What it is
This is one vial containing three peptides mixed together. A peptide is a short chain of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. The vial holds 20 milligrams (mg) of peptide in total: 5 mg of BPC-157, 5 mg of TB-500, and 10 mg of Cartalax.
BPC-157 stands for Body Protection Compound 157, a peptide based on a protein found in human stomach juice, studied for repair of tendons, muscle, gut lining, and blood vessels.
TB-500 is a fragment of a natural protein called thymosin beta-4, studied for wound healing, muscle and tendon repair, and reduced inflammation.
Cartalax is a very short peptide of the kind called a bioregulator — a class of two-to-four-amino-acid peptides associated with a particular tissue. Cartalax is the one associated with cartilage and connective tissue: it targets the cells that build cartilage, and is studied for joint integrity, cartilage density, and connective tissue resilience. Nothing has been documented about its role in this blend beyond the 10 mg amount, but this site has a standalone Cartalax entry, and its warnings, side effects, and interactions are carried into the sections below.
It arrives as a dry powder in a sealed vial. You add bacteriostatic water — sterile water with a preservative that lets it keep for weeks — and inject the result just under the skin, a subcutaneous injection.
Before reading on: no benefits, side effects, or contraindications have been documented for the blend itself. Everything in the sections below is carried over from the standalone BPC-157, TB-500, and Cartalax entries, and each item says which one it came from. Note the imbalance in what those entries offer: BPC-157 and TB-500 have full benefit lists, and Cartalax has a full set of warnings, side effects, and interactions but its benefits are not carried here, because no effect has been claimed for it in this blend.
A three-component vial: 5 mg BPC-157 + 5 mg TB-500 + 10 mg Cartalax, 20 mg total peptide mass. Cartalax is the largest single component by mass, at half the vial.
BPC-157 arm: a stable 15-amino-acid fragment of body protection compound from human gastric juice; angiogenic and cytoprotective — VEGFR2 and FAK–paxillin activation, growth hormone receptor upregulation in tendon fibroblasts, nitric oxide system modulation.
TB-500 arm: a synthetic fragment of thymosin beta-4, acting via actin sequestration and consequent cell migration, systemically distributed.
Cartalax arm: a short peptide bioregulator with chondrocyte tropism, described in its own entry as improving extracellular matrix balance through enhanced chondrocyte activity, collagen and proteoglycan synthesis, and reduced matrix breakdown. None of that is documented for this blend — there is no mechanism, no benefit claim, no adverse effect data, and no contraindication for the arm, only the 10 mg figure. A standalone Cartalax entry exists on this site, and its contraindications, interactions, and adverse effects are carried into the lists below with attribution. Its benefit claims are not, because nothing is claimed for the arm in this blend and the standalone protocols run 1–2 mg daily against the 300–500 mcg per dose delivered here.
One substantive point beyond the schedule: the cycle and washout are mandatory *because* TB-500 and Cartalax are included. The cycling requirement is attributed specifically to those two components rather than to BPC-157.
Blend-level documentation covers dosing only — no benefits, adverse effects, contraindications, or stacking data. Content below is carried from the standalone BPC-157, TB-500, and Cartalax entries with attribution on each item.
What it does
No effects have been documented for the blend itself — only the amounts of each peptide and the dosing schedule. What follows is from the standalone entries.
From the standalone BPC-157 entry: it speeds wound repair, helps tendons reattach to bone, builds new blood vessels into damaged tissue, and calms inflammation. It protects the lining of the stomach and intestine. It also reports better memory and mood, stronger bones, less joint pain, and blood pressure that moves back toward a normal range.
From the standalone TB-500 entry: it promotes wound healing, muscle and tendon repair, and reduced inflammation, and it grows new blood vessels into damaged tissue.
For Cartalax, no effect has been documented in this blend. The standalone Cartalax entry on this site describes it as increasing the activity of the cells that build cartilage, supporting collagen production, and reducing the breakdown of cartilage under stress or ageing — but that entry's doses are two to six times the amount delivered here, so treat it as background on the component rather than as a claim about this blend.
One thing is stated directly: this blend must be cycled with a washout period, because of the inclusion of TB-500 and Cartalax.
No effects are documented for the blend itself; the following is carried from the standalone entries and attributed.
From the standalone BPC-157 entry: elevation of EGF, FGF, and VEGF driving granulation tissue formation and revascularisation; fibroblast outgrowth and collagen synthesis underpinning tendon-to-bone and ligament healing; reduction of existing fibrotic tissue when administered into the scarred region; gastrointestinal cytoprotection; bidirectional blood pressure normalisation via the NO system; elevated central dopamine and serotonin with analgesia.
