BPC-157 and Gut Health: What Has Been Studied

What the research covers

Gut research on BPC-157 is mostly in rodent (rat) models. No published human trial results were found. The peptide is a chain of 15 amino acids, part of a larger peptide first found in gastric juice.

In rodent (rat) colitis and bowel surgery models, the peptide was injected into the belly cavity or added to drinking water. Doses were 10 micrograms or 10 nanograms per kg. In one study, control animals could not heal colitis or a rejoined colon. With the peptide, both healed. In a rodent (rat) study of a fistula between the colon and the skin, the peptide sped closure. It also cut stomach damage from NSAID drugs such as aspirin in rodent (rat) tests.

Several of these rodent (rat) papers say the peptide was in clinical trials for inflammatory bowel disease. The papers give the code PL 14736. A PubMed search on 27 September 2026 found no published results from those trials.

No human results for oral doses were found. A small phase 1 trial of tablets in healthy volunteers was registered in 2015. Its status is listed as unknown, with no results posted. A rodent (rat) and dog study measured drug levels after IV and muscle shots, not oral doses.

Sources

1. Klicek R, Kolenc D, Suran J, et al. Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 heals cysteamine-colitis and colon-colon-anastomosis and counteracts cuprizone brain injuries and motor disability. J Physiol Pharmacol (2013). PMID 24304574 Rodent (rat) colitis and rejoined colon; intraperitoneal or in drinking water; controls did not heal, treated animals did.
2. Klicek R, Sever M, Radic B, et al. Pentadecapeptide BPC 157, in clinical trials as a therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (PL14736), is effective in the healing of colocutaneous fistulas in rats: role of the nitric oxide-system. J Pharmacol Sci (2008). PMID 18818478 doi:10.1254/jphs.fp0072161 Rodent (rat) colon-to-skin fistula; injected or in drinking water; faster closure.
3. Vuksic T, Zoricic I, Brcic L, et al. Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 in trials for inflammatory bowel disease (PL-10, PLD-116, PL14736, Pliva, Croatia) heals ileoileal anastomosis in the rat. Surg Today (2007). PMID 17713731 doi:10.1007/s00595-006-3498-9 Rodent (rat) paper stating BPC-157 was in inflammatory bowel disease trials under code PL14736; no trial results given.
4. Sikiric P, Seiwerth S, Grabarevic Z, et al. Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 positively affects both non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent-induced gastrointestinal lesions and adjuvant arthritis in rats. J Physiol Paris (1997). PMID 9403784 doi:10.1016/s0928-4257(97)89474-0 Rodent (rat); reduced stomach and small bowel lesions caused by NSAIDs.
5. He L, Feng D, Guo H, et al. Pharmacokinetics, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of body-protective compound 157, a potential drug for treating various wounds, in rats and dogs. Front Pharmacol (2022). PMID 36588717 doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.1026182 Rodent (rat) and dog pharmacokinetics after IV and muscle injection only.
6. Sikiric P, Petek M, Rucman R, et al. A new gastric juice peptide, BPC. An overview of the stomach-stress-organoprotection hypothesis and beneficial effects of BPC. J Physiol Paris (1993). PMID 8298609 doi:10.1016/0928-4257(93)90038-u Original description: BPC-157 is a 15-amino-acid fragment of a gastric juice peptide.