BPC-157 and TB-500 are the two names most often said in the same breath in repair research, and they are frequently sold together in one vial. They are very different molecules, though. One is a 15-amino-acid fragment of a stomach protein. The other is built from one of the most abundant proteins inside human cells.
This comparison covers where each comes from, how their mechanisms and evidence differ, why researchers pair them, what changed for both in 2026, and how to verify each before it goes into a study.
The short answer
- BPC-157 is a synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide, GEPPPGKPADDAGLV, taken from a protein in human gastric juice. Most of its research comes from rodent injury models studied in Zagreb.
- TB-500 refers to thymosin beta-4, a 43-amino-acid actin-binding protein found in almost every cell type, or more often its synthetic seven-amino-acid fragment, Ac-LKKTETQ. Which one a vial holds is a question for the COA.
- They are studied for overlapping outcomes through different mechanisms: BPC-157 mainly through new blood-vessel growth, thymosin beta-4 mainly through actin regulation and cell migration.
- Their evidence differs. Full-length thymosin beta-4 has reached controlled clinical trials as eye drops. BPC-157’s human record is three small uncontrolled pilot studies, and the TB-500 fragment has no published human trials.
- Their 2026 status is similar. Both are prohibited in sport, both were named in Health Canada’s April 2026 warning about peptides sold online, and an FDA advisory panel narrowly recommended both for the US compounding list in July 2026, against FDA staff advice.
BPC-157
- G
- E
- P
- P
- P
- G
- K
- P
- A
- D
- D
- A
- G
- L
- V
15 amino acids, about 1,419.5 g/mol.
TB-500 (fragment form)
- Ac
- L
- K
- K
- T
- E
- T
- Q
Positions 17 to 23 of thymosin beta-4, about 889 g/mol. Full-length thymosin beta-4 is 43 amino acids, about 4,963 g/mol.
At a glance
| BPC-157 | TB-500 | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | 15-amino-acid fragment of a gastric juice protein | Thymosin beta-4 (43 amino acids) or its LKKTETQ fragment |
| Molecular weight | About 1,419.5 g/mol | About 889 g/mol (fragment) or 4,963 g/mol (full length) |
| In the body | Taken from a larger gastric protein; not established as a natural signal on its own | Thymosin beta-4 occurs naturally in almost every cell type |
| Main mechanism studied | New blood-vessel growth (VEGFR2) and nitric-oxide signalling | Binding G-actin; cell migration |
| Strongest evidence | Rodent tendon, muscle and gut injury models | Animal wound and heart models; eye-drop trials of full-length thymosin beta-4 |
| Human data | Three small uncontrolled pilot studies | Controlled trials of full-length eye drops only; none for the fragment |
| Sport (WADA) | Prohibited, class S0 | Prohibited, class S2 |
| US FDA, 2026 | Advisory panel voted 8–6, one abstention, for compounding; not added to the list | Advisory panel voted 8–6, one abstention, for compounding; not added to the list |
| Canada | Not authorized; named in Health Canada’s April 2026 advisory | Not authorized; named in Health Canada’s April 2026 advisory |
Two very different molecules
BPC-157 stands for body protection compound 157. It is a 15-residue sequence taken from a larger protein described in human gastric juice by Predrag Sikirić’s group at the University of Zagreb in the early 1990s, and it is unusually stable in stomach acid. Almost everything known about it comes from that group’s animal studies. Our BPC-157 research guide covers it in depth.
Thymosin beta-4 is a different kind of molecule: a natural, 43-amino-acid protein first isolated from calf thymus in the early 1980s and since found in almost every cell type, where it is one of the main proteins holding actin building blocks in reserve. “TB-500” began as a market name. It is used for synthetic full-length thymosin beta-4 and, more often, for Ac-LKKTETQ, the seven-residue stretch that forms the protein’s central actin-binding site. A separate fragment from the start of the chain, Ac-SDKP, is studied on its own for anti-fibrotic effects. Our TB-500 research guide untangles the naming.
Different routes to repair
Both peptides turn up in tissue-repair research, but the proposed mechanisms barely overlap.
For BPC-157, a 2017 rat study linked its pro-angiogenic effect to activation and increased production of VEGFR2, the main receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor, and other work points to the nitric-oxide system. For thymosin beta-4, the core biology is well characterized: it binds G-actin, the single units that assemble into the cell’s internal scaffold, which helps control how cells change shape and move.
