GHK-Cu: what it is, what the studies show and where it stands
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.
At a glance
US Not approved
Canada Not authorized
Group Skin and hair
Sources 12
Checked 10 Oct 2026What is GHK-Cu?
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.
Looking for doses? GHK-Cu dosage chart and vial math
Is GHK-Cu approved in the US and Canada?
United States: 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May 14, 2026, GHK-Cu is in Category 1 for non-injectable routes only; the nominations for injectable GHK-Cu were withdrawn. [8]
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. [10]
Both were checked on 10 Oct 2026 against the regulators' own product databases.
Which approved products contain GHK-Cu?
No approved medicine containing GHK-Cu was found in the US or Canada. Anything sold under this name is not a regulated product, so there is no label to check a dose against.
What human studies of GHK-Cu exist?
The 7 findings listed here: 2 from randomized human trials, 2 from smaller or observational human studies and 3 from animal or lab work.
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]
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]
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]
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]
In rats, GHK-Cu injected into wound chambers under the skin raised collagen, protein and glycosaminoglycan content in a concentration-dependent way. [6]
In a laboratory test on human skin samples, copper applied as the tripeptide passed through dermatomed skin over 48 hours. [12]
In fibroblast cultures, GHK-Cu stimulated collagen synthesis. [1]
What are the side effects of GHK-Cu?
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]
How does GHK-Cu compare with others in its group?
These are the peptides filed under skin and hair. The last column says whether a randomized human trial is on record for each.
| Peptide | US | Canada | Half-life | Randomized human trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GHK-Cu | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | Yes |
| Melanotan II | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
What could not be found
These were searched for and did not turn up. They are listed so a missing number is not mistaken for a hidden one.
- 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.
GHK-Cu questions
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.
Has GHK-Cu been tested in a randomized human trial?
Yes. At least one randomized human trial is listed on this page.
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.
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GHK-Cu dosage50 mg vialSkin and hairStatus in Canada
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