From the standalone TB-500 entry: actin sequestration driving cell migration into damaged tissue, angiogenesis, wound healing, muscle and tendon repair, anti-inflammatory activity, systemically distributed.
Cartalax arm: no effect data is documented for this blend. The standalone Cartalax entry on this site describes a combined anabolic and anti-catabolic account of cartilage matrix turnover (chondrocyte activation, collagen and proteoglycan synthesis, restored expression of cartilage maintenance genes, reduced matrix breakdown), but at 1–2 mg daily against the 300–500 mcg per dose here. Read it as component background, not as a blend-level claim.
The one blend-specific statement is the cycling rationale: cycle and washout are described as mandatory because of the TB-500 and Cartalax content. It is the only place Cartalax is discussed as anything other than a quantity.
Benefits
Evidence grades: what the labels mean
- Human trials Supported by randomised or placebo-controlled human trials.
- Limited human data Some human evidence, such as pilot studies, case reports or observational data, but no controlled trials.
- Animal or lab only Shown in animal or cell studies only; not yet tested in people.
- Anecdotal No published studies; based on user reports or theory.
Each grade reflects the strongest published support for that specific claim, not for the compound as a whole.
- No benefits have been documented for this blend itself. The items below are carried over from the standalone BPC-157 and TB-500 entries, and each says which entry it came from. Nothing is listed for Cartalax: there is a Cartalax entry on this site, but no effect has been claimed for that component in this blend, and the doses in the Cartalax entry are several times larger than the amount in each dose here.Anecdotal
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: faster recovery from muscle, tendon, and ligament injuries.Animal or lab only
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: less inflammation in muscles, tendons, damaged tissue, and the nervous system.Animal or lab only
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: help with tendon reattaching to bone, and more muscle size and strength alongside training.Anecdotal
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: more collagen, improving skin thickness and elasticity and supporting hair growth.Anecdotal
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: new blood vessels form, so blood flow and oxygen delivery improve.Animal or lab only
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: injected into an area of scar tissue, it can reduce that scar tissue.Animal or lab only
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: protects the stomach lining and helps the colon heal in inflammatory bowel disease.Animal or lab only
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: higher bone density and less joint pain, with better leg mobility.Animal or lab only
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: keeps blood pressure in a normal range, raising it if low and lowering it if high.Animal or lab only
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: promotes wound healing and repair of muscle and tendon.Animal or lab only
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: reduces inflammation.Animal or lab only
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: stimulates the growth of new blood vessels into damaged tissue.Animal or lab only
- No blend-level benefits are documented. Items below are carried from the standalone BPC-157 and TB-500 entries with attribution. No Cartalax items are carried: the standalone entry's benefit set is stated at 1–2 mg daily, against 300–500 mcg of Cartalax per dose here, and that arm is characterised in this blend only by mass.Anecdotal
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: accelerated soft-tissue repair via increased EGF, FGF, and VEGF expression; tendon, bone, and ligament healing with tendon-to-bone integration.Animal or lab only
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: angiogenesis through VEGFR2 and the FAK–paxillin pathway.Animal or lab only
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: potent anti-inflammatory action across CNS, muscle, tendon, and damaged tissue.Animal or lab only
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: increased muscle hypertrophy and strength; reduced fat mass.Anecdotal
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: collagen synthesis with dermal and hair effects.Anecdotal
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: reduction of existing scar tissue when administered into the scarred region.Animal or lab only
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: gastrointestinal cytoprotection and accelerated colonic healing in inflammatory bowel disease.Animal or lab only
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: increased bone density, reduced cartilage lesions and joint pain with improved lower-limb mobility.Animal or lab only
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: bidirectional blood pressure normalisation through the NO system.Animal or lab only
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: wound healing with muscle and tendon repair via actin sequestration and cell migration.Animal or lab only
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: anti-inflammatory activity.Animal or lab only
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: angiogenesis in damaged tissue.Animal or lab only
- The joint and cartilage claims above come from the BPC-157 arm, not from Cartalax. If the Cartalax content is the reason for choosing this blend over the two-component version, there is no documented basis for that choice.Anecdotal
Reconstitution and dosing
One vial: 20 mg of peptide in total — 5 mg BPC-157, 5 mg TB-500, and 10 mg Cartalax. Mix with 2 mL (millilitres; 200 units on an insulin syringe) of bacteriostatic water. Add the water slowly down the side of the vial rather than onto the powder, then swirl gently. Do not shake.