How the evidence compares
BPC-157. A 2025 systematic review for orthopaedic sports medicine found 36 studies that met its criteria, 35 of them preclinical. The human record is three small, uncontrolled pilot studies from one US clinic: a 2021 knee-pain chart review, a 2024 interstitial cystitis pilot and a 2025 two-person intravenous safety study. See BPC-157 safety: what toxicology, human data and regulators say.
Thymosin beta-4. In a 1999 rat study, thymosin beta-4 accelerated wound healing, and a 2004 study in Nature found that after heart attacks in mice it promoted cardiac cell migration and survival. An eye-drop formulation of full-length thymosin beta-4 has since been tested in phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials for dry eye and other eye conditions. The short TB-500 fragment itself has no published human trials, so evidence for the full protein shouldn’t be read across to the fragment automatically.
BPC-157 and TB-500 in one vial, with a batch-matched COA.
View the blendWhy they’re paired, and what that’s based on
Online, the combination is often nicknamed the “Wolverine stack.” The research rationale is complementarity: one peptide studied for blood supply, the other for cell movement, both aimed at the same repair processes. That is a reasonable hypothesis. It is not a tested result. No controlled study has examined BPC-157 and TB-500 together. The only human data that include both come from the 2021 knee-pain chart review, in which some patients had received BPC-157 with thymosin beta-4, an uncontrolled report that cannot separate one peptide’s effect from the other’s.
Reasonably well established
- Each peptide has its own animal literature in tissue-repair models.
- Thymosin beta-4 binds G-actin and has reached controlled trials as eye drops.
- BPC-157 promotes new blood-vessel growth in animal studies.
Open questions
- Whether the two act additively, synergistically or against each other.
- Whether results with full-length thymosin beta-4 apply to the fragment.
- Any controlled data on the combination at all.
BPC-157 and TB-500 blends
The pairing also appears inside larger research blends. What matters is which TB-500 each vial uses and whether the COA confirms both components.
| Vial | What’s in it | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| BPC-157 + TB-500 | BPC-157 with thymosin beta-4 | Both identities, and the TB-500 form, by mass |
| BPC-157 + TB-500 fragment | BPC-157 with the LKKTETQ fragment | A TB-500 mass near 889 g/mol, not 4,963 |
| GLOW | GHK-Cu, BPC-157, TB-500 | Three identities; GHK-Cu dominates by weight |
| KLOW | GHK-Cu, BPC-157, TB-500, KPV | Four identities; see our KLOW explainer |
| Coremend | TB-500, KPV, BPC-157 | Three identities, without GHK-Cu |
BPC-157 + TB-500With thymosin beta-4View product and COA
BPC-157 + TB-500 fragmentWith the LKKTETQ fragmentView product and COA
GLOW blendAdds GHK-CuView product and COA
KLOW blendAdds GHK-Cu and KPVView product and COA
How to verify each on a COA
- BPC-157: a mass of about 1,419.5 g/mol, often reported as a doubly charged ion near m/z 710.
- TB-500: about 889 g/mol for the fragment or about 4,963 g/mol for full-length thymosin beta-4. The mass settles which you have. Full-length thymosin beta-4 appears as several multiply charged ions, so look for a deconvoluted mass.
- Oxidation: full-length thymosin beta-4 contains a methionine that oxidizes easily; a mass about 16 g/mol high points to the oxidized form. The fragment has no methionine.
- Blends: both identities confirmed, an HPLC method that separates the components and amounts per component, not just a total fill.
- Your lot: the lot number on the COA should match your vial. Our COA guide and HPLC testing guide explain the details.
Regulatory status in 2026
Canada. Neither peptide is authorized as a drug. Health Canada’s April 2026 advisory on unauthorized injectable peptides listed both BPC-157 and TB-500 among products it had seized, and stated that “For Research Use Only” labelling does not make such products legal or exempt from regulatory requirements.
United States. In 2023 the FDA placed BPC-157 and the TB-500 fragment in Category 2 of its compounding list, the group that raises significant safety risks, and removed them in 2026. On July 23, 2026, its Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted 8 to 6, with one abstention, to recommend each for the list of substances pharmacies may compound, BPC-157 for ulcerative colitis and TB-500 for wound healing, overriding FDA staff, who had recommended against both. Neither has been added to the list, neither is an FDA-approved drug, and formal rulemaking would still be required.
