Peptides in Pain Management: BPC-157, Risks, Reality, and the Business of Regenerative Medicine

Episode Length: ~12–15 minutes Target Audience: Pain physicians, anesthesiologists, PM&R, sports medicine, and regenerative medicine clinicians Hosted by: Dr. David Rosenblum, MD Produced by: PainExam | NRAP Academy

🧠 Episode Overview

Peptides like BPC-157 have exploded in popularity across regenerative medicine, sports medicine, and cash-based pain practices — but does the science support the hype?

In this episode of PainExam, Dr. David Rosenblum takes a critical, evidence-based look at BPC-157 and other peptidesin pain management, examining:

• The biological rationale behind peptide therapy

• Preclinical and early human evidence for pain and tissue healing

• Regulatory status and safety concerns

• Ethical, legal, and marketing risks for physicians

• How peptides are currently being incorporated — and monetized — in pain practices

This episode is designed to help clinicians separate science from marketing, and to approach peptide therapies with appropriate caution and professionalism.

⏱️ Episode Breakdown 🔹 00:00–01:30 — Introduction

• Why peptides are trending in pain and regenerative medicine

• What patients are asking — and what physicians need to know

🔹 01:30–04:30 — What Is BPC-157?

• Origins of Body Protection Compound-157

• Mechanisms: angiogenesis, inflammation modulation, tissue repair

• Summary of preclinical data and animal pain models

🔹 04:30–07:00 — Evidence for Pain Relief & Healing

• Early inflammatory and non-inflammatory pain studies

• Intra-articular BPC-157 for knee pain: what the case series showed

• Why current human data are hypothesis-generating, not definitive

🔹 07:00–09:30 — Risks, Unknowns & Regulatory Issues

• FDA status and investigational use

• Quality, purity, and dosing variability

• Theoretical biologic risks and drug interactions

🔹 09:30–12:30 — The Business of Peptides in Pain Practice

• How peptides are marketed in regenerative clinics

• Cash-based models and patient demand

• Ethical marketing, informed consent, and medicolegal exposure

🔹 12:30–End — Clinical Takeaways

• Where peptides fit — and don't fit — in current pain practice

• Why evidence still matters in regenerative medicine

⚠️ Key Clinical Takeaways

• BPC-157 shows promising preclinical data, but human evidence remains limited

• Current studies lack randomization, controls, and long-term outcomes

• Peptides are not FDA-approved for pain or musculoskeletal indications

• Marketing peptides without transparency poses ethical and legal risk

• Physicians must clearly distinguish experimental therapies from standard of care

📚 Key References Discussed

• Józwiak et al. Multifunctionality and Possible Medical Application of BPC-157 — MDPI Pharmaceuticals (2025)

• McGuire et al. Regeneration or Risk? A Narrative Review of BPC-157 — Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine (2025)

• Sikirić et al. Effects of BPC-157 on Inflammatory and Non-Inflammatory Pain — Inflammopharmacology (1993)

• Lee & Padgett. Intra-Articular Injection of BPC-157 for Knee Pain — Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine (2021)

📢 Sponsored Message / Advertisement 🔔 Ready to Master Evidence-Based Pain Medicine?

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All content is designed by practicing pain physicians, for practicing pain physicians.

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Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. Discussion of investigational therapies does not constitute endorsement or clinical recommendation. Physicians should follow applicable laws, regulations, and professional guidelines when considering experimental treatments.

References

Lee, Edwin, and Blake Padgett. "Intra-Articular Injection of BPC 157 for Multiple Types of Knee Pain." Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine 27.4 (2021).

Józwiak, Michalina, et al. "Multifunctionality and Possible Medical Application of the BPC 157 Peptide—Literature and Patent Review." Pharmaceuticals 18.2 (2025): 185.

McGuire, F. P., Martinez, R., Lenz, A., Skinner, L., & Cushman, D. M. (2025). Regeneration or risk? A narrative review of BPC-157 for musculoskeletal healing. Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine, 18(12), 611-619.