Doses for this blend are given as syringe units. Mixed as instructed, one unit holds 100 mcg of blended peptide, so the microgram figures below convert exactly from the unit numbers.
A cycle runs 8 weeks, followed by 4 weeks off. The cycle and washout are not optional here, because TB-500 and Cartalax are in the mix.
Inject under the skin. You can dose at any time of day or night, and you do not need to be fasted. You dose once a day.
There are two schedules. The standard protocol starts at 6 units for two weeks then goes up to 8 units. The maximum protocol starts higher, at 10 units for two weeks, and then goes down to 6 units for the rest of the cycle. That drop is how the schedule is specified, not an error.
Single presentation: 20 mg total peptide (5 mg BPC-157 + 5 mg TB-500 + 10 mg Cartalax) reconstituted with 2 mL (200 units) of bacteriostatic water, giving 10 mg/mL — 100 mcg per insulin unit.
Doses are expressed in units. At the stated concentration the conversion is exact and clean: 6 units = 600 mcg, 8 units = 800 mcg, 10 units = 1,000 mcg. The recomputed draws match the unit numbers with no discrepancy. Per-arm split at the fixed ratio: a 600 mcg dose is 150 mcg BPC-157 + 150 mcg TB-500 + 300 mcg Cartalax.
Worth noting against the two-component blend: that entry uses the same unit numbers (6, 8, 10) against half the peptide mass in the same 2 mL, which is why its microgram labels and its unit figures cannot both be right. Here at 20 mg they reconcile exactly. The likeliest reading is that these unit numbers belong to this 20 mg presentation.
Cycle: 8 weeks on, 4 weeks off, stated as mandatory and attributed specifically to the TB-500 and Cartalax content.
Subcutaneous administration. Any time of day or night; fasting not required. Once daily.
Standard protocol: 600 mcg daily weeks 1–2, 800 mcg daily weeks 3–8. Maximum protocol: 1,000 mcg daily weeks 1–2, then 600 mcg daily weeks 3–8. The maximum protocol steps down at week 3; no rationale for the inversion has been given.
Exposure arithmetic: at 800 mcg/day, the TB-500 arm receives 200 mcg/day, 1.4 mg/week — inside the standalone TB-500 entry's 1–2.5 mg weekly range, but spread across seven administrations rather than two.
20 mg vial — standard protocol
Mix with 2 mL (200 units) of bacteriostatic water, giving 10 mg/mL — 100 mcg of blended peptide per insulin unit. The vial holds 5 mg BPC-157, 5 mg TB-500, and 10 mg Cartalax, so each dose is one quarter BPC-157, one quarter TB-500, and one half Cartalax. The microgram figures below are computed from the vial contents and diluent volume.
10 mg/mL · 100 mcg per unit
Cycle: 8-week cycle, then a 4-week washout — stated as mandatory because of the TB-500 and Cartalax content · Frequency: 1×/day, subcutaneous, any time of day or night; fasting not required
| When | Dose | Draw | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1–2 — 6 units (150 mcg BPC-157 + 150 mcg TB-500 + 300 mcg Cartalax) | 600 mcg | 6 units | 1×/day |
| Weeks 3–8 — 8 units (200 mcg BPC-157 + 200 mcg TB-500 + 400 mcg Cartalax) | 800 mcg | 8 units | 1×/day |
20 mg vial — maximum protocol
Mix with 2 mL (200 units) of bacteriostatic water, giving 100 mcg of blended peptide per insulin unit. Note that this protocol steps the dose down at week 3 rather than up; that is how the schedule is specified.
10 mg/mL · 100 mcg per unit
Cycle: 8-week cycle, then a 4-week washout — stated as mandatory because of the TB-500 and Cartalax content · Frequency: 1×/day, subcutaneous, any time of day or night; fasting not required
| When | Dose | Draw | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1–2 — 10 units (250 mcg BPC-157 + 250 mcg TB-500 + 500 mcg Cartalax) | 1 mg | 10 units | 1×/day |
| Weeks 3–8 — the dose steps down here, to 6 units (150 mcg BPC-157 + 150 mcg TB-500 + 300 mcg Cartalax) | 600 mcg | 6 units | 1×/day |
20 mg of blend in 2 mL is 10 mg/mL, or 100 mcg per unit. Draw 6 units (0.06 mL) for 600 mcg of blend.
