HomePeptide dosagesGHK-Cu
GHK-Cu dosage: chart, reported range and vial math
The range reported for injected GHK-Cu is 1 to 3 mg a day. No human study has injected GHK-Cu on its own. The human trials put it on the skin as a cream or gel. It is not an approved drug in the US or Canada.
GHK-Cu dosage chart
Reported range, not a label dosePick your vial size. Each row shows the dose in milligrams or micrograms, the volume to draw and the mark on a U-100 syringe.
| Dose | Volume | Syringe units |
|---|---|---|
| 1 mg | 0.06 mL | 6 units |
| 2 mg | 0.12 mL | 12 units |
| 3 mg | 0.18 mL | 18 units |
Source Reported range, not a label dose. Reports describe starting at 0.5 to 1 mg. Human studies used it on the skin, not as an injection. Vial math is arithmetic.
Which syringe fits each dose
For the 50 mg vial at 16.6667 mg/mL.
| Dose | Volume | Units | 0.3 mL syringe | 0.5 mL syringe | 1 mL syringe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mg | 0.06 mL | 6 units | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2 mg | 0.12 mL | 12 units | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 3 mg | 0.18 mL | 18 units | Yes | Yes | Yes |
How long a vial lasts
Whole doses in one vial. The row for the size picked above is marked.
| Vial | 1 mg | 2 mg | 3 mg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 mg vial | 50 doses | 25 doses | 16 doses |
How to mix a GHK-Cu vial
These steps are for the 50 mg vial picked in the chart. Change the size there and the amounts here change with it.
- Wash your hands. Wipe the stopper of the peptide vial and the water vial with an alcohol swab.
- Draw 3 mL of bacteriostatic water into a syringe.
- Push the needle through the stopper of the peptide vial and let the water run slowly down the glass, not straight onto the powder.
- Swirl the vial gently until the powder is gone. Do not shake it.
- Write the date and 16.6667 mg/mL on the vial, then put it in the fridge.
| Vial | Bacteriostatic water | Concentration |
|---|---|---|
| 50 mg vial | 3 mL | 16.6667 mg/mL |
What GHK-Cu is
GHK-Cu is the copper complex of glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine, a three-amino-acid peptide first isolated from human plasma. Human studies have put it on the skin as a cream or gel; none has tested it alone as an injection. [1]
Other names: copper tripeptide, glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+, tripeptide-copper complex, copper peptide.
How it has been given to people: topical (cream or gel) in human trials; no human trial of GHK-Cu alone by injection was found.
What to know before reading a dose
- No human dosing data exist for injected GHK-Cu. Every human study found applied it to the skin, or injected it only as one ingredient of a mixture.
- Not approved as a drug in the US or Canada. Health Canada names GHK-Cu among unauthorized injectable peptide drugs it has seized [10], [11].
- US compounding status changed in 2026. The nominations for injectable GHK-Cu were withdrawn, and only GHK-Cu for non-injectable routes is in Category 1 of FDA's 503A list [8]. Pages that still call GHK-Cu a Category 2 substance are out of date. Injectable GHK-Cu is now in no category, which is not an approval.
- The two controlled ulcer trials disagree: a gel helped diabetic foot ulcers [2], while a 0.4% cream did no better than placebo on venous ulcers [3].
- A 2026 review of injectable peptides for orthopaedic and sports medicine found that no clinical data support GHK-Cu for musculoskeletal conditions [7].
Doses on record for GHK-Cu
Every dose below was given in a human study or printed on an approved label, and each links to its source. Doses set by body weight are left that way.
| From | Where it was used | Dose | How often | For how long | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human study | Topical cream on venous stasis ulcers, randomized evaluator-blinded trial against placebo cream and silver sulfadiazine cream | 0.4% cream | not stated in the abstract | not stated in the abstract | [3] |
| Human study | Topical gel on diabetic neuropathic foot ulcers, multicenter randomized evaluator-blinded placebo-controlled study | metered dose of gel; strength and amount not stated in the abstract | once daily | not stated in the abstract | [2] |
What the evidence shows
Each finding is tagged by the kind of study it comes from. Human trials are listed first.
