ARA-290 vs BPC-157
Last updated: October 3, 2026 · 5 min read · By the Grey Peptides Editorial Board
- ARA-290 has small placebo-controlled human trials, mostly in nerve pain from sarcoidosis and diabetes. BPC-157 has decades of rodent data and only two small uncontrolled human reports.
- They were tested for different things: ARA-290 for small-fibre neuropathy, BPC-157 in animals for gut, tendon and muscle healing.
- Neither is FDA-approved. Both are prohibited in sport.
Side by side
ARA-290 Medium and BPC-157 Low are often sold side by side as repair peptides. Their evidence comes from different places: ARA-290 from small human trials, BPC-157 mainly from animals 1. The table is read from our encyclopedia entries.
| Field | ARA-290 | BPC-157 |
|---|---|---|
| Encyclopedia entry | ARA-290 Full entry | BPC-157 Full entry |
| Molecule class | Peptide | Peptide |
| Category | Healing & Recovery | Healing & Recovery |
| FDA status | In Clinical Trials | Research Chemical |
| Approved elsewhere | None recorded | None recorded |
| Evidence grade | Medium | Low |
| Half-life | Short; no human value in the published abstracts | Short systemic half-life (minutes) but prolonged tissue effect |
| Formula | C51H84N16O21 | C62H98N16O22 |
| Molecular weight | 1,257.3 g/mol | 1,419.5 g/mol |
| WADA 2026 | Prohibited at all times (S2.1.5) | Prohibited at all times (S0) |
| WADA 2027 | Prohibited at all times (S2.1.5) | Prohibited at all times (S0) |
| In one line | An 11-amino-acid EPO-derived peptide studied for neuropathic pain and tissue protection, without the red-cell-stimulating effects of full erythropoietin. | A synthetic pentadecapeptide from gastric protein, widely studied in animal models for tendon, ligament, and gastrointestinal healing. |
| Mechanism | Agonist at the innate repair receptor, the heteromeric complex of the erythropoietin receptor and the β-common receptor (CD131), designed from the aqueous face of EPO's helix B. In animal studies it reduced inflammatory signalling (CD131- and JAK2-dependent inhibition of NF-κB p65 in macrophages), neuronal apoptosis after stroke and renal injury after ischaemia, and inhibited the TRPV1 pain channel, without stimulating erythropoiesis, which runs through EPO-receptor homodimers. | BPC-157 promotes angiogenesis via upregulation of VEGFR2 expression and activation of the Egr-1/NAB2 pathway, modulates nitric oxide signaling, and interacts with the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems in animal models. Effects are observed on tendon, ligament, muscle, bone, gastrointestinal tissue, and the blood-brain barrier. Despite extensive preclinical literature, no peer-reviewed human efficacy trials have been published as of 2026. |
| Sources in the entry | 15 | 12 |
| Study cards | 12 | 11 |
| Dosage page | None | Dosage page |
ARA-290: small human trials in nerve pain
ARA-290, also called cibinetide, is an 11-amino-acid peptide modelled on a part of erythropoietin (EPO) that protects tissue without stimulating red-cell production. It is investigational and not approved anywhere 1. In 22 patients with sarcoidosis and small-fibre neuropathy, four weeks of intravenous ARA-290 improved a neuropathy screening score by 11.5 points against 2.9 on placebo (randomised trial) 2. In a larger dose-ranging trial in the same condition, 4 mg a day for 28 days increased corneal nerve fibre area against placebo, while other doses did not reach significance (randomised trial) 3. In type 2 diabetes with neuropathy, 4 mg daily for 28 days improved HbA1c, lipids and neuropathic symptoms (randomised phase 2 trial) 4.
Not every test succeeded. In diabetic macular oedema, 12 weeks of daily self-injection did not improve visual acuity or retinal thickness in a small study (human study) 5.
BPC-157: animal healing data, little human data
BPC-157 is a synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide derived from a protein in human gastric juice. Its reputation rests on decades of rodent studies, largely from one research group, showing faster healing of gut, tendon, ligament, muscle and bone injuries (animal evidence) 6. A 2025 systematic review found preclinical support for musculoskeletal healing while noting that use has run far ahead of human evidence (systematic review) 7. The human evidence is two small uncontrolled reports: two adults given intravenous infusions without measured side effects 8, and a chart review of knee injections in 16 patients reached by phone 9.