- BPC-157150 mcg
- TB-500150 mcg
- Cartalax300 mcg
Who should avoid it
- No contraindications or drug interactions have been documented for this blend itself. The items below are carried over from the three standalone entries, and each says which entry it came from. All three components' warnings apply, because all three are in every dose.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: anyone pregnant or breastfeeding — BPC-157 is toxic to a developing fetus.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: anyone pregnant or breastfeeding.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: anyone with chronic kidney disease.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: anyone with liver or kidney disease — it can put extra strain on those organs.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: anyone with a protein allergy should be careful, because BPC-157 is itself a protein.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: anyone with an autoimmune disorder, because it stimulates the immune system and may make the condition worse.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: anyone with an autoimmune disorder.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: anyone with an active cancer.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: anyone with an active cancer, in cancer treatment, or with cancer in the family.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: anyone with a blood clotting disorder affecting the face.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: anyone with a heart condition should be careful, because it can raise blood pressure.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: anyone being treated for a heart or circulation condition.
- From the standalone Cartalax entry: anyone with a known allergy or sensitivity to peptides or peptide products; anyone pregnant or breastfeeding; anyone with a severe systemic autoimmune disease — where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues across several organs, such as lupus — unless a doctor has cleared it first; and anyone under 18, as it is not intended for children.
- From the standalone Cartalax entry, an interaction worth treating carefully: Cartalax may interact with anti-inflammatory drugs such as **NSAIDs** (the class including ibuprofen and naproxen) and corticosteroids, and it has been suggested that you will likely not need those medicines while taking it. Nothing supports that suggestion. Do not stop a prescribed anti-inflammatory or steroid on the strength of it — stopping a corticosteroid abruptly can be dangerous in itself.
- From the standalone Cartalax entry: it may improve the results of regenerative treatments such as hyaluronic acid injections or platelet-rich plasma. This is described as a positive interaction, with no guidance on timing the two together.
- If you are also running Cartalax on its own, this blend adds to it. Half the peptide in this vial is Cartalax, and taking both means taking that component twice.
- Because the three peptides sit in one vial at a fixed ratio, you cannot lower or drop one of them. If any warning above rules out one component, it rules out this blend.
- No contraindications or interactions are documented for the blend itself. The items below are carried from the three standalone entries with attribution; all three components' exclusions apply, since the ratio is fixed.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: pregnancy and lactation — fetotoxic; absolute contraindication.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: pregnancy and lactation — contraindicated.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: chronic kidney disease — contraindicated; hepatic or renal impairment adds clearance burden on compromised organs.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: known protein or peptide hypersensitivity — BPC-157 is itself a polypeptide.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: autoimmune disease — immunostimulatory activity may exacerbate the underlying condition.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: autoimmune disease — contraindicated, given the immunomodulatory activity.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: active malignancy — contraindicated; angiogenic activity is the concern.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: active malignancy, ongoing oncological treatment, or family history of cancer — contraindicated; the angiogenic and migratory mechanisms are the concern.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: facial blood clotting disorder — contraindicated.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: pre-existing cardiac disease — caution, as the NO-mediated pressor response can raise blood pressure.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: ongoing treatment for a cardiovascular condition — contraindicated.
- From the standalone Cartalax entry: known allergy or hypersensitivity to peptides or peptide products; pregnancy and lactation; severe systemic autoimmune disease without prior physician authorisation; paediatric use not intended.
- From the standalone Cartalax entry, flagged rather than simply reproduced: it states an interaction with NSAIDs and corticosteroids and then asserts these will likely not be needed during treatment, on the basis of superior analgesia. That is an unsupported substitution claim about prescribed anti-inflammatory therapy and should not be acted on — abrupt corticosteroid withdrawal carries independent hazard. It applies with less force here in any case, at 300–500 mcg of Cartalax per dose against that entry's 1–2 mg.
- From the standalone Cartalax entry: hyaluronic acid and platelet-rich plasma named as a synergistic positive interaction through support of cartilage matrix recovery, with no sequencing or timing guidance given.
- Concurrent use of standalone Cartalax double-doses the arm that is already half this vial's mass.
- The fixed ratio removes independent titration. A contraindication to any arm is a contraindication to the vial, and the malignancy exclusion defaults to the strictest of the documented two — TB-500's family-history criterion.