Randomized human trial
In a randomized, placebo-controlled study of diabetic neuropathic ulcers, plantar ulcers treated with topical GHK-Cu gel closed by a median 98.5% of their area against 60.8% with the vehicle gel. [2]
Randomized human trial
In a randomized trial of venous stasis ulcers, a 0.4% tripeptide copper cream did no better than placebo cream. Silver sulfadiazine cream was the only arm that reduced ulcer size. [3]
Small human study
In a 13-patient randomized study after CO2 laser resurfacing, skin care products containing GHK-Cu gave no significant objective improvement in redness, wrinkles or skin quality. Patient-rated satisfaction was higher. [4]
Human observational study
The only human injection study found used a six-ingredient hair formulation that listed copper tripeptide-1 (the abstract does not use the name GHK-Cu), injected into the scalp skin every 3 weeks for 8 sessions. It was open-label with no control group, so it cannot show what the copper peptide did by itself, and the abstract gives no amount for it. [5]
Animal study
In rats, GHK-Cu injected into wound chambers under the skin raised collagen, protein and glycosaminoglycan content in a concentration-dependent way. [6]
Lab study
In a laboratory test on human skin samples, copper applied as the tripeptide passed through dermatomed skin over 48 hours. [12]
Lab study
In fibroblast cultures, GHK-Cu stimulated collagen synthesis. [1]
Side effects and warnings
Reported in human studies or on a label:
- No side-effect data from a human study of GHK-Cu injected alone were found. FDA's stated concern with compounded injectable GHK-Cu is immune reactions caused by peptide clumping and impurities. [9]
- FDA adds that there is little human data to judge its safety. [9]
- In the diabetic ulcer trial, ulcer infections were less common with the gel than with the vehicle (7% against 34%) when treatment started right after debridement. [2]
GHK-Cu has no approved label in the US or Canada for this use, so there is no official list of who should not use it, no interaction list and no missed-dose rule.
Storage
Keep an unmixed vial the way its label says. Once it is mixed, keep it in the fridge, do not freeze it, and write the mixing date on the vial.
GHK-Cu dosage questions
How many units is 2 mg of GHK-Cu from a 50 mg vial?
Mixed with 3 mL of bacteriostatic water, a 50 mg vial is 16.6667 mg/mL. 2 mg is 0.12 mL, which is 12 units on a U-100 syringe.
How much water goes in a 50 mg GHK-Cu vial?
3 mL gives 16.6667 mg/mL. At that strength the doses in the chart sit at 6, 12, 18 units on a U-100 syringe.
How many doses are in a 50 mg vial?
Whole doses in one vial: 50 at 1 mg, 25 at 2 mg, 16 at 3 mg.
Is GHK-Cu approved in the US?
Not an FDA-approved drug. On FDA's 503A compounding list updated May 14, 2026, GHK-Cu is in Category 1 for non-injectable routes only; the nominations for injectable GHK-Cu were withdrawn.
Is GHK-Cu authorized in Canada?
No GHK-Cu drug product is in Health Canada's Drug Product Database, and Health Canada names GHK-Cu among unauthorized injectable peptide drugs it has seized.
What human dosing data is there for GHK-Cu?
No human dosing data exist for injected GHK-Cu. Every human study found applied it to the skin, or injected it only as one ingredient of a mixture.
Sources
Each one was opened on 10 Oct 2026 and matched to the line it supports.
- Maquart FX et al. Stimulation of collagen synthesis in fibroblast cultures by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+. FEBS Lett 1988. PubMed 3169264.
- Mulder GD et al. Enhanced healing of ulcers in patients with diabetes by topical treatment with glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine copper. Wound Repair Regen 1994. PubMed 17147644.
- Bishop JB et al. A prospective randomized evaluator-blinded trial of two potential wound healing agents for the treatment of venous stasis ulcers. J Vasc Surg 1992. PubMed 1495150.
- Miller TR et al. Effects of topical copper tripeptide complex on CO2 laser-resurfaced skin. Arch Facial Plast Surg 2006. PubMed 16847171.
- Kapoor R et al. Intradermal 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. J Cosmet Laser Ther 2018. PubMed 29482481.
- Maquart FX et al. In vivo stimulation of connective tissue accumulation by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+ in rat experimental wounds. J Clin Invest 1993. PubMed 8227353.
- Mayfield CK et al. Injectable Peptide Therapy: A Primer for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Physicians. Am J Sports Med 2026. PubMed 41476424.
- US Food and Drug Administration Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act 2026. fda.gov.
- US Food and Drug Administration Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks 2026. fda.gov.
- Health Canada Think twice before injecting peptides bought online: unauthorized products can seriously harm you 2026. recalls-rappels.canada.ca.
- Health Canada Unauthorized injectable peptide drugs seized and sold by Canada Peptide may pose serious health risks 2025. recalls-rappels.canada.ca.
- Hostynek JJ et al. Human skin penetration of a copper tripeptide in vitro as a function of skin layer. Inflamm Res 2011. PubMed 20721598.
Looked for and not found
- No human trial of GHK-Cu alone given by subcutaneous, intramuscular or intravenous injection was found in PubMed or ClinicalTrials.gov (searched 2026-10-10).
- No human half-life or other pharmacokinetic figure for injected GHK-Cu was found.
- No approved label, so no official dose, contraindications, interaction list, missed-dose rule or storage instructions.
- ClinicalTrials.gov search for GHK-Cu returned 3 records and none is an injection study: a topical gel wound study (NCT07437586, recruiting, no results), a patch study measuring blood GHK levels (NCT07706361, not yet recruiting) and a facial device study (NCT05932732).
- The strength of the gel in the diabetic ulcer trial and the dosing schedule in the venous ulcer trial are not given in the abstracts.
- GHK-Cu is not named in the WADA 2026 Prohibited List. Whether the list's general class of non-approved substances S0 covers it was not determined.
Change log
10 Oct 2026Page published. 12 sources checked. Vial math added for the 50 mg vial.
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