BPC-157 vs TB-500 Dosing Compared
Last updated: June 2026
BPC-157 and TB-500 are two different research peptides that get lumped together for soft-tissue "recovery" stacks, but they are reconstituted, dosed, and measured on completely different number lines — BPC-157 in the low hundreds of micrograms, TB-500 usually in the milligrams. Both are investigational research peptides: neither is approved for human therapeutic use anywhere, and the evidence behind both is overwhelmingly preclinical (rodent and cell studies), not human clinical data. This page is a maths and units explainer, not medical advice and not an endorsement of using either compound.
Got a vial and a target dose? Convert any mcg dose to exact mL and U-100 syringe units in seconds.
BPC-157 calculator →TL;DR — key takeaways
- Investigational, not approved. BPC-157 and TB-500 are sold strictly as research chemicals. There is no approved human label, no standardised human dose, and the published science is mostly animal and in-vitro work.
- Different scales. BPC-157 is typically discussed at 200–500 mcg per injection; TB-500 (synthetic thymosin beta-4 fragment) at 1,000–2,500 mcg. A "bigger number" for TB-500 does not mean a stronger or safer compound — they are unrelated molecules.
- Same reconstitution maths. Both arrive as a lyophilised (freeze-dried) powder, both are reconstituted with bacteriostatic water, and both use the identical concentration formula. Only the numbers differ.
- Units follow concentration, never the drug name. How many units you draw depends on mg per mL in the vial, not on whether it is BPC-157 or TB-500.
Two unrelated peptides, two different jobs
BPC-157 ("body protection compound 157") is a synthetic 15-amino-acid sequence derived from a protein found in gastric juice. In preclinical models it is studied for tendon, ligament, muscle and gut healing, and most of that work is in rats and cell cultures — reviewers repeatedly note that efficacy "is yet to be confirmed in humans."
TB-500 is a synthetic fragment marketed as equivalent to thymosin beta-4 (Tβ4), a naturally occurring actin-binding peptide. Tβ4 is studied for cell migration, angiogenesis, and wound repair, again largely in animal and laboratory models. The two compounds share a "recovery" reputation but have different structures, different mechanisms, and separate (preclinical) literatures. Neither has an approved therapeutic indication for humans.
The practical consequence for dosing: you cannot map a BPC-157 dose onto TB-500 or vice versa. They are not interchangeable microgram-for-microgram, and the only thing their maths shares is the reconstitution formula below.
Side-by-side: how the two are typically handled
The figures below reflect commonly reported research-use ranges from supplier protocols and community references — not an approved dosing schedule. They exist so the units maths has concrete inputs. Always defer to a qualified clinician; do not read this as a recommendation to dose either peptide.
| Property | BPC-157 | TB-500 |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Synthetic 15-aa gastric peptide | Synthetic thymosin beta-4 fragment |
| Regulatory status | Investigational / research-only | Investigational / research-only |
| Evidence base | Mostly rodent + in-vitro | Mostly rodent + in-vitro |
| Typical vial size | 5 mg or 10 mg | 2 mg, 5 mg or 10 mg |
| Reported per-dose range | 200–500 mcg | 1,000–2,500 mcg |
| Reported frequency | Often daily | Often 1–2× / week |
| Reconstitution fluid | Bacteriostatic water | Bacteriostatic water |
Notice the scale gap: a single TB-500 dose can be five to ten times the milligram amount of a BPC-157 dose, yet both are drawn from similarly sized vials. That is exactly why the units differ — and why guessing is risky.
The reconstitution formula (identical for both)
Every figure on this page comes from two facts and nothing else: a U-100 insulin syringe holds 100 units per 1 mL, and concentration is simply powder divided by water. Once you have concentration (mg/mL), the rest is arithmetic that does not care which peptide is in the vial.
One trap with both peptides: doses are quoted in micrograms (mcg) but concentration is in mg/mL. Before dividing, convert — 250 mcg is 0.25 mg. Mixing the two units up by a factor of 1,000 is the single most common reconstitution error.
Worked examples — BPC-157
Worked example 1 — BPC-157, 5 mg vial + 2 mL
You reconstitute a 5 mg BPC-157 vial with 2 mL bacteriostatic water, target dose 250 mcg.
Concentration: 5 mg ÷ 2 mL = 2.5 mg/mL. Dose: 250 mcg = 0.25 mg.
0.25 mg ÷ 2.5 mg/mL = 0.1 mL. 0.1 mL × 100 = 10 units.
Draw 10 units on a U-100 syringe.
Worked example 2 — BPC-157, 5 mg vial + 1 mL
Same vial and dose, but reconstituted with only 1 mL water.
Concentration: 5 mg ÷ 1 mL = 5 mg/mL. 0.25 mg ÷ 5 = 0.05 mL × 100 = 5 units.
Half the water, double the concentration, half the units — for the identical 250 mcg dose.
Worked examples — TB-500
Worked example 3 — TB-500, 5 mg vial + 2 mL
You reconstitute a 5 mg TB-500 vial with 2 mL water, target dose 2,000 mcg (2 mg).
