BPC-157 vs TB-500: differences, evidence and status

BPC-157 is a 15-amino-acid peptide first isolated from gastric juice; TB-500 is a 7-amino-acid fragment of thymosin beta-4. Both lack FDA approval and good human trials, both are banned in tested sport, and both are covered by HHS's October 2026 interim policy, but only as single-ingredient products (HHS policy). Prescriptions start at $149 and $149 a month; see all prices.

Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, and the HHS policy is interim and can be withdrawn. Status checked on 30 October 2026.

Side by side

Sources for the table: HHS policy, Appendix B, WADA 2026 Prohibited List, Poolton 2026, FDA and the program pages in our price table.

Where each one comes from

A 2025 review describes BPC-157 as "a synthetic pentadecapeptide originally isolated from gastric juice" (McGuire 2025, PubMed 40789979).

TB-500 is a piece of thymosin beta-4, a protein the body makes naturally. A doping-control laboratory that analysed a TB-500 product found "the N-terminal acetylated 17-23 fragment of human thymosin beta 4 (Ac-LKKTETQ) in TB-500" (Esposito 2012, PubMed 22962027). The fragment and the full protein are not interchangeable: a 2026 review warns that TB-500 "is frequently conflated with full-length TB-4 despite the absence of validated biologic or clinical equivalence" (Tham 2026, PubMed 42937313).

What the human evidence shows

Both are marketed for injury recovery, and for both that claim rests on preclinical work.

BPC-157. A 2026 systematic review searched four databases to June 2026 and found that "Three studies (n=30) met the inclusion criteria": a retrospective knee pain study, a retrospective bladder study and a two-person intravenous safety pilot. It concluded that "Overall certainty of evidence was rated very low due to serious risk of bias, indirectness and imprecision" (Poolton 2026, PubMed 42885452). Our BPC-157 guide and BPC-157 side effects go further.

TB-500. FDA wrote that it "has not identified any human exposure data drug products containing Thymosin Beta-4, Fragment" (FDA). The full thymosin beta-4 protein has Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials as eye drops and skin gel, with mixed efficacy results, but those used a different molecule by different routes. See TB-500 and TB-500 side effects.

So neither has a controlled trial showing it helps a muscle, tendon or joint heal in people. BPC-157 has a little uncontrolled human data; TB-500 has essentially none of its own.

Status under the HHS policy

On 28 October 2026 HHS published an interim policy for six peptides, both of these among them. HHS says it "does not intend to take enforcement action against a State-licensed pharmacy, Federal facility, or licensed physician compounding a drug product using a peptide bulk drug substance found in Appendix A" (Federal Register).

The routes differ. For BPC-157, enforcement discretion "is appropriate for subcutaneous, intramuscular, oral, and topical dosage forms". For TB-500, it covers only "subcutaneous or intramuscular injectable dosage forms" (HHS policy, Appendix B). Oral forms come with an extra condition: the compounder must keep documentation that the formulation is adequately absorbed in humans. Our oral vs injection guide covers that.

The notice adds that "Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, which means FDA does not review their safety, effectiveness, or quality before they are marketed" (Federal Register). See is BPC-157 legal and the HHS peptide policy for the wider picture.

The "Wolverine stack": why blends are not covered

Wolverine stack is a marketing name for BPC-157 and TB-500 sold or used together, often in one vial. The HHS policy does not cover that. One of its conditions reads: "The compounded drug product contains only a single Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) listed in Appendix A" (HHS policy).

HHS gives its reason: "It will be easier to attribute adverse events or clinical outcomes to a specific substance, which is essential for meaningful safety surveillance and signal detection, if compounded peptide products include a single API" (HHS policy). With two untested peptides in one product, nobody could tell which caused a reaction. Superpower's page puts it in one line: "Blends aren't covered" (Superpower).

What about the two taken separately? The policy text sets conditions for each compounded product; it does not address a clinician prescribing two separate single-ingredient products. That is a clinical judgement, and the evidence for combining them is close to nil. The only human data we found is a retrospective chart review in which 4 of 16 knee pain patients had BPC-157 combined with thymosin beta-4 (the paper calls it TB4 and does not say whether the product was TB-500), with no control group (Lee and Padgett 2021, PubMed 34324435). We do not publish stacks or protocols; ask your prescriber.

Sport: both are banned

WADA lists BPC-157 by name in its non-approved substances class: "This class covers many different substances including but not limited to BPC-157". TB-500 appears under growth factors as "Thymosin-ß4 and its derivatives e.g. TB-500" (WADA 2026 Prohibited List). Both classes are prohibited in and out of competition. A prescription does not change a tested athlete's position.

Price and programs

Superpower lists both at the same monthly price, $149, with a clinician review, blood test and membership included, as a preorder with a late-November target ship date (Superpower). Its page states that "The initial BPC-157, TB-500 and MOTS-c products are not FDA-approved". Read the Superpower review, or compare every program on the best peptide programs page.

FAQ

BPC-157 vs TB-500: what is the difference?

BPC-157 is a synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide based on a gastric juice protein. TB-500 is a synthetic seven-amino-acid fragment of thymosin beta-4. BPC-157 has three small uncontrolled human studies; TB-500 has no published human trial of its own. The HHS interim policy allows more routes for BPC-157, including oral and topical, than for TB-500.

What is the Wolverine stack?

The Wolverine stack is a marketing name for BPC-157 and TB-500 combined, often in a single vial. The HHS interim policy covers single-ingredient compounded products only, so a blend of the two falls outside it. No controlled human trial has tested the combination. We do not publish stack protocols.

Can you take BPC-157 and TB-500 together?

That is a decision for a licensed prescriber, not a website. A combined product is not covered by the HHS policy. The policy does not address two separate single-ingredient prescriptions, and evidence for combining them is limited to four patients in one retrospective chart review with no control group. Ask your clinician about the risks.

Which is better for injury recovery, BPC-157 or TB-500?

Neither has been shown to work for injury recovery in a controlled human trial. Both rest on preclinical studies. BPC-157's human data are three small, uncontrolled studies rated very low certainty by a 2026 systematic review. TB-500 has none of its own. Claims that one heals faster than the other are not supported by human evidence.

Are BPC-157 and TB-500 legal with a prescription?

Neither is FDA-approved. Since the 28 October 2026 HHS interim policy, licensed 503A pharmacies may compound each as a single-ingredient product on a patient-specific prescription without HHS enforcement action, within the listed routes. The policy is interim, can be withdrawn and is not binding on HHS or the public. State pharmacy rules still apply.

Do BPC-157 and TB-500 cost the same?

At the one program in our table that offers both, the monthly price is the same: $149, including a clinician review and blood test. The lowest BPC-157 price we track is $149 and the lowest TB-500 price is $149. Prices change as programs launch, so check the live price table.

Compare BPC-157 and TB-500 programs on price, pharmacy and oversight on the best peptide programs page.