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TB-500 Topical (Creams and Serums): What Studies Show

Which studies gave TB-500 as a topical form, what they measured, and what is approved. No product recommendations.

Medical review pendingSynthetic fragment of thymosin beta-4Updated
Route
topical
FDA-approved product for this route
None
Route studies (human / animal)
4 / 1
in our evidence file (PubMed search, 11 Oct 2026)

Studies that gave TB-500 topical

Each row is a study whose stated route matches. Animal and cell results are labelled and are not human results.

TB-500 studies by topical route
StudyDesignnDoseFirst outcome
Microbial biotechnology 2021, PMID 34318587Human controlled trial710.5 mg/ml gelScalp seborrheic dermatitis: The thymosin beta-4 gel was reported more effective than ketoconazole lotion for scalp seborrheic dermatitis (randomization not stated in abstract).
Cornea 2015, PMID 25826322Human RCT90.1%Ocular discomfort and corneal staining: At day 56, the treated group had a 35.1% greater reduction in ocular discomfort and a 59.1% greater reduction in total corneal fluorescein staining than vehicle (very small trial).
Clinical ophthalmology 2015, PMID 26056426Human RCT720.1%Primary endpoints: Neither primary endpoint (ocular discomfort, inferior corneal staining) differed significantly between groups.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2010, PMID 20536470Human RCT73topical, 0.03% dose highlightedWound healing: Phase 2 findings suggest a 0.03% dose may accelerate healing, with complete healing within 3 months in about 25% of patients, mainly those with smaller or milder ulcers.
ACS applied materials & interfaces 2025, PMID 41359360Animal · human corneal cells in vitro plus an animal alkali burn model (species not stated in abstract) (not a human result)Not statedNot statedCorneal alkali burn: The peptide-containing hydrogel accelerated corneal epithelial regeneration and reduced inflammation in an alkali burn model; this is a formulation study.

For the injected form, see TB-500 how to inject and TB-500 half-life.

Gel and cream studies (full-length thymosin beta-4)

A double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation trial gave topical full-length thymosin beta-4 (not TB-500) to 73 patients with venous stasis ulcers at eight European sites.[4]

A 4-week study of 71 scalp seborrheic dermatitis patients compared a 0.5 mg/ml recombinant full-length thymosin beta-4 gel (not TB-500) with 2% ketoconazole lotion.[1]

Eye drop and hydrogel studies

Nine patients with severe dry eye received 0.1% full-length thymosin beta-4 eye drops (not TB-500) or vehicle 6 times daily over 28 days.[2]

A second dry-eye trial randomized 72 subjects 1:1 to 0.1% thymosin beta-4 solution (full-length, not TB-500) or placebo for 28 days.[3]

The only topical study naming the TB500 sequence is a hydrogel in human corneal cells and an alkali-burn animal model, with no people treated.[5]

Safety reported by route

The 72-subject dry-eye trial reported no adverse events.[3]

The venous ulcer trial judged the safety profile of all doses acceptable and comparable to placebo.[4]

Absorption compared with injection

None of the 5 topical studies cited on this page reports a blood level or bioavailability figure for the topical route, so no comparison with injection can be drawn from them.

Calculated from topical studies 5; studies reporting topical absorption 0. Formula: studies with topical absorption data = 0 of 5

Common questions

Is there an FDA-approved topical form of TB-500?

We found no FDA-approved topical product for TB-500 in our evidence file. Products sold as topical forms are not checked by the FDA.

Have studies given TB-500 as a topical form?

5 studies in our evidence file gave TB-500 by a topical route: 4 in people and 1 in animals.

Is there a TB-500 cream or topical?

No product is approved: the Drugs@FDA lookup for thymosin beta returned no matches. The topical trials used full-length thymosin beta-4.[6]

More on TB-500

DosageDoses used in published studies, with the source for each.CalculatorVial, water and dose to syringe units.Side effectsWhat labels and studies report, and what is unknown.ResultsStudy outcomes and when they were measured.BenefitsClaimed benefits next to what published studies measured.How it worksTarget, mechanism and how long it acts, from the label or studies.

Sources

  1. 1Recombinant human thymosin beta-4 (rhTβ4) improved scalp condition and microbiome homeostasis in seborrheic dermatitis.Microbial biotechnology · 2021PMID 34318587Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  2. 2Thymosin β4 significantly improves signs and symptoms of severe dry eye in a phase 2 randomized trial.Cornea · 2015PMID 25826322Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  3. 3Thymosin beta 4 ophthalmic solution for dry eye: a randomized, placebo-controlled, Phase II clinical trial conducted using the controlled adverse environment (CAE™) model.Clinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2015PMID 26056426Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  4. 4The effect of thymosin treatment of venous ulcers.Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · 2010PMID 20536470Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  5. 5Alkaline Phosphatase-Triggered Spatiotemporal Repair of Corneal Injury with TB500 Peptide Hydrogel.ACS applied materials & interfaces · 2025PMID 41359360Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  6. 6Drugs@FDA (openFDA) search: active ingredient "thymosin beta"U.S. Food and Drug Administration · 2026api.fda.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026

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