Pharmacokinetics, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of body-protective compound 157
/PMC/2026
Why It Matters
This paper caught my attention because BPC-157 is everywhere in longevity communities, but actual pharmacokinetic data has been essentially non-existent. The 4-hour elimination window suggests the common dosing protocols (once or twice daily) might be suboptimal if you're trying to maintain steady levels. Critical caveat: this is rat data only — human metabolism could be completely different.
Key Findings
- Peak plasma concentration occurred at 15 minutes post-injection, with bioavailability around 40% for subcutaneous administration in rats
- BPC-157 distributed widely across tissues including brain, liver, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract within 1 hour
- The peptide crosses the blood-brain barrier, with brain tissue concentrations reaching approximately 60% of plasma levels
- Complete elimination occurred within 4 hours via both renal and hepatic pathways, with a half-life of approximately 50 minutes
- No metabolites were detected — the peptide appears to be eliminated intact rather than broken down into smaller fragments
Read the Paper↗PMC9794587