History of BPC-157 — From Discovery to Today

Research on BPC-157 began in Croatia around the early 1990s. Some researchers from the University of Zagreb isolated peptides from gastric juice and tested them on rats. Three decades later, the status of the compound is remarkable: it has over 100 research publications and the interest from the peptide research community is significant, but the FDA is skeptical and no large-scale human trials have been carried out.

The Origin of BPC-157

Isolation from Human Gastric Juice

In the early 1990s, Predrag Sikiric and his colleagues at the University of Zagreb Department of Pharmacology began studying proteins in human gastric juice. They were interested in the protective effects of gastric secretions on the stomach lining. From a larger protein, they isolated a 15-amino-acid fragment and designated it BPC-157. The fragment showed unusual stability in acidic conditions, which made it interesting for further study (Sikiric et al., 1993).

The Zagreb Research Group

Most publications about BPC-157 come from the Sikiric lab in Zagreb. This is both a strength and weakness of the literature. Their group has published several studies, ranging from gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal to vascular and neurological studies. However, the fact that there is only one group working on the subject means that it is impossible to independently confirm the findings, which is a problem when dealing with preclinical data.

Key Research Milestones by Decade

1990s, Early Isolation and First Animal Studies

The decade was marked by the first description of BPC-157. The first publications dealt with its effects in the gastric ulcer model in rats, where the peptide showed properties of speeding up the restoration of the mucosa. By the mid-1990s, the research had progressed into tendon and ligament models. Although the work was able to attract some recognition in the gastroenterology community, it remained relatively obscure.

2000s, Expanding the Animal Model Library

During the 2000s, the Zagreb group published studies in increasingly diverse models: bone fracture healing, gut anastomosis repair, vascular injury, nerve damage and even some psychiatric models involving dopamine and serotonin pathways. A 2003 study reported positive effects on rat Achilles tendon healing after transection (Staresinic et al., 2003). Each paper added another animal model to the list. The group also began proposing mechanistic explanations involving nitric oxide and growth factor pathways (Sikiric et al., 2006).

2010s, Growing Interest and New Pathways

The 2010s brought wider awareness. Online forums and social media amplified interest in BPC-157 among bodybuilders, biohackers and people dealing with chronic injuries. Peptide synthesis companies began offering BPC-157 for sale as a research chemical. Meanwhile, published research continued mostly from Zagreb, with some papers from Asian research groups adding to the evidence base. A comprehensive review paper in 2018 summarized the accumulated animal data (Seiwerth et al., 2018).

2020s, FDA Scrutiny and Regulatory Attention

The year 2020 signified a transition in the industry. As interest in the commercial sector increased, the authorities began to take action. The Food and Drug Administration distributed letters of warning to the organizations selling BPC-157 products, which contained health-related statements. At the same time, the World Anti-Doping Agency incorporated BPC-157 in the list of banned substances. Compounding pharmacies began to attract attention, as the regulatory organizations were questioning the legality of BPC-157 as a drug of bulk substance. In this environment of growing regulation, scientific interest remained high.

1. 1991 Sikiric group begins isolating peptide fragments from human gastric juice in Zagreb
2. 1993 First published study on BPC-157 in rat gastric ulcer models
3. 1999 Early tendon repair studies in rat models
4. 2006 Nitric oxide pathway proposed as mechanism
5. 2010 Vascular and angiogenesis studies published
6. 2014 FAK-paxillin pathway identified in tendon healing model
7. 2018 Comprehensive review paper summarizing animal data
8. 2022 FDA issues first warning letters to BPC-157 marketers
9. 2024 WADA includes BPC-157 on prohibited substance list
10. 2026 Continued regulatory monitoring, no completed large human trials

How Scientific Interest Grew

Publication Volume Over Time

By querying "BPC-157" and using filtering options for the years, we traced rough publication numbers on PubMed. The findings reveal a very clear pattern: the 1990s began slowly, growth happened steadily in the 2000s, and a real boom occurred after 2015 when public interest and peptide seller promotion boomed.

The Current Landscape

Regulatory Actions Since 2022

The FDA has issued warning letters to various companies for promoting BPC-157 as a treatment. According to the FDA, BPC-157 sold for human consumption is considered a new unapproved drug. Whether compounding pharmacies are allowed to create BPC-157 is still being debated, but the FDA’s Advisory Committee on Pharmaceutical Science and Clinical Pharmacology has deliberated over this matter, and the future of access to compounding seems limited.

What Researchers Are Investigating Now

Published research continues, primarily from the Zagreb group and a growing number of independent laboratories in Asia. Newer studies are exploring BPC-157 in combination with other peptides, its potential effects in traumatic brain injury models and its interaction with the gut-brain axis. Whether any of this work leads to a formal human clinical trial program depends on funding and regulatory willingness. Our research overview page tracks the current state of evidence across study areas.