Evidence strength for the context described on this page.
PEPTIDE ATLAS / MUSCLE & RECOVERY / TB-500
Not FDA-approvedInsufficient
TB-500
ALSO KNOWN ASThymosin beta-4 fragment · LKKTETQ
A synthetic thymosin beta-4 fragment marketed for healing without identified human exposure data for the fragment.
01CATEGORYMuscle & recovery
02REGULATORY STATUSNot FDA-approved
03COMMON ROUTECommonly marketed for subcutaneous or intramuscular injection; neither is approved
04DOSE BASISReported clinic/community use
HOW TO USE THIS PAGE
Read the profile in the order that protects the decision.
- 01Verify what it is
Confirm the exact molecule, route, regulatory lane and actual human evidence.
- 02Read limits before dose
Unsupported claims, contraindications and uncertainty come before any protocol.
- 03Build the monitoring plan
Define the target, baseline checks, reassessment point and stop rules with a qualified clinician.
This peptide does not have an FDA-approved product or dose for the claims described here. Research dosing and vendor protocols are not consumer prescribing guidance.
RESEARCH PASSPORT
The five facts to know first.
REVIEWED
JULY 2026
Status is product-, formulation- and indication-specific.
Trial, label or reported-practice basis is always named.
Official labels, regulators, trials and indexed literature where available.
Peptide hormones, growth factors and related substances may be prohibited.
Check Global DRO ↗OVERVIEW
What TB-500 is.
TB-500 usually refers to the short LKKTETQ fragment, not pharmaceutical-grade full-length thymosin beta-4. Results from one molecule should not be casually assigned to the other.
HOW IT IS THOUGHT TO WORK
Marketed around actin regulation, cell migration, blood-vessel formation and wound repair; clinical translation is unestablished.
EFFECTS & EVIDENCE
What the evidence supports—and what it does not.
- No established human healing or performance benefit for TB-500
- Tendon, ligament or muscle regeneration
- Faster return to sport
- Safety of repeated injection
- Equivalence to thymosin beta-4 studied in research
Evidence grade: Insufficient. For an approved drug, “high” refers only to its labeled indication—not every off-label or wellness claim.
DOSAGE CONTEXT
Best available dosing range.
Reported clinic/community useMost commonly reported clinic/community range: 2–5 mg subcutaneously twice weekly for 4–6 weeks, followed by 2–5 mg every 1–2 weeks. FDA has identified no human exposure data for the TB-500 LKKTETQ fragment, so this is market practice—not an FDA-approved or evidence-based regimen.
BEST AVAILABLE GENERIC RANGE
Men and women.
The basis is named above. Reported-use ranges describe what clinics or communities publish; they are not proof of safety, efficacy, legality or product quality.
- Schedule in that source context
- Commonly described as 2–5 mg twice weekly for 4–6 weeks, followed by 2–5 mg every 1–2 weeks; some clinics instead use 2 mg weekly maintenance.
- How to interpret it
- These numbers come from clinic and community protocols, not trials. FDA reports no identified human exposure data for the fragment, and full-length thymosin beta-4 data cannot be transferred to TB-500.
- Route
- Commonly marketed for subcutaneous or intramuscular injection; neither is approved
- Duration
- Reported cycles: 4–8 weeks, sometimes followed by maintenance; no validated course
- Men & women
- Reported ranges are generally the same for men and women because no sex-specific pharmacology, reproductive safety or human dose has been established.
Clinician verification required. Always double-check the exact molecule or salt, concentration, route, volume, schedule, indication, patient-specific contraindications, interactions and applicable law with the prescribing clinician and dispensing pharmacy. A disclaimer does not make an unapproved product FDA-approved, and a reported-use range is not a prescription.
MONITORING
What should be tracked.
- No validated monitoring program
- Injury-specific rehabilitation and clinical reassessment remain the standard
SAFETY
Risks, red flags and reasons to avoid it.
- Immunogenicity and peptide impurities
- Unknown systemic effects
- Contamination and sterility failures
- Potential anti-doping consequences for competitive athletes
- Self-injection
- Active cancer or unexplained mass
- Pregnancy
- Using it in place of rehabilitation
Stop and seek careGet urgent medical help for trouble breathing, facial or throat swelling, chest pain, fainting, severe persistent abdominal pain, neurologic changes, severe hypoglycemia, uncontrolled vomiting or a prolonged painful erection.
CLINICIAN VISIT CHECKLIST
Six questions worth bringing with you.
Molecule or analog, salt, concentration, route, manufacturer or compounder, lot and beyond-use date.
Name the diagnosis or target, how it will be measured and the realistic time to reassess.
Ask how it compares with FDA-approved, lower-risk or better-studied alternatives.
Label, human trial, specialty guideline or clinic convention—and whether that route and formulation match.
Baseline checks, follow-up measures, interactions, pregnancy considerations and symptoms that mean stop.
Pharmacy license, prescription, identity/potency testing, sterility controls and who handles a product complaint.
Do not improvise reconstitution or convert “units” without the exact concentration. Mixing, storage and beyond-use instructions are product-specific; confirm them with the dispensing pharmacy.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Read the record yourself.
We prioritize official prescribing information, FDA regulatory material, registered trials and indexed biomedical literature. A source supports the specific statement beside it—not every claim made about the molecule.
PRODUCTS & TREATMENT ACCESS
There is no product we can responsibly recommend.
Gray-market and some compounded channels; no FDA-approved TB-500 drug.
Sellers frequently blur full-length thymosin beta-4 and its fragment. That is a scientific and product-identity problem, not a minor naming issue.
Evidence before affiliate revenue.
We do not rank or sell unapproved research peptides. Use the Atlas to discuss safer, evidence-backed alternatives with a qualified clinician.
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