Total BPC-157 in the vial | mg |
| Water | Bacteriostatic water added | mL |
| C | Concentration after mixing | mcg/mL |
| Amount | The quantity you are converting | mcg |
| V | Volume to draw | mL |
| Units | U-100 syringe reading | units (100 per mL) |
BPC-157 conversion chart in units and mL
This is a conversion chart, not a dosage chart. Each cell answers one question: if your amount is X mcg, how many units and how many mL is it at this mix? The rows are evenly spaced round numbers, not suggested amounts.
| Amount | 5 mg + 1 mL | 5 mg + 2 mL | 5 mg + 3 mL | 10 mg + 1 mL | 10 mg + 2 mL | 10 mg + 3 mL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mcg per unit | 50 | 25 | 16.7 | 100 | 50 | 33.3 |
| 100 mcg | 2 0.02 mL | 4 0.04 mL | 6 0.06 mL | 1 0.01 mL | 2 0.02 mL | 3 0.03 mL |
| 200 mcg | 4 0.04 mL | 8 0.08 mL | 12 0.12 mL | 2 0.02 mL | 4 0.04 mL | 6 0.06 mL |
| 300 mcg | 6 0.06 mL | 12 0.12 mL | 18 0.18 mL | 3 0.03 mL | 6 0.06 mL | 9 0.09 mL |
| 400 mcg | 8 0.08 mL | 16 0.16 mL | 24 0.24 mL | 4 0.04 mL | 8 0.08 mL | 12 0.12 mL |
| 500 mcg | 10 0.1 mL | 20 0.2 mL | 30 0.3 mL | 5 0.05 mL | 10 0.1 mL | 15 0.15 mL |
| 600 mcg | 12 0.12 mL | 24 0.24 mL | 36 0.36 mL | 6 0.06 mL | 12 0.12 mL | 18 0.18 mL |
| 800 mcg | 16 0.16 mL | 32 0.32 mL | 48 0.48 mL | 8 0.08 mL | 16 0.16 mL | 24 0.24 mL |
| 1,000 mcg | 20 0.2 mL | 40 0.4 mL | 60 0.6 mL | 10 0.1 mL | 20 0.2 mL | 30 0.3 mL |
Top: units on a U-100 syringe. Bottom: mL. Note that 5 mg in 1 mL and 10 mg in 2 mL give the same concentration, so their columns match.
How to reconstitute a 5 mg or 10 mg BPC-157 vial
Reconstitution means adding liquid to the freeze-dried powder so it can be measured by volume. The water you choose sets the concentration. The table shows what each common volume produces for both vial sizes.
| Water | 5 mg: mcg/mL | 5 mg: mcg per unit | 10 mg: mcg/mL | 10 mg: mcg per unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mL | 5,000 | 50 | 10,000 | 100 |
| 1.5 mL | 3,333 | 33.33 | 6,667 | 66.67 |
| 2 mL | 2,500 | 25 | 5,000 | 50 |
| 2.5 mL | 2,000 | 20 | 4,000 | 40 |
| 3 mL | 1,667 | 16.67 | 3,333 | 33.33 |
The general aseptic sequence below applies to either vial. Follow any instructions that come with your product.
- Wash your hands and work on a clean, dry surface.
- Wipe both rubber stoppers with a fresh alcohol swab and let them dry.
- Draw the planned volume of bacteriostatic water with a new sterile syringe. For a 5 mg vial, 2 mL gives 25 mcg per unit. For a 10 mg vial, 2 mL gives 50 mcg per unit.
- Add the water slowly down the inside wall of the vial rather than onto the powder.
- Swirl or roll gently until the powder dissolves. Avoid shaking, which can foam the solution and may damage peptides.
- Inspect the solution. Do not use it if it is cloudy or has particles.
- Label the vial with the date, the water volume and the concentration.
To choose a water volume that lands an amount on a whole-unit mark, use the BAC water calculator.
Worked examples
Example 1: 5 mg vial, 2 mL water, 250 mcg
Concentration is 5 × 1000 ÷ 2 = 2,500 mcg/mL, or 25 mcg per unit. 250 ÷ 25 = 10 units, which is 0.1 mL. The vial holds 20 amounts of that size.
