Which is better, BPC-157 or ARA-290 (cibinetide)?
On evidence grade, ARA-290 wins clearly: it is graded human RCT from phase 2 trials (for example, 64 patients in a phase 2b trial with a significant increase in corneal nerve fiber area), while BPC-157 is animal only. The trials are small, short, and developer sponsored, and ARA-290 has no lawful access outside a clinical trial. BPC-157 has a PCAC recommendation awaiting an FDA final rule but no human proof, so ARA-290 is the better supported peptide even though it is harder to obtain lawfully. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
How do BPC-157 and ARA-290 (cibinetide) compare?
| Dimension | BPC-157 | ARA-290 (cibinetide)Favored |
|---|---|---|
| What it is [7] [8] | Synthetic 15 amino acid fragment of a gastric protein (body protection compound). | Investigational 11 amino acid peptide copying helix B of erythropoietin, engineered to activate the innate repair receptor without raising red blood cells. |
| Evidence grade [1] [2] [3] [4] [9] [14] | Animal only. No controlled human trial; three small uncontrolled pilot reports from one clinic. | Human RCT. Four small phase 2 placebo controlled trials of 4 weeks or 28 days. |
| Main use studied [1] [3] [7] [10] | Tendon, ligament, muscle, and gut healing in rodents. | Small fiber neuropathy in sarcoidosis and painful neuropathy in type 2 diabetes in humans. |
| Key results [1] [2] [3] [7] [10] | Faster rat Achilles tendon healing; healing of NSAID ulcers and fistulas in rodents. | Neuropathy screening score improved 11.5 vs 2.9 points with placebo in 22 patients; corneal nerve fiber area rose significantly in a 64 patient phase 2b trial; HbA1c and neuropathic pain improved in type 2 diabetes. |
| Mechanism [8] [11] | Growth factor receptor upregulation, nitric oxide modulation, and angiogenesis in animal models. | Binds only the tissue protective innate repair receptor (erythropoietin receptor plus beta common receptor), avoiding the red cell, clotting, and blood pressure effects of erythropoietin. |
| Human safety data [1] [2] [4] [14] | None systematic. Three small uncontrolled pilot reports (about 30 people) reported no adverse events; anecdotal injection site reactions. | No safety concerns in 28 day trials and no rise in hemoglobin; long term safety unknown. |
| FDA and compounding status [5] [6] | Removed from 503A Category 2 on April 15, 2026; PCAC recommended the 503A bulks list in July 2026; no final rule yet. | Investigational, not approved anywhere; not a component of an approved drug and not on the bulks list, so it cannot lawfully be compounded. Access only inside a clinical trial. |
| Routes in the literature [1] [2] [4] [14] | Not established in humans; rodent studies used injection, drinking water, or topical application, and the human pilot reports used injections. | Subcutaneous injection in the main phase 2 trials and intravenous infusion in the pilot trial. No lawful product exists outside a trial. |
| WADA status [12] [13] | Prohibited at all times under S0 (non-approved substances). | Prohibited under S0 as a non-approved substance; as an erythropoietin derived peptide it is also relevant to S2. |
Evidence grade and regulatory status
Pulled from each peptide’s own record, so it stays in step with the peptide pages.
| Attribute | BPC-157 | ARA-290 (cibinetide) |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Synthetic gastric pentadecapeptide (15 amino acids), fragment of body protection compound | Investigational 11 amino acid peptide derived from the helix B surface of erythropoietin, engineered to activate the innate repair receptor without stimulating red blood cell production |
| What it is | A 15 amino acid peptide with strong animal healing data, no randomized human trial in PubMed, and a shifting FDA compounding status. | Erythropoietin derived peptide with small placebo controlled trials in sarcoidosis and diabetic neuropathy; investigational, not approved, WADA prohibited. |
| Evidence | Evidence: Animal-only evidence | Evidence: Human RCT evidence |
| FDA status | Regulatory: Under FDA review | Regulatory: Not eligible for compounding |
| Compounding | Removed from the FDA 503A Category 2 list (substances with significant safety risks) on April 15, 2026. On July 23 to 24, 2026 the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee recommended adding BPC-157 to the 503A bulks list. As of the last verification date FDA has not published a final rule listing it, so state boards and pharmacies vary in whether they will compound it. It is not an FDA approved drug and is not eligible for 503B outsourcing. | Investigational drug that has completed phase 2 trials but is not approved by FDA or any other regulator as of the last verification date. Because cibinetide is not a component of an approved drug, has no USP monograph, and is not on the 503A bulks list, it cannot lawfully be compounded by 503A pharmacies or 503B outsourcing facilities. Products sold online as ARA-290 are unapproved drugs not lawful for human use. |
| WADA | WADA: WADA prohibited | WADA: WADA prohibited |
| Routes | Subcutaneous injection (as sold), Oral capsule (as sold), Intraperitoneal, oral in water, and topical (animal studies) | Subcutaneous injection once daily (phase 2 trials), Intravenous infusion (early pilot trial) |
| Typical cost | No lawful compounded price: BPC-157 is not on the 503A bulks list, and PCAC's July 2026 recommendation is advisory until FDA publishes a final rule. Advertised clinic prices are not a comparable price. Products sold as research chemicals are not lawful for human use and are not verified for identity or purity. | Not available through licensed channels. Products sold as research chemicals are not lawful for human use and are not verified for identity or purity. |
| Last verified |
Has BPC-157 been tested directly against ARA-290 (cibinetide)?
