Gut
Gut Stack
BPC-157 plus KPV. The cleanest mechanism split available in the gut category: cytoprotection and angiogenesis on one side, NF-κB inhibition on the other.
At a glance
- Sold as
- Separate vials
- The evidence
- Zero interaction data, and zero human data for KPV by any route. FDA searched and found no clinical studies, no pharmacokinetics, no pharmacodynamics. BPC-157's only human efficacy data is a single 53-patient meeting abstract in ulcerative colitis whose between-group difference was not statistically significant. FDA's own KPV briefing documents this as a marketed combination, which is evidence that it is sold, not that it works.Combination-specific research is limited. Treat each compound’s evidence as separate unless a study of the combination itself is named here, and review the complete plan with a qualified clinician.
Running this stack, with the schedule, the vials it takes and a log of what you took, happens in the app: Claritide for iPhone.
Why people explore it
Common reasons for exploring it
- People with gut symptoms who have already run BPC-157 solo
- Anyone who wants the mechanism split explained rather than a product bundled
Where clinician input matters
- Anyone treating a diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease without their gastroenterologist involved
- Anyone with active or recent cancer, or a significant family cancer history
- Anyone on therapeutic anticoagulation or with a bleeding disorder
- Drug-tested athletes
- Pregnant or nursing, under 25
The science
Read the compound mechanisms
BPC-157 appears to work by improving the blood supply to damaged tissue and then telling the repair machinery to switch on. It increases expression of VEGFR2, a receptor that drives angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels, so more oxygen and nutrients reach the injury. It also interacts with the nitric oxide system, which controls how wide blood vessels open and how strongly the inflammatory response fires, counteracting both too little and too much nitric oxide. Separately it raises growth hormone receptor expression in tendon fibroblasts and activates the FAK-paxillin pathway, the signalling route cells use to stick, crawl and divide during wound repair. It is named for a cytoprotective effect: shielding tissue from NSAIDs, alcohol and other stressors. That effect is most pronounced in the gut.
The story you will read everywhere is that KPV is a melanocortin receptor agonist, and FDA says that is probably wrong. In its 2026 briefing document FDA writes that several lines of evidence suggest melanocortin receptors are unlikely to be the molecular targets behind KPV, because KPV could not displace radiolabelled alpha-MSH binding in rat brain tissue, in murine melanoma cells or in MC1R-expressing macrophages, and did not raise cAMP in those macrophages. What FDA does consider plausible is inhibition of NF-κB, the master switch that turns on pro-inflammatory cytokine genes, plus inhibition of interleukin-1β effects. The third piece is transport: KPV is taken up into human intestinal epithelial cells and Jurkat T cells through PepT1, a peptide transporter that is upregulated in inflamed gut tissue. That last detail is the one that makes the gut argument mechanically coherent: the transporter that carries it in is more abundant exactly where the inflammation is.
Commonly researched ranges
| Compound | Amount | Frequency | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| BPC-157 | 250–500 mcg | Once or twice daily | Subcutaneous; oral 500 mcg twice daily for gut-specific issues |
| KPV | 200–500 mcg | One to two times daily (oral); 100–500 mcg once daily subcutaneously | Empty stomach reported for the oral route |
- BPC-157: BPC-157 is stable in gastric acid, which is why the oral route appears in gut protocols at all. FDA found no human studies of the oral route.
- KPV: Vendor-tier community practice with zero human-trial support. We do not publish a dose against a named diagnosis for this compound, because there is no human data to publish one from.
- Duration
- Community practice cycles KPV 4–8 weeks on with 2–4 weeks off. Reassess at the end of the first cycle.
Mixing each compound
- 10 units = 0.25 mg
- 20 units = 0.5 mg
- 30 units = 0.75 mg
- 40 units = 1 mg
- 60 units = 1.5 mg
Not established in available literature. Use the figures printed on your own vial.
Week by week
BPC-157
- Week 1–2
Subtle. Reduced inflammation, warmth or increased blood flow near the injection site, slight pain reduction. Some people feel nothing yet. The Playbook describes this as normal.
- Week 3–4
Noticeable improvement in most reports. Pain drops on movements that previously hurt, range of motion improves, swelling decreases.
- Week 5–6
People describe significant functional recovery for acute injuries in this window. Chronic injuries may need a second cycle.
- Week 6–8+
For stubborn or chronic problems, a second cycle after a 2–4 week break often brings further improvement. Chronic tendinopathy may need two full cycles.
- After stopping
Benefits generally persist. The Playbook frames this as tissue actually repairing rather than pain being masked.
What it costs
- BPC-157: $80–120 per 4–6 week cycle (two 5 mg vials)
- KPV: Not established in available literature
The combined figure excludes KPV, for which our sources publish no price.
Cautions
- The "Gut Trio" adds larazotide as a third mechanism, and we deliberately do not ship it as a stack member. Larazotide is an investigational drug you cannot buy; its Phase 3 celiac trial was discontinued early by the sponsor after a futility interim analysis and results were never published. Putting it in a runnable protocol would imply availability it does not have. It is worth reading about as the mechanism you cannot have, a zonulin receptor antagonist, which nothing else in this library is.
- KPV's usual mechanism story is probably wrong, and FDA says so: "several lines of evidence suggest that MC receptors are unlikely to be the molecular targets underlying the anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties of KPV."
- A topical KPV cream is the most common consumer form and the least supported. In vitro on human cadaver skin, KPV does not permeate well; penetration improved only with iontophoresis or microneedle abrasion.
- KPV storage is genuinely disputed. Our own sourcing notes list it as sterile-water-only; both community dosing guides specify bacteriostatic water. Both cannot be right, and Claritide takes the cautious side: sterile water, and 24 hours.
- BPC-157's animal toxicity work showed altered clotting parameters and raised ALT, glucose and triglycerides. Anyone on therapeutic anticoagulation or with a bleeding disorder should treat that as relevant.
- BPC-157 is pro-angiogenic. Active or recent cancer, or a family cancer history, is the exclusion that matters.
- BPC-157 is on the WADA list at S0. KPV is not named on it. We found no approval for KPV, so athletes should treat it as likely prohibited under S0 too.
Absence from this list does NOT mean safety. It means lack of research.
Every stack here is free to read, and it stays free. Your own schedule, vials and log live in the app: Claritide for iPhone.