Sport. The World Anti-Doping Agency prohibits BPC-157 under class S0 and thymosin beta-4 and its derivatives, including TB-500, under class S2, at all times.
Sourcing in Canada
BPC-157The 15-amino-acid peptide on its ownView product and COA
TB-500 (thymosin beta-4)Check the COA mass for the formView product and COA
TB-500 fragmentThe short actin-binding fragmentView product and COA
Research use only. BPC-157 and TB-500 from Pure Peptides Canada are laboratory reagents for in-vitro research. They are not approved drugs, they are not for human or veterinary use, and nothing on this page is dosing, combination or medical guidance.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between BPC-157 and TB-500?
BPC-157 is a synthetic 15-amino-acid fragment of a gastric juice protein, studied mainly for blood-vessel growth and tissue repair in rodents. TB-500 refers to thymosin beta-4, a natural 43-amino-acid actin-binding protein, or its seven-amino-acid fragment, studied mainly for cell migration and wound repair.
Is TB-500 the same as thymosin beta-4?
Not always. TB-500 is a market name used both for synthetic full-length thymosin beta-4 and, more often, for its acetylated seven-amino-acid fragment, Ac-LKKTETQ. The two differ in mass more than five-fold, so the mass result on the COA tells you which you have.
Which has more research behind it?
Thymosin beta-4 has the broader record, including controlled clinical trials of an eye-drop formulation. BPC-157 has a large animal literature, mostly from one group, but only three small uncontrolled human pilot studies. The TB-500 fragment itself has no published human trials.
Why are BPC-157 and TB-500 combined?
They are studied for related repair outcomes through different mechanisms: BPC-157 for blood-vessel growth, thymosin beta-4 for actin regulation and cell migration. The combination itself has not been tested in controlled studies.
What is the Wolverine stack?
It is an online nickname for the BPC-157 and TB-500 combination. It is a marketing label, not a research term, and no controlled study has tested the pairing.
Are BPC-157 and TB-500 legal in Canada?
Neither is authorized as a drug in Canada. Health Canada’s April 2026 advisory listed both among unauthorized injectable peptides it had seized and said research-use-only labelling does not make such products legal or exempt from regulatory requirements.
Are BPC-157 and TB-500 banned in sport?
Yes. The World Anti-Doping Agency prohibits BPC-157 under class S0, and thymosin beta-4 and its derivatives, including TB-500, under class S2, at all times.
BPC-157 and TB-500 for laboratory research
Single peptides and pre-combined blends, each with an independent, batch-matched COA, tracked delivery across Canada and pricing in Canadian dollars.
References
- Vasireddi N, Hahamyan H, Salata MJ, et al. Emerging use of BPC-157 in orthopaedic sports medicine: a systematic review. HSS J. 2025. PMC
- Hsieh MJ, et al. Therapeutic potential of pro-angiogenic BPC157 is associated with VEGFR2 activation and up-regulation. J Mol Med. 2017;95(3):323–333.
- Goldstein AL, Hannappel E, Sosne G, Kleinman HK. Thymosin β4: a multi-functional regenerative peptide. Basic properties and clinical applications. Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2012;12(1):37–51.
- Malinda KM, Sidhu GS, Mani H, et al. Thymosin β4 accelerates wound healing. J Invest Dermatol. 1999;113(3):364–368.
- Bock-Marquette I, Saxena A, White MD, DiMaio JM, Srivastava D. Thymosin β4 activates integrin-linked kinase and promotes cardiac cell migration, survival and cardiac repair. Nature. 2004;432:466–472.
- Lee E, Padgett B. Intra-articular injection of BPC 157 for multiple types of knee pain. Altern Ther Health Med. 2021.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee briefing document, July 23–24, 2026. FDA
- Health Canada. Think twice before injecting peptides bought online: unauthorized products can seriously harm you. Public advisory, April 9, 2026. Government of Canada
- World Anti-Doping Agency. The Prohibited List. WADA
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary use. This page summarizes published research and regulatory information for educational purposes and is not medical or legal advice. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