Example 2: 10 mg vial, 2 mL water, 500 mcg
Concentration is 5,000 mcg/mL, or 50 mcg per unit. 500 ÷ 50 = 10 units, or 0.1 mL. The vial holds 20 of these.
Example 3: 10 mg vial, 3 mL water, 300 mcg
Concentration is 3,333 mcg/mL, or 33.33 mcg per unit. 300 ÷ 33.33 = 9 units, or 0.09 mL. A 0.5 mL syringe, marked every unit, reads this cleanly.
Example 4: working backward from units
If you drew 20 units from a 5 mg vial mixed with 2 mL, you drew 0.2 mL, which contains 500 mcg. The reverse peptide calculator does this for any mix. To switch between mcg and mg, use the mcg to mg converter.
BPC-157 sequence and molecular weight
The diagram shows the 15 residues from the amino end (H) to the carboxyl end (OH). Four of the 15 are proline.
The weight matters for one practical reason. A label may say BPC-157 without stating whether the powder is the free base or a salt such as the acetate. FDA treats these as different ingredients. A salt’s weight includes its counter-ion, so the same labeled mg can hold slightly less of the peptide itself. The peptide molecular weight calculator computes average and monoisotopic mass for any sequence.
Storing BPC-157
There is no approved BPC-157 label, so there are no official storage rules. FDA’s review summarized supplier-reported figures: the freeze-dried powder is described as stable for about 3 weeks at room temperature but best kept dry below −18 °C (0 °F), and the mixed solution as stable for 2 to 3 weeks at 4 °C (39 °F). These are vendor claims, not validated stability studies. FDA added that peptides like BPC-157 can be very sensitive to pH, heat, concentration and impurities, which can cause clumping (aggregation) and loss of activity.
General peptide practice still applies. Keep powder cold, dry and away from light. Refrigerate after mixing unless the labeling says otherwise, keep the vial out of light, and do not freeze and thaw it repeatedly. For beyond-use dates on multi-dose vials, see the storage section of the peptide reconstitution calculator.
Oral vs injectable BPC-157
BPC-157 is sold both as injectable powder and in oral capsules, tablets and sprays. Here is what is actually known about the difference:
- Absorption in people is unmeasured. FDA found no human pharmacokinetic data for oral or injected BPC-157. In the two human enema studies, it was not detected in blood, or mostly fell below the test’s detection limit.
- It resists stomach acid in the lab. A 1995 laboratory study reported that BPC-157 resisted breakdown in gastric juice. That does not show it is absorbed or active when swallowed.
- Animal studies used both routes. Rodent studies gave BPC-157 in drinking water and by injection into the abdomen, with results that cannot be carried over to humans.
- Immune risk differs by route. FDA said injection under the skin and nasal use carry a higher risk of an immune response than oral or rectal use, though impurity concerns apply to every route.
- Supplement labeling does not make it legal. Operation Supplement Safety calls BPC-157 an unapproved drug, including when it is sold in supplement form.
This calculator only handles liquid measured by syringe. It does not convert capsule strengths.
Common mistakes with BPC-157 math
Each mistake below matches a warning the calculator can show.
- Mixing up mcg and mg. 250 mg is 1,000 times 250 mcg. The calculator flags mg entries of 50 or more.
- Confusing 5 mg and 10 mg vials. The same 2 mL of water gives 25 mcg per unit in one and 50 in the other. Always enter the vial size from the label.
- Treating a blend as pure BPC-157. Vials labeled BPC-157 and TB-500 hold two peptides. Use the peptide blend calculator to get the amount of each.
- Very small draws. Under about 2 units, a small misreading is a large error. More water makes each amount a larger volume.
- Using a U-40 syringe. Its units are 2.5 times larger than U-100 units.
- Assuming the label is accurate. Unregulated products have no guaranteed content. The math is only as good as the label.
Key terms
- Pentadecapeptide
- A peptide made of 15 amino acids.
