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GHK-Cu

Copper tripeptide. GHK-Cu is not FDA approved for any use.

Also called:copper peptidecopper tripeptide-1GHK
Medically reviewed by Juan Pablo Frías, MD · · DisclosureUpdated Strongest evidence: Human RCT evidence, 4 of 4
StatusInjectable off Category 2 (Apr 2026)Removed from FDA Category 2 (injectable form) on 15 Apr 2026. WADA status unclearFull legal history

Key facts

How we verify
Class
Copper tripeptide
Also called
copper peptide, copper tripeptide-1
Vial sizes sold
50 mg, 100 mg, 200 mg
Community-reported sizes
Half-life
Not found
No published half-life found (PubMed search, 2 Oct 2026)
FDA status
Not approved
Off Category 2, 15 Apr 2026
PCAC vote
Not reviewed
not on the Jul 2026 PCAC agenda
WADA
Unclear
Not named on the 2026 list
Everything on GHK-Cu

GHK-Cu guides

DosageDoses used in published studies, with the source for each.Side effectsWhat labels and studies report, and what is unknown.CalculatorVial, water and dose to syringe units.ResultsStudy outcomes and when they were measured.PricePrice per mg and per week from dated listings. No vendor links.Legal statusFDA, compounding and WADA status with dates.How to injectSites, syringe types and hygiene, step by step.Half-lifeWhat is measured, by route, and what is not.StoragePowder and mixed vials: temperature and shelf life.50 mg vialConcentration and unit tables for the 50 mg size.For hairWhat research says about GHK-Cu for hair.For skinWhat research says about GHK-Cu for skin.
Vial and dose sizes
10 mg dose

Evidence at a glance

Human and animal counts are PubMed records from our evidence ledger (search counts, not studies we reviewed). The grade is the strongest design among the studies we summarised for that goal: a human randomized trial outweighs any number of animal studies.

GHK-Cu: studies by condition
ConditionHuman studiesAnimal studiesStudies we summarisedEvidence grade
Hair401Human observational evidence, 3 of 4Journal of cosmetic and laser therapy 2018, PMID 29482481
Skin1858Human RCT evidence, 4 of 4Archives of facial plastic surgery 2006, PMID 16847171

Grades follow our evidence scale. Summarised studies come from our evidence file, each quote checked against the abstract or label.

Compared with

GHK-CuvsKLOWCopper tripeptide next to four-peptide blend: evidence, dosing and legal status side by side.Not FDA approved · unstudied blendRead the comparison →GHK-CuvsBPC-157Copper tripeptide next to gastric pentadecapeptide: evidence, dosing and legal status side by side.PCAC voted 8–6 for 503A (Jul 2026)Read the comparison →

Common stacks

GHK-Cu is often sold pre-mixed or combined with other peptides. No controlled study has tested these combinations; the pages below cover the math and what each part has been studied for.

KLOWGHK-Cu, BPC-157, TB-500 and KPV80 mg blendsBlend calculator
GLOWGHK-Cu, BPC-157 and TB-50050 mg · 70 mg blendsBlend calculator
GHK-Cu + RetatrutideGHK-Cu + KPVGHK-Cu + TirzepatideGHK-Cu + Epitalon

Common questions

Is GHK-Cu FDA approved?

No. GHK-Cu is not FDA approved for any use. The FDA removed it (injectable form) from Category 2 on 15 Apr 2026.

How much water goes in a 50 mg vial?

That choice only changes the concentration. With 2 mL, the vial is 25 mg/mL. The calculator converts any amount to syringe units. It does the math only and does not suggest a dose.

