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For research use only. Not for human or veterinary use. Not a drug, food, or dietary supplement.
AMIRAVOResearch Library

BPC-157 vs ARA-290

BPC-157 and ARA-290 (cibinetide) are both studied as tissue-protective peptides, but they come from different parent proteins and have very different human evidence 1,8. BPC-157 is a 15-amino-acid partial sequence of a protein isolated from human gastric juice, and its literature is almost entirely preclinical 1,5. ARA-290 is an 11-amino-acid peptide modelled on helix B of erythropoietin that was designed not to stimulate red-cell production, and it has been tested in phase 2 trials 7,10. Neither has FDA approval as of October 2026 14,15.

Unbranded reference vial illustrating BPC-157; not an actual product
BPC-157
Not approved — research use only
Unbranded reference vial illustrating ARA-290; not an actual product
ARA-290
Investigational

Side by side

FieldBPC-157ARA-290
ClassSynthetic pentadecapeptide (15 amino acids) 5Synthetic 11-amino-acid erythropoietin-derived peptide (pyroglutamate helix B surface peptide) 7,8
Origin and structurePartial sequence of 'body protection compound' isolated from human gastric juice 5Modelled on the aqueous face of helix B of erythropoietin; not erythropoietic in vitro or in vivo 7
Proposed mechanismPreclinical work suggests growth hormone receptor up-regulation, angiogenesis pathways and reduced inflammatory cytokines 1; FAK-paxillin activation in rat tendon fibroblasts 5Selective agonist of the innate repair receptor, a heterocomplex of the erythropoietin receptor and the beta common receptor (CD131) 7,8
Half-lifeUnder 30 minutes, from rat and dog pharmacokinetic work cited in a systematic review; no human data 1Plasma half-life of about 2 minutes reported in a review by developer-affiliated authors; species not specified in the abstract 8
Highest human trial phasePhase 1 registration in healthy volunteers, status unknown, no results posted 6Phase 2b (64 people with sarcoidosis-associated small nerve fiber loss) 10,13
FDA statusNot FDA-approved 1; listed among bulk substances that may present significant safety risks (nomination withdrawn), as of 22 April 2026 14Not FDA-approved; no Drugs@FDA application record located for cibinetide (searched 24 October 2026) 15
Published human outcomesThree small uncontrolled reports (30 people in total) described symptom improvement; certainty rated very low 2,3,4Randomized trials in sarcoidosis neuropathy reported changes in symptom scores and corneal nerve fiber measures 9,10; a 9-patient diabetic macular edema study found no mean improvement in visual acuity or retinal thickness 12
Safety signalsNo clinical safety data found in one systematic review 1; FDA cites immunogenicity and impurity concerns and limited safety information 14Trials reported no safety concerns on clinical or laboratory assessment 9,11; no serious adverse events or anti-drug antibodies in the macular edema study 12
WADA statusNamed under S0 (non-approved substances); prohibited at all times (2026 List) 16Not named; the 2026 List's S2.1.5 covers innate repair receptor agonists (examples: asialo EPO, carbamylated EPO), the receptor class ARA-290 is described as targeting 10,16
Who funded the evidenceCell studies from Chang Gung University 5; human reports from private clinics 3,4; the phase 1 registration was sponsored by PharmaCotherapia 6Developer Araim Pharmaceuticals (and earlier Warren Pharmaceuticals) sponsored or co-authored the trials and discovery work 7,12,13

BPC-157: what the data says

A systematic review of 36 BPC-157 studies found 35 preclinical studies and one clinical study 1. In rat tendon-fibroblast cultures (cell data), BPC-157 increased explant outgrowth, survival under oxidative stress and cell migration 5. In animal injury models, the review reports improved functional, structural and biomechanical outcomes in muscle, tendon, ligament and bone (animal data only) 1.

  • Human data are limited to three small uncontrolled reports: a telephone chart-review survey of knee pain, a 12-woman interstitial cystitis pilot and a 2-person intravenous safety pilot 2,3,4.
  • A 2026 systematic review rated the overall certainty of this human evidence as very low and the studies as poor quality 2.
  • A phase 1 safety and pharmacokinetics trial was registered in 2015, but its status is unknown and no results are posted 6.

ARA-290: what the data says

ARA-290 was derived from erythropoietin's helix B and was tissue-protective without stimulating red-cell production in rodent models of stroke and renal ischemia (animal data) 7. Its human development has focused on neuropathy.