Concentration: 5 mg ÷ 2 mL = 2.5 mg/mL. 2 mg ÷ 2.5 = 0.8 mL × 100 = 80 units.
Draw 80 units — most of a 1 mL syringe.
Worked example 4 — same TB-500 dose, more concentrated vial
The same 2 mg TB-500 dose from a 10 mg vial + 2 mL (= 5 mg/mL): 2 ÷ 5 = 0.4 mL × 100 = 40 units.
Identical dose, half the units — because the vial is twice as strong. "How many units" has no answer without the vial maths.
Worked example 5 — why the scales don't transfer
A 250 mcg BPC-157 dose at 2.5 mg/mL is 10 units. A 2,000 mcg TB-500 dose at 2.5 mg/mL is 80 units — eight times the volume for the same concentration, purely because the dose is eight times larger.
Dose-to-units reference chart
Common reported research doses as units on a U-100 syringe, at two typical concentrations. Confirm against your own vial label — this chart does not constitute medical advice or a dosing recommendation.
| Dose | At 2.5 mg/mL | At 5 mg/mL |
|---|---|---|
| 200 mcg (BPC-157) | 8 units | 4 units |
| 250 mcg (BPC-157) | 10 units | 5 units |
| 500 mcg (BPC-157) | 20 units | 10 units |
| 1,000 mcg (TB-500) | 40 units | 20 units |
| 2,000 mcg (TB-500) | 80 units | 40 units |
| 2,500 mcg (TB-500) | 100 units | 50 units |
At 2.5 mg/mL a 2,500 mcg TB-500 dose fills the entire 1 mL syringe. If your draw exceeds 1 mL, reconstitute with less water to raise the concentration rather than splitting across two injections.
How this is calculated
There is no peptide-specific constant anywhere in this page. Concentration is powder ÷ water; volume is dose ÷ concentration; units are volume × 100. The arithmetic is identical for BPC-157, TB-500, or any other vialled peptide — the only differences are the milligram inputs and how much water you choose. The calculators on this site automate exactly these steps so you can cross-check against the chart above. None of this is medical advice, and nothing here implies either compound is safe or approved for human use; both remain investigational research peptides whose evidence is largely preclinical.
Frequently asked questions
Is TB-500 just a stronger BPC-157?
No. They are structurally unrelated peptides with different proposed mechanisms — BPC-157 is a gastric-derived sequence, TB-500 is a thymosin beta-4 fragment. TB-500 doses are usually larger in micrograms, but "larger number" does not mean stronger, safer, or interchangeable. Both are investigational and mostly studied in animals.
Do I draw more units for TB-500 than BPC-157?
Usually yes, because reported TB-500 doses are several times larger in micrograms — but the exact units always depend on your vial's concentration, not the peptide name. A concentrated TB-500 vial can need fewer units than a dilute BPC-157 vial.
Are BPC-157 and TB-500 approved or proven in humans?
No. Neither is approved for human therapeutic use, and the published evidence is overwhelmingly preclinical — rodent models and cell studies. Reviews of both peptides explicitly state that human efficacy and safety are not established. Treat all dosing figures as research-use references only.
Can I use the same reconstitution for both?
The formula is the same, but the numbers are not. Reconstitute each vial separately, label the concentration, and run the dose-divided-by-concentration maths per vial. Never assume a BPC-157 unit count applies to a TB-500 vial.
Sources
- Gwyer D, et al. Gastric pentadecapeptide body protection compound BPC 157 and its role in accelerating musculoskeletal soft tissue healing (Cell Tissue Res 2019)
- Seiwerth S, et al. Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 and Wound Healing (Front Pharmacol 2021)
- Seiwerth S, et al. BPC 157 and Standard Angiogenic Growth Factors: Lessons from Tendon, Ligament, Muscle and Bone Healing (Curr Pharm Des 2018)
- Sikiric P, et al. Fistulas Healing: Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 Therapy (Curr Pharm Des 2020)
- Chang CH, et al. The promoting effect of pentadecapeptide BPC 157 on tendon healing involves tendon outgrowth, cell survival and cell migration (J Appl Physiol 2011)
- Philp D, Kleinman HK. Animal studies with thymosin beta-4, a multifunctional tissue repair and regeneration peptide (Ann N Y Acad Sci 2010)
- Goldstein AL, et al. Thymosin beta-4: a multi-functional regenerative peptide. Basic properties and clinical applications (Expert Opin Biol Ther 2012)
- Philp D, et al. Thymosin beta-4 and a synthetic peptide containing its actin-binding domain promote dermal wound repair in db/db diabetic and aged mice (Wound Repair Regen 2003)
- Malinda KM, et al. Thymosin beta-4 accelerates wound healing (J Invest Dermatol 1999)
- Malinda KM, et al. Thymosin beta-4 stimulates directional migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (FASEB J 1997)
- Goldstein AL, et al. Thymosin beta-4: actin-sequestering protein moonlights to repair injured tissues (Trends Mol Med 2005)
- Huff T, et al. Beta-thymosins, small acidic peptides with multiple functions (Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2001)
This guide is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always follow your prescriber’s specific instructions and consult a qualified clinician before changing any protocol.