GHK-Cu

Areas of active research — not promised effects

Each tag links to other compounds with research into that goal. Research use only: these are areas of study, not human-use claims.

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GHK-Cu is not FDA-approved for any therapeutic indication. It is regulated as a cosmetic ingredient when used topically with cosmetic claims. For injectable compounding, GHK-Cu was placed on the FDA 503A/503B Category 2 'do not compound' list (docket FDA-2025-N-6895). Effective approximately April 22–23, 2026, it was removed from Category 2 following HHS/FDA signals; however, removal does not constitute approval for compounding. GHK-Cu now occupies a regulatory gray area pending a Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (PCAC) review scheduled before the end of February 2027. Formal 503A listing requires completed PCAC evaluation and rulemaking.

Transparent blend · bci-1.0 · never paid-placement

Primary name

GHK-Cu

Origin

GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring tripeptide (glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine) complexed with copper(II) that is found in human plasma, saliva, and urine. Plasma concentrations are highest in early adulthood (approximately 200 ng/mL at age 20) and decline substantially with age (~80 ng/mL by age 60). The peptide was first isolated from human plasma albumin fractions in the early 1970s.

Registry IDs

PubChem CID

139035031

InChIKey

LREZPQNYQZAPJC-ACMTZBLWSA-L

Molecular formula

C14H21CuN6O4-

Molar mass

400.90 g/mol

Monoisotopic

400.092025 Da

InChIKey

LREZPQNYQZAPJC-ACMTZBLWSA-L

Appearance

Blue-tinted crystalline lyophilized powder (characteristic of copper chelation)

Solubility

Freely soluble in water; soluble in aqueous buffers; poorly soluble in organic s…

Sequence not available in current seed.

Stability: Copper-peptide complex is susceptible to oxidation and pH-dependent degradation; avoid alkaline conditions and prolonged exposure to air post-reconstitution. St

Vial sizes

5 mg · 50 mg

Purity grades

≥98% HPLC

Salt forms

Free base (primary)

• GHS hazard class on file
• PPE & spill response
• Disposal guidance
• Not-for-human-consumption posture

How much research exists, and of what maturity — never a verdict on whether it works.

Mechanism of action

• GHK-Cu binds copper(II) with high affinity and delivers it to cells involved in tissue repair
• In fibroblast and keratinocyte models, the complex upregulates genes encoding collagen I and III, elastin, decorin, and glycosaminoglycans while simultaneously modulating matrix metalloproteinase activity to favor balanced matrix remodeling over excessive degradation or fibrosis
• GHK-Cu also stimulates angiogenesis and exhibits antioxidant activity partly through superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like copper chemistry, and has been reported in preclinical studies to suppress pro-inflammatory NF-κB signaling pathways

Pharmacokinetics (ADME)

Half-life

Approximately 0.5–1 hour (plasma, intravenous; vendor-cited, limited peer-reviewed data)

Clearance

Primarily renal; estimated ~95% metabolized/excreted after intradermal injection in preclinical models

PK–PD note: Formal human PK studies (Cmax, AUC, Tmax) are lacking in the peer-reviewed literature. Topical bioavailability is constrained by skin barrier penetration; subcutaneous absorption kinetics are extrapol…

Reading the evidence

• Evidence quality and gaps vary by application — see the cited grades above.
• Indexed-article counts span all evidence tiers, not only completed human trials.
• No first-party human-dosing, efficacy, or benefit claims are made here.

Key reviews & evidence-gap sources

• Pickart L, Margolina A. Regenerative and Protective Actions of the GHK-Cu Peptide in the Light of the New Gene Data. Int J Mol Sci. 2018;19(7):1987. — Anchoring narrative review; author affiliated with Skin Biology (commercial entity). Reports gene-expression breadth and multiple protective/regenerative actions; not a systematic review.
• Dou Y, Lee A, Zhu L, Morton J, Ladiges W. The potential of GHK as an anti-aging peptide. Aging Pathobiol Ther. 2020;2(1):58-61. — Academic (U. Washington) narrative review; notes in vitro/in vivo evidence and preliminary aging-mice cognitive data; calls for further preclinical/clinical study.
• Pickart L et al. GHK Peptide as a Natural Modulator of Multiple Cellular Pathways in Skin Regeneration. (PMC4508379) — Narrative review of skin regeneration mechanisms; cites early clinical cream studies (nickel allergy, wound healing) as more rapid healing vs control.

2 registered trials — 1 currently recruiting.