  • In a 22-patient double-blind pilot in sarcoidosis small fiber neuropathy (humans), the ARA-290 group improved on a neuropathy screening score versus placebo at week 4 9.
  • In a 64-person phase 2b trial (humans), the primary endpoint of corneal nerve fiber area changed significantly versus placebo in one of three dose groups 10.
  • In a phase 2 trial in type 2 diabetes with neuropathy (humans), the authors reported changes in HbA1c, lipids and neuropathic symptom scores 11.
  • In a 9-patient phase 2 study of diabetic macular edema (humans), there was no mean improvement in visual acuity, retinal thickness or retinal sensitivity 12.

Key research differences

  • Parent molecule: BPC-157 derives from a gastric-juice protein sequence 5, while ARA-290 is engineered from the three-dimensional structure of erythropoietin 7.
  • Human trial depth: ARA-290 has randomized, placebo-controlled phase 2 trials 9,10, whereas BPC-157 has only uncontrolled reports and a phase 1 registration without results 2,6.
  • Receptor hypothesis: ARA-290 is described as a selective innate repair receptor agonist 8; for BPC-157, proposed mechanisms span several pathways without a single defined receptor 1.
  • Anti-doping: BPC-157 is named under WADA S0, whereas ARA-290 is not named on the 2026 List 16.
  • FDA compounding listing: BPC-157 appears on the FDA's significant-safety-risk compounding page 14; ARA-290 does not appear on that page 14.

Where the evidence is limited

No study has compared BPC-157 and ARA-290 directly. Their human data come from different conditions (knee pain and interstitial cystitis for BPC-157; sarcoidosis and diabetic neuropathy for ARA-290) and from very different study designs, so outcomes cannot be set side by side 2,10. The BPC-157 human reports are uncontrolled and from private clinics 3,4, while most ARA-290 trials were sponsored or co-authored by the developer 12,13. Half-life figures come from different species or unspecified models 1,8.

Frequently asked questions

Is ARA-290 the same as erythropoietin?
No. ARA-290 is an 11-amino-acid peptide modelled on part of erythropoietin, and in rodent studies it was not erythropoietic 7.
Which has more human research, BPC-157 or ARA-290?
ARA-290 has randomized, placebo-controlled phase 2 trials in neuropathy 9,10. BPC-157 has three small uncontrolled human reports, rated very low certainty 2.
Can BPC-157 and ARA-290 be compared directly?
No head-to-head study was located, and the populations and outcomes studied differ, so a direct comparison is not supported by current evidence 2,10.
Are BPC-157 and ARA-290 FDA-approved?
Neither is FDA-approved 1,15. BPC-157 also appears on the FDA's list of bulk substances that may present significant safety risks, as of 22 April 2026 14.

References

  1. Emerging Use of BPC-157 in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: A Systematic Review HSS Journal. 2025
  2. Human evidence for BPC-157 in orthopaedic and regenerative medicine: a systematic review of efficacy and safety Acta Orthopaedica Belgica. 2026
  3. Intra-Articular Injection of BPC 157 for Multiple Types of Knee Pain Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 2021
  4. Effect of BPC-157 on Symptoms in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis: A Pilot Study Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 2024
  5. The promoting effect of pentadecapeptide BPC 157 on tendon healing involves tendon outgrowth, cell survival, and cell migration Journal of Applied Physiology. 2011
  6. PCO-02 - Safety and Pharmacokinetics Trial (NCT02637284) ClinicalTrials.gov. 2015
  7. Nonerythropoietic, tissue-protective peptides derived from the tertiary structure of erythropoietin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. 2008
  8. Flipping the molecular switch for innate protection and repair of tissues: Long-lasting effects of a non-erythropoietic small peptide engineered from erythropoietin Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 2015
  9. Safety and efficacy of ARA 290 in sarcoidosis patients with symptoms of small fiber neuropathy: a randomized, double-blind pilot study Molecular Medicine. 2012
  10. Cibinetide Improves Corneal Nerve Fiber Abundance in Patients With Sarcoidosis-Associated Small Nerve Fiber Loss and Neuropathic Pain Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2017
  11. ARA 290, a nonerythropoietic peptide engineered from erythropoietin, improves metabolic control and neuropathic symptoms in patients with type 2 diabetes Molecular Medicine. 2015
  12. A Phase 2 Clinical Trial on the Use of Cibinetide for the Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2020
  13. Study of Efficacy of ARA 290 on Corneal Nerve Fiber Density and Neuropathic Symptoms of Subjects With Sarcoidosis (NCT02039687) ClinicalTrials.gov. 2017
  14. Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks (content current as of 04/22/2026) FDA (Human Drug Compounding). 2026
  15. Drugs@FDA (openFDA) query for active ingredient cibinetide: no matches FDA openFDA. 2026
  16. Prohibited List 2026 (in force 1 January 2026) World Anti-Doping Agency. 2026

For research use only. Not for human or veterinary use. Not a drug, food, or dietary supplement. This page compares published research and is not medical advice or a recommendation.