- Lyophilized
- Freeze-dried into a powder for stability.
- Bacteriostatic water
- Sterile water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol, used for vials punctured more than once.
- 503A bulks list
- FDA’s list of bulk ingredients that state-licensed pharmacies may use to compound drugs.
- Category 2
- FDA’s interim list of nominated ingredients that may present significant safety risks in compounding.
- PCAC
- Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, an outside panel that advises FDA. Its votes are not binding.
- WADA S0
- The anti-doping class for drugs with no government approval for human use, banned at all times.
- Immunogenicity
- The tendency of a substance to provoke an immune response.
Frequently asked questions
Is BPC-157 FDA-approved?
No. BPC-157 is not approved by the FDA or by any other drug regulator, and FDA found no approved BPC-157 product in any country. It is not a component of any approved drug and has no USP monograph. It is also prohibited in sport by WADA and listed as a prohibited supplement ingredient by the Department of Defense.
What is the dosage of BPC-157?
There is no established human dose. No regulator has approved BPC-157, and the few published human studies were small, short and used amounts that FDA reviewers described as likely exploratory. This page converts amounts you enter into units and mL. It does not suggest an amount.
How many units is 250 mcg of BPC-157?
It depends on the mix. With 5 mg in 2 mL, each U-100 unit holds 25 mcg, so 250 mcg is 10 units. With 10 mg in 2 mL it is 5 units, and with 10 mg in 3 mL it is 7.5 units. The reverse peptide calculator turns units back into mcg.
How much bacteriostatic water do I add to 10 mg of BPC-157?
Any volume the vial holds works if you recalculate. 1 mL gives 10,000 mcg/mL (100 mcg per unit). 2 mL gives 5,000 mcg/mL (50 mcg per unit). 3 mL gives about 3,333 mcg/mL (33.3 mcg per unit). The BAC water calculator solves for the water that puts an amount on a whole-unit mark.
How do you reconstitute a 5 mg vial of BPC-157?
Wipe both stoppers with alcohol, draw the planned volume of bacteriostatic water, add it slowly down the inside wall of the vial, and swirl gently until dissolved. With 2 mL, the solution is 2,500 mcg/mL, so each U-100 unit holds 25 mcg. Label the vial with the date and volume.
Is BPC-157 banned in sports?
Yes. The World Anti-Doping Agency lists BPC-157 by name in class S0, non-approved substances, which are prohibited at all times, in and out of competition. The Department of Defense also lists it as a prohibited dietary supplement ingredient for service members.
Did the FDA remove BPC-157 from category 2?
Yes, in April 2026, after the nominators withdrew their nominations. FDA then reviewed it on its own and its staff concluded the criteria weigh against adding it to the 503A bulks list. In July 2026 an advisory committee voted 8 to 6, with one abstention, to recommend adding it for ulcerative colitis. The vote is not binding.
Is oral BPC-157 the same as injectable?
No one knows. FDA found no human pharmacokinetic data for BPC-157 taken by mouth, by injection under the skin, by nose or through the skin, so there is no evidence on how much of an oral or injected amount reaches the blood. Most research on either route is in animals.
What is the molecular weight of BPC-157?
About 1,419.5 g/mol for the free base, with the formula C62H98N16O22. It has 15 amino acids: GEPPPGKPADDAGLV. Salt forms such as the acetate weigh more per molecule, so FDA treats them as separate ingredients. Check any sequence with the peptide molecular weight calculator.
Sources
We check every formula and figure on this page against primary sources. See our editorial policy for how we review content.
- FDA Briefing Document, Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee: BPC-157-related bulk drug substances
- Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks
- FDA advisory committee backs two controversial peptides
- World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2026
- BPC-157: A prohibited peptide and an unapproved drug found in health and wellness products
- July 23-24, 2026: Meeting of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee
Reviewed by the PeptideConvert Editorial Team
Last reviewed . PeptideConvert tools do arithmetic only. They do not recommend a dose, and nothing on this site is medical advice. Always follow the label and your prescriber. Read the full medical disclaimer.