Phase 4
NCT05932732
Trial Assessing the Impact on Facial Skin Quality, Hydration, and Skin Barrier of Three (3) Hydrafacial Treatments in Adults of All Skin Types.

COMPLETED

Phase 2
NCT07437586
Topical GHK-Cu Gel for Acute Skin Wound Healing

RECRUITING

Summary (literature)

GHK-Cu has a favorable safety profile in preclinical and cosmetic use settings. No serious adverse events attributable to topical GHK-Cu have been reported in published literature. Potential concerns include local skin irritation at higher topical concentrations, and theoretical …

WADA status

Not specifically listed on the WADA 2026 Prohibited List. Topical cosmetic use is generally considered permissible. Athletes competing under anti-doping authori…

Dominant research route: Topical

Human skin penetration ex vivo (dermatomed skin, stratum corneum, epidermis); human cosmetic and wound-healing trials (0.03–3% GHK-Cu gels/creams)

Bioavailability: In vitro flow-through diffusion: permeability coefficient through dermatomed skin 2.43 ± 0.51 × 10⁻⁴ cm/h; 136.2 ± 17.5 μg/cm² copper permeated 1 cm² over 48 h with 97 ± 6.6 μg/cm² retained as depot (infinite-dose, 0.68% aq. copper tripeptide).

Dominant research route. GHK-Cu migrates through stratum corneum model membranes; susceptible to proteolytic enzymes so sustained-delivery carriers (collagen matrices, liposomes) are used. FDA 503A Category 1 (Sept 2023) permits compounding for non-injectable routes including topical.

Mouse models of aging cognition and Alzheimer's disease (15 mg/kg daily for 8 weeks; or 15 mg/kg three times weekly for 3 months starting at 4 months of age)

Bioavailability: Intranasal delivery studied in mice as a route to target CNS; enhanced spatial memory performance, reduced neuroinflammation and axonal damage markers, delayed cognitive impairment, reduced amyloid plaques and lowered frontal cortex/hippocampus inflammation.

No human trials for intranasal GHK-Cu identified; only animal (mouse) data. Route of interest for cognitive decline/Alzheimer's research.

Animal (rat) wound-healing studies; historical anti-inflammatory copper-complex injection studies

Bioavailability: When copper complexes were administered subcutaneously, reduction in inflammation was proportional to total amount of copper injected (animal data). GHK-Cu injected into superficial wounds accelerated wound closure and increased extracellular matrix accumulation in rat experimental wounds.

FDA 503A Category 1 listing (Sept 2023) explicitly excludes injectable routes of administration for compounded GHK-Cu. Modern human SC use is community/anecdotal, not from controlled PK studies.

Historical copper-complex anti-inflammatory therapy (animal and man, referenced in dermatology review)

Bioavailability: Intra-articular or intramuscular injection of copper compounds historically used for inflammatory disorders; cited as causing patient discomfort and untoward side effects, motivating transdermal alternatives. No quantitative GHK-Cu-specific IM PK data located.

Referenced only as a historical comparator route for copper complexes generally; not a studied GHK-Cu-specific delivery route in modern literature.

Mechanistic/formulation (liposome and carrier delivery); no controlled human oral PK trial located

Bioavailability: GHK can be administered orally in liposomes and other carriers; the tripeptide is susceptible to proteolytic enzymes, requiring sustained-delivery formulations to maintain bioactive concentrations. No human oral absorption fraction quantified in retrieved sources.

Oral-stability (not oral-absorption) concern: GHK is protease-susceptible and copper dissociates from the tripeptide below pH ~4.5; carriers (liposomes, collagen matrices) are used to protect the peptide. Animal reports indicate orally administered GHK-Cu can be detected in bloodstream but quantitative PK is absent.

Not studied in controlled trials; referenced only as an emerging/systemic delivery route in secondary aggregator literature

Bioavailability: No PK data located in retrieved primary sources; IV mentioned only as a proposed systemic delivery route in non-primary aggregator content.

Community/aggregator-referenced route without primary PK or human-trial support; FDA 503A excludes injectable compounding. Treated as anecdotal pending primary evidence.

Animal & human figures are kept visibly separate so studied animal doses are never misread as human guidance.

Sorted A–Z by vendor — never by price

Weekly median $/mg from the live vendor crawl.

Researched storefront prices, bucketed

p25 $0.550 · median $0.650 · p75 $0.735 · 9 researched vendors

Legit, COA-backed band: $0.500–$1.80/mg.