Different targets, different questions
The two are not really competitors. ARA-290 was developed for neuropathic pain and small-nerve damage, and its trials measured nerve fibres and pain scores. BPC-157 is sold for tendon, ligament, muscle and gut injuries on the strength of animal studies. Someone choosing between them for a torn tendon would find no human tendon data for either; someone with diagnosed small-fibre neuropathy would find that only ARA-290 has been tested, in small trials, and is not available outside research.
Their mechanisms differ too. ARA-290 acts through the innate repair receptor, a complex of the EPO receptor with the beta-common receptor, and in animal studies it reduced inflammation and protected nerves (animal evidence) 10.
How the differences add up (as of October 3, 2026)
On human evidence ARA-290 is ahead: several small randomised trials, with mixed but sometimes positive results in nerve pain. BPC-157 has more animal data and almost no human data. Neither is FDA-approved. FDA's compounding committee voted 8 to 6 in July 2026 to recommend BPC-157 for the list of substances pharmacies may compound, and FDA had not acted as of October 3, 2026 1. In sport, ARA-290 is prohibited under S2.1.5 as an EPO-receptor agonist, and BPC-157 under S0 1. Our KPV vs BPC-157 and BPC-157 vs GHK-Cu comparisons cover other pairings. Doses on this page are those in our entries' sources, not recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ARA-290 and BPC-157?
ARA-290 is an EPO-derived peptide tested in small human trials for nerve pain; BPC-157 is a gastric-juice-derived peptide with extensive animal healing data and almost no human data.
Which has better human evidence?
ARA-290, with several small placebo-controlled trials in small-fibre neuropathy. BPC-157 has only two small uncontrolled human reports.
Are ARA-290 and BPC-157 legal?
Neither is FDA-approved. Both are prohibited in sport: ARA-290 under S2.1.5 and BPC-157 under S0.
Related on Grey Peptides
Sources
- Grey Peptides dataset records for ARA-290 (cibinetide) and BPC-157 (FDA status, the July 2026 compounding-committee vote on BPC-157, WADA status, studied doses as sourced on each entry); read October 3, 2026.
- Heij, L., et al. (2012). Safety and efficacy of ARA 290 in sarcoidosis patients with symptoms of small fiber neuropathy: a randomized, double-blind pilot study. Mol Med, 18(1), 1430-6. PMID: 23168581
- Culver, D. A., et al. (2017). Cibinetide Improves Corneal Nerve Fiber Abundance in Patients With Sarcoidosis-Associated Small Nerve Fiber Loss and Neuropathic Pain. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 58(6), BIO52-BIO60. PMID: 28475703
- Brines, M., et al. (2015). ARA 290, a nonerythropoietic peptide engineered from erythropoietin, improves metabolic control and neuropathic symptoms in patients with type 2 diabetes. Mol Med, 20(1), 658-66. PMID: 25387363
- Lois, N., et al. (2020). A Phase 2 Clinical Trial on the Use of Cibinetide for the Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema. J Clin Med, 9(7). PMID: 32674280
- Seiwerth, S., et al. (2018). BPC 157 and Standard Angiogenic Growth Factors. Gastrointestinal Tract Healing, Lessons from Tendon, Ligament, Muscle and Bone Healing. Curr Pharm Des, 24(18), 1972-1989. PMID: 29998800
- Vasireddi, N., et al. (2025). Emerging Use of BPC-157 in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: A Systematic Review. HSS J, 21(4), 485-495. PMID: 40756949
- Lee, E., et al. (2025). Safety of Intravenous Infusion of BPC157 in Humans: A Pilot Study. Altern Ther Health Med, 31(5), 20-24. PMID: 40131143
- Lee, E., et al. (2021). Intra-Articular Injection of BPC 157 for Multiple Types of Knee Pain. Altern Ther Health Med, 27(4), 8-13. PMID: 34324435
- Nairz, M., et al. (2017). Cibinetide dampens innate immune cell functions thus ameliorating the course of experimental colitis. Sci Rep, 7(1), 13012. PMID: 29026145
Educational information, not medical advice. Each dose in this guide names its source, an approved label or a published study. None is a recommendation for you. An unapproved compound has no established safe or effective human dose, and products sold for “research use only” are not made or tested for people. Talk to a doctor before acting on anything on this site, including before you start, stop or change any medicine or dose.
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