Sources

  1. 1Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks (Category 2; 'nominated but withdrawn' table, content current as of 22 Apr 2026)U.S. Food and Drug Administration · 2026fda.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  2. 2US search volume and year-over-year trend, Google Keyword Planner export (Jun–Aug 2026 vs 2025)Peptigraph research · 2026peptigraph.com/methodology/Accessed 1 Oct 2026
  3. 3World Anti-Doping Code International Standard Prohibited List 2026World Anti-Doping Agency · 2026wada-ama.orgAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  4. 4United States: No FDA-approved product found: Drugs@FDA (openFDA) search for active ingredient "GHK-Cu" returned no matches on 2 Oct 2026.U.S. Food and Drug Administration · 2026api.fda.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  5. 5US compounding: GHK-Cu (non-injectable routes) is in FDA's 503A category 1 (under evaluation); the injectable-route nominations were withdrawn and removed from category 2.U.S. Food and Drug Administration · 2026fda.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  6. 6Intradermal injections of a hair growth factor formulation for enhancement of human hair regrowth - safety and efficacy evaluation in a first-in-man pilot clinical study.Journal of cosmetic and laser therapy : official publication of the European Society for Laser Dermatology · 2018PMID 29482481Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  7. 7Effects of topical copper tripeptide complex on CO2 laser-resurfaced skin.Archives of facial plastic surgery · 2006PMID 16847171Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  8. 8PubMed search: ("GHK-Cu"[tiab] OR GHK[tiab] OR "copper tripeptide"[tiab] OR "copper peptide"[tiab] OR "copper peptides"[tiab] OR "glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine"[tiab] OR "glycyl-histidyl-lysine"[tiab] OR "Gly-His-Lys"[tiab]) (431 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  9. 9PubMed search: ("GHK-Cu"[tiab] OR GHK[tiab] OR "copper tripeptide"[tiab] OR "copper peptide"[tiab] OR "copper peptides"[tiab] OR "glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine"[tiab] OR "glycyl-histidyl-lysine"[tiab] OR "Gly-His-Lys"[tiab]) AND (humans[mh] OR patients[tiab] OR volunteers[tiab]) (150 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  10. 10PubMed search: ("GHK-Cu"[tiab] OR GHK[tiab] OR "copper tripeptide"[tiab] OR "copper peptide"[tiab] OR "copper peptides"[tiab] OR "glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine"[tiab] OR "glycyl-histidyl-lysine"[tiab] OR "Gly-His-Lys"[tiab]) AND (randomized[tiab] OR clinical trial[pt] OR split-face[tiab]) (8 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  11. 11PubMed search: ("GHK-Cu"[tiab] OR GHK[tiab] OR "copper tripeptide"[tiab] OR "copper peptide"[tiab] OR "copper peptides"[tiab] OR "glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine"[tiab] OR "glycyl-histidyl-lysine"[tiab] OR "Gly-His-Lys"[tiab]) AND (wound[tiab] OR hair[tiab] OR skin[tiab] OR wrinkle*[tiab]) (123 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  12. 12PubMed search: ("GHK-Cu"[tiab] OR GHK[tiab] OR "copper tripeptide"[tiab] OR "copper peptide"[tiab] OR "copper peptides"[tiab] OR "glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine"[tiab] OR "glycyl-histidyl-lysine"[tiab] OR "Gly-His-Lys"[tiab]) AND (half-life[tiab] OR pharmacokinetic*[tiab]) (2 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  13. 13PubMed search: ("GHK-Cu"[tiab] OR GHK[tiab] OR "copper tripeptide"[tiab] OR "copper peptide"[tiab] OR "copper peptides"[tiab] OR "glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine"[tiab] OR "glycyl-histidyl-lysine"[tiab] OR "Gly-His-Lys"[tiab]) AND (rat[tiab] OR mice[tiab] OR rats[tiab] OR animal[tiab]) (80 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  14. 14PubMed search: ("GHK-Cu"[tiab] OR "copper tripeptide"[tiab] OR "copper peptide"[tiab] OR "copper peptides"[tiab] OR "glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine"[tiab] OR "glycyl-histidyl-lysine"[tiab] OR "Gly-His-Lys"[tiab]) AND (facial[tiab] OR cream[tiab] OR photodamage[tiab] OR volunteers[tiab] OR women[tiab]) (6 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  15. 15PubMed search: ("GHK-Cu"[tiab] OR "copper tripeptide"[tiab] OR "copper peptide"[tiab] OR "copper peptides"[tiab] OR "glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine"[tiab] OR "glycyl-histidyl-lysine"[tiab] OR "Gly-His-Lys"[tiab]) AND (hair[tiab] OR alopecia[tiab]) (16 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  16. 16FDA gives notice that 12 peptides will be removed from Category 2 (nominations withdrawn)FDA · 2026fda.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026

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