Value rule: don't just buy the cheapest — a price under $3/mg is a red flag. Pair price with COA and independent-test grade.

Estimated cost of research (10 mg)

Vial (best researched price)

$5

Bacteriostatic water (generic estimate)

$6

Syringes / supplies (generic estimate)

$12

What each test proves — general guidance, plus this compound's researched purity data

Purity on the current market (researched)

Janoshik-verified vendor COAs report HPLC purity of 99.786% (54.14 mg GHK-Cu content) and 99.925% for GHK-Cu vials; these are vendor-reported values verified through the Janoshik portal, not independent random-sampling aggregates.

Independent labs cited for this compound

No FDA recalls or market withdrawals specifically naming GHK-Cu (copper tripeptide-1) were found in FDA enforcement databases reviewed. None found.

Buyer red-flag checklist

• Injectable GHK-Cu is not FDA-approved as a drug and was placed on FDA Category 2 (significant safety risks) for injectable routes in September 2023; nominations withdrawn April 2026.
• Common counterfeit substitution reported is methylene blue (blue dye), which is dangerous if injected — community reports warn non-blue reconstituted 'GHK-Cu' vials may be mannitol-only fakes.
• Vendor COAs are self-submitted to Janoshik; no random independent market-sampling purity/underdosing prevalence study for GHK-Cu was found.
• Skincare/cosmetic GHK-Cu (Copper Tripeptide-1) products making drug claims (e.g., 'stimulates collagen production') become unapproved new drugs per FDA.
• FDA Import Alert 66-41 permits detention without physical examination of unapproved new drug shipments, including peptide imports promoted with therapeutic claims.

GMP vs research-grade: the chemistry (SPPS + HPLC + MS) is identical — the difference is the quality system.

Underdosing / mislabeling: No published independent aggregate underdosing prevalence figure for GHK-Cu was located from Janoshik/MZ Biolabs/Finnrick aggregate reports. Community (de-identified) reports describe underdosed vials (e.g., vials labeled 50 mg/100 mg yielding visibly less than expected, non-blue reconstituted solution) and outright fakes (mannitol-only vials, methylene-blue substitution), but no quantified prevalence rate is available from a citable primary source.

• Import Alert 66-41 'Detention Without Physical Examination of Unapproved New Drugs Promoted In The U.S.' (published 06/24/2026; revision 05/19/2026). Unapproved new drugs — including peptide products marketed with disease/structure-function claims — may be detained without physical examination at the border. GHK-Cu is not an FDA-approved drug; injectable GHK-Cu marketed with therapeutic claims would fall under this alert's scope.66-41
• An RUO label is not an import exemption — CBP judges actual intended use.
• Lyophilized powder is ambient-stable in transit; temperature control needed for > 7-day transit.
• US-warehouse vendors dodge import scrutiny — they cost more but ship more reliably.

Every item dated & sourced

Not explicitly named on the 2026 WADA Prohibited List under any class (S0–S9). Topical/cosmetic use is clearly outside scope. Injectable GHK-Cu may fall under S0 (Non-Approved Substances) catch-all and/or S2.3 (growth factor modulators) catch-all, but is not specifically listed. DEA: unscheduled (not a controlled substance).

No granted patents identified in current seed. Composition-of-matter coverage is limited given the peptide's synthetic origin.

• IACUC / IRB research context
• RUO buyer responsibilities & documentation
• Veterinary / alternative-use where lawful
• Jurisdiction-aware "who may lawfully obtain"

What people discuss

Reported concerns — discussion, not established effects

Reading caveats

• self-experimentation / n=1 anecdote dominance
• vendor-affiliated and affiliate-linked content present
• no controlled dosing or blinding in self-reports
• selection bias toward enthusiastic early adopters
• conflation of cosmetic-topical evidence with injectable use

Manually researched from reddit, youtube, x— theme weights are research estimates, not live counts; aggregated & de-identified. No individual posts, quotes, or usernames are ever shown.

Relative research / market volume — populated once the activity stream is wired

Inline tooltips for lyophilized, RUO, EU/mg, SPPS, 503A and more.

Toggle plain-language ↔ scientific in the header.

• How to read a COA
• Free base vs acetate
• Understanding evidence grades

Endogenous copper-chelating tripeptide that modulates collagen remodeling, fibroblast activity, and wound healing; researched topically and in injectable form. Approximately 71 articles are indexed (literature last scanned 2026-05-29). US regulatory status: RUO / compounding status in transition. Research use only.

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