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Classes

Healing & repair

Compounds studied for soft tissue, gastrointestinal and wound repair. The highest-traffic and highest-scrutiny group.

8 compounds in this class. 1 approved by the FDA for at least one indication. 3 have no published human trial data.

Guides in this class

All 8 healing & repair compared

CompoundEvidenceReported rangeHalf-lifeStatus
ARA-290
An 11-amino-acid erythropoietin derivative that keeps the tissue-protective signalling without any effect on red blood cell production.
 Clinical trials 2-4 mg ~2 minutes Research only
BPC-157
A synthetic pentadecapeptide derived from a gastric protein, and the most searched compound in the peptide category.
 Animal models only 200-500 mcg ~4 hours Research only
GHK-Cu
A naturally occurring copper-binding tripeptide with the strongest human evidence base of any compound in the healing group, mostly topical.
 Clinical trials 1-2 mg ~30 minutes (systemic) Unapproved
KPV
The C-terminal tripeptide of alpha-MSH, which keeps the anti-inflammatory activity without the pigmentation effects.
 Animal models only 200-500 mcg ~1-2 hours Research only
LL-37
The only human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, with broad antibacterial activity and a complicated immunomodulatory profile.
 Preliminary human 100-500 mcg ~1 hour Research only
Pentosan Polysulfate
An FDA-approved semi-synthetic polysaccharide for bladder pain, with a label warning about retinal damage (pigmentary maculopathy) with long-term use.
 Regulator approved 100-300 mg ~4-5 hours Approved
PTD-DBM
A Wnt-pathway peptide studied for hair regrowth, almost always discussed alongside valproic acid.
 Animal models only 1-2 mg Not established Research only
TB-500
A synthetic version of thymosin beta-4, the actin-sequestering peptide most often paired with BPC-157.
 Preliminary human 2-5 mg ~2-3 hours Research only

Head-to-head comparisons

ARA-290 vs BPC-157ARA-290 vs SS-31BPC-157 vs TB-500BPC-157 vs GHK-CuBPC-157 vs KPVBPC-157 vs LL-37GHK-Cu vs MatrixylDecapeptide-12 vs GHK-CuKPV vs LL-37KPV vs Melanotan IILL-37 vs Thymosin Alpha-1BPC-157 vs Pentosan Polysulfate

Healing & repair: common questions

What are healing & repair?

Compounds studied for soft tissue, gastrointestinal and wound repair. The highest-traffic and highest-scrutiny group. This class has 8 compounds in our directory.

Which healing & repair are FDA approved?

Pentosan Polysulfate is FDA approved for at least one indication. The others are not approved.

Which healing & repair have the strongest evidence?

By evidence level and number of human studies: Pentosan Polysulfate (regulator approved, ~25 human studies); GHK-Cu (clinical trials, ~15 human studies); ARA-290 (clinical trials, ~6 human studies).

Can compounding pharmacies make these?

ARA-290, BPC-157, GHK-Cu, KPV, LL-37, TB-500 are not FDA approved and not on the 503A bulks list, so there is no routine legal path to compound them. Material sold online is labelled for research use only. Status checked against FDA lists in October 2026.

References

Regulatory and primary sources

  1. FDA: Bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risks (Category 2 and withdrawn nominations) ↗ · content current as of April 22, 2026; checked October 18, 2026
  2. FDA: Bulk drug substances used in compounding under section 503A ↗ · how the 503A categories work
  3. FDA: Unapproved drugs ↗ · status of products sold "for research use only"
  4. WADA Prohibited List ↗ · peptide hormones and growth factors, class S2
  5. PubMed (National Library of Medicine) ↗ · source of every literature reference on this site

Published literature

  1. Rendell MS. The time to develop treatments for diabetic neuropathy.Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2021.PubMed 33423557 · doi:10.1080/13543784.2021.1868433
  2. van Velzen M, Heij L, Niesters M, et al.. ARA 290 for treatment of small fiber neuropathy in sarcoidosis.Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2014.PubMed 24555851 · doi:10.1517/13543784.2014.892072
  3. Atkins C, Wilson AM. Managing fatigue in sarcoidosis - A systematic review of the evidence.Chron Respir Dis 2017.PubMed 27507833 · doi:10.1177/1479972316661926
  4. Culver DA, Dahan A, Bajorunas D, et al.. Cibinetide Improves Corneal Nerve Fiber Abundance in Patients With Sarcoidosis-Associated Small Nerve Fiber Loss and Neuropathic Pain.Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2017.PubMed 28475703 · doi:10.1167/iovs.16-21291
  5. Collino M, Thiemermann C, Cerami A, et al.. Flipping the molecular switch for innate protection and repair of tissues: Long-lasting effects of a non-erythropoietic small peptide engineered from erythropoietin.Pharmacol Ther 2015.PubMed 25728128 · doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2015.02.005
  6. Dahan A, Dunne A, Swartjes M, et al.. ARA 290 improves symptoms in patients with sarcoidosis-associated small nerve fiber loss and increases corneal nerve fiber density.Mol Med 2013.PubMed 24136731 · doi:10.2119/molmed.2013.00122
  7. Luansritisakul C, Chiang MC, Burns SL, et al.. Peptides in Regenerative Medicine: A Comprehensive Review of Clinical Applications in Tissue Repair and Chronic Pain Management.Curr Pain Headache Rep 2026.PubMed 42635865 · doi:10.1007/s11916-026-01542-z
  8. Brines M, Dunne AN, van Velzen M, et al.. ARA 290, a nonerythropoietic peptide engineered from erythropoietin, improves metabolic control and neuropathic symptoms in patients with type 2 diabetes.Mol Med 2015.PubMed 25387363 · doi:10.2119/molmed.2014.00215
  9. Gwyer D, Wragg NM, Wilson SL. Gastric pentadecapeptide body protection compound BPC 157 and its role in accelerating musculoskeletal soft tissue healing.Cell Tissue Res 2019.PubMed 30915550 · doi:10.1007/s00441-019-03016-8
  10. Seiwerth S, Rucman R, Turkovic B, et al.. BPC 157 and Standard Angiogenic Growth Factors. Gastrointestinal Tract Healing, Lessons from Tendon, Ligament, Muscle and Bone Healing.Curr Pharm Des 2018.PubMed 29998800 · doi:10.2174/1381612824666180712110447
  11. Mayfield CK, Bolia IK, Feingold CL, et al.. Injectable Peptide Therapy: A Primer for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Physicians.Am J Sports Med 2026.PubMed 41476424 · doi:10.1177/03635465251357593
  12. Rahman OF, Lee SJ, Seeds WA. Therapeutic Peptides in Orthopaedics: Applications, Challenges, and Future Directions.J Am Acad Orthop Surg Glob Res Rev 2026.PubMed 41490200 · doi:10.5435/JAAOSGlobal-D-25-00236
  13. DeFoor MT, Dekker TJ. Injectable Therapeutic Peptides-An Adjunct to Regenerative Medicine and Sports Performance?.Arthroscopy 2025.PubMed 39265666 · doi:10.1016/j.arthro.2024.09.005
  14. Mendias CL, Awan TM. Safety and Efficacy of Approved and Unapproved Peptide Therapies for Musculoskeletal Injuries and Athletic Performance.Sports Med 2026.PubMed 41966639 · doi:10.1007/s40279-026-02437-0

Literature retrieved from PubMed on October 16, 2026, favouring human studies and reviews. Numbered markers in the text show which paper supports which statement; uncited entries are background reading.