No published trial has compared BPC-157 and ARA-290 (cibinetide) directly. The dimensions above come from separate studies and labels, and cross-trial comparisons are less reliable than a direct trial.
What do BPC-157 and ARA-290 (cibinetide) cost?
| Dimension | BPC-157 | ARA-290 (cibinetide) |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | No lawful compounded price: BPC-157 is not on the 503A bulks list, and PCAC's July 2026 recommendation is advisory until FDA publishes a final rule. Advertised clinic prices are not a comparable price. Products sold as research chemicals are not lawful for human use and are not verified for identity or purity. | Not available through licensed channels. Products sold as research chemicals are not lawful for human use and are not verified for identity or purity. |
| Price detail | BPC-157 price by channel | Price index in progress |
Where a price index exists, the range is the cash price per month across branded, compounded, and telehealth channels, without insurance. The cost pages give each channel separately with its sources. Otherwise the typical cost from the peptide record is shown. Legal access depends on your state: see peptide legality by state.
Frequently asked questions
Which has better human evidence, BPC-157 or ARA-290?
ARA-290. It has four small placebo controlled trials in people with neuropathy, including a 64 patient phase 2b trial showing corneal nerve regrowth. BPC-157 has no controlled human trial, only three small uncontrolled pilot reports from one clinic. [1] [2] [4] [14]
Can I get ARA-290 from a compounding pharmacy?
No. Cibinetide is investigational, is not a component of an approved drug, and is not on the 503A bulks list, so neither 503A pharmacies nor 503B outsourcing facilities can lawfully make it. The only lawful access is a registered clinical trial. [5]
Does ARA-290 raise red blood cells like EPO?
No. It was designed to bind only the tissue repair receptor and did not raise hemoglobin or hematocrit in trials. [2] [8]
Is either one useful for tendon injuries?
Neither has human tendon data. BPC-157 has rodent tendon studies; ARA-290 was studied for nerve damage, not tendons. [1] [10]
Are BPC-157 and ARA-290 allowed in sport?
No. Both are prohibited on the WADA Prohibited List: BPC-157 under S0, and ARA-290 under S0 with an erythropoietin link relevant to S2. [12] [13]
Conditions studied
- Tendon injury and tendinopathy
- Muscle recovery and injury
- Wound healing
- Inflammation and inflammatory bowel disease
- Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis)
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Traumatic brain injury
- Peripheral and small fiber neuropathy
- Autoimmune disease
- Osteoarthritis
- Chronic pain
Sources
Numbered citations above point to these primary sources. PubMed entries link to the indexed abstract.
- [1]Culver DA et al. Cibinetide improves corneal nerve fiber abundance in patients with sarcoidosis-associated small nerve fiber loss and neuropathic pain. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2017PubMed 28475703, 2017
- [2]Heij L et al. Safety and efficacy of ARA 290 in sarcoidosis patients with symptoms of small fiber neuropathy: a randomized, double-blind pilot study. Mol Med 2012PubMed 23168581, 2012
- [3]Brines 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 2015PubMed 25387363, 2015
- [4]Gastric pentadecapeptide body protection compound BPC 157 and its role in accelerating musculoskeletal soft tissue healing (Cell Tissue Res 2019)PubMed 30915550, 2019
- [5]FDA: Bulk drug substances used in compounding under section 503A of the FD&C Act (links to the Category 1, 2, and 3 lists and the bulks list)FDA, 2026
- [6]FDA Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee meetings (July 2026 meeting on peptide nominations)FDA, 2026
- [7]Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157: novel therapy in gastrointestinal tract (Curr Pharm Des 2011)PubMed 21548867, 2011
- [8]Dahan A et al. ARA 290 for treatment of small fiber neuropathy in sarcoidosis. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2014PubMed 24555851, 2014
- [9]Dahan A et al. ARA 290 improves symptoms in patients with sarcoidosis-associated small nerve fiber loss and increases corneal nerve fiber density. Mol Med 2013PubMed 24136731, 2013
- [10]The promoting effect of pentadecapeptide BPC 157 on tendon healing involves tendon outgrowth, cell survival, and cell migration (J Appl Physiol 2011)PubMed 21030672, 2011
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