Side effects
- No side effects have been documented for this blend itself. The items below are carried over from the three standalone entries, and each says which entry it came from.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: side effects are uncommon, but you may notice nausea.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: diarrhoea.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: changes in appetite.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: gas or bloating.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: dizziness.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: headaches.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: a reaction where you inject — redness, swelling, itching, or hives. Usually mild and temporary.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: dizziness, headaches, tiredness, nausea, and muscle pain.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: flu-like symptoms, rarely.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: bloating, if you have irritable bowel syndrome.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: muscle spasms or odd muscle contractions if the dose is too high, because TB-500 affects the proteins that make muscle contract.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: signs of an allergic reaction — skin rash, hot flashes, facial swelling, itching, difficulty breathing, or heavy sweating. Stop and seek medical help if these appear.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: most side effects fade as the body adapts to the peptide.
- From the standalone Cartalax entry: a reaction where you inject — redness, swelling, or itching; rare allergic reactions in people sensitive to the peptide components; and very mild stomach and gut discomfort. There is no explanation for why a cartilage compound would upset the stomach.
- Note that all three components list injection site reactions and all three list allergic reactions, so those are the effects most likely to show up with this blend.
- No adverse effects are documented for the blend itself. Items below are carried from the three standalone entries with attribution.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: adverse effects are infrequent and predominantly gastrointestinal — nausea.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: diarrhoea.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: appetite changes in either direction.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: flatulence and bloating.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: dizziness, consistent with the NO-mediated vascular effects.
- From the standalone BPC-157 entry: headache.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: injection site reaction — erythema, swelling, pruritus, urticaria.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: dizziness, headache, fatigue, nausea, myalgia.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: flu-like symptoms (rare).
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: may contribute to bloating in irritable bowel syndrome.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: muscle spasm or altered contraction from overstimulation of actin and myosin at excessive doses — dose-dependent.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: hypersensitivity reaction — rash, hot flushes, facial oedema, pruritus, dyspnoea, profuse sweating. Discontinue and seek medical attention.
- From the standalone TB-500 entry: most effects resolve as the body adapts to the peptide.
- From the standalone Cartalax entry: injection site reaction — erythema, swelling, pruritus; rare allergic reactions arising from peptide hypersensitivity; very mild gastrointestinal discomfort, for which no mechanism has been offered in a chondrocyte-directed compound.
- Injection site and hypersensitivity reactions appear in all three component entries, so they are the effects with the strongest prior here. The statement that the washout is mandatory because of TB-500 and Cartalax remains the only signal that the Cartalax content carries a reason for caution, and none of the adverse effects in the standalone Cartalax entry accounts for it.
User reports
User reports are individual experiences submitted by site visitors. They are not medical advice, are not verified for accuracy, and do not reflect Amino Reference's views. Read the evidence section above and talk to a clinician. Full disclaimer.
Stacking
The same repair pair without the Cartalax, at 5 mg of each in a 10 mg vial. Worth comparing, since there is no information at all about what the Cartalax adds.
The two-component version, 5 mg + 5 mg in 10 mg. Identical BPC-157 and TB-500 masses; the only difference is the 10 mg Cartalax load, for which no mechanism or benefit has been documented. Also read that entry's unit-table discrepancy note, which this presentation does not share.
The standalone version of the BPC-157 part. Its entry carries the BPC-157 warnings and side effects listed above.
The standalone entry carries this arm's contraindications and adverse effect set, and allows independent titration and cycling that the fixed blend does not.
The standalone version of the TB-500 part. Its entry carries the TB-500 warnings and side effects listed above, and it doses twice a week rather than daily.
The standalone entry carries this arm's contraindications and adverse effect profile, and specifies 1–2.5 mg twice weekly — a different exposure pattern from the daily administration here.
The third component, and the largest by weight — 10 mg of the 20 mg vial. The Cartalax entry on this site carries the Cartalax warnings, side effects, and interactions, since nothing about it has been documented for this blend beyond the 10 mg figure.
The largest component by mass (10 mg of 20 mg) and the least documented in this blend — there is no mechanism, benefit, adverse effect, or contraindication data for it here. The standalone Cartalax entry carries all of that, and its own protocols run 1–2 mg daily against the 300–500 mcg per dose delivered here.
- No established stacks
No stacking combinations have been documented for this blend. The entries above are related entries and components, not stacking recommendations.
No stacking data exists for this blend. The entries above are cross-references to components and to the two-component variant, not endorsed combinations.
Dosing figures have been reviewed and units are recomputed from the stated protocol.