GHK-Cu
GHK-Cu (Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper(II) complex; Copper Peptide GHK-Cu; Copper Tripeptide-1)
Access and compounding status raise extra safety and legal questions.
A naturally occurring copper-binding compound produced in the human body that supports tissue repair, the production of skin-strengthening proteins (collagen and elastin), and reducing inflammation. It is widely used in anti-aging skincare products and studied for wound healing, but is not FDA-approved for medical treatment.
This entry is a cited research summary, not an established treatment reference. Dosing language is included as source context, not as medical instruction.
GHK-Cu has moderate clinical evidence but is not FDA-approved.
Access and compounding status raise extra safety and legal questions.
Safety Summary
GHK-Cu has an excellent overall safety profile based on >20 years of cosmetic topical use. No systemic toxicities or dose-limiting toxicities reported in any context. No serious adverse events causally attributed to GHK-Cu in the published literature. FDA has raised concerns about immunogenicity, aggregation, and impurity risks specifically for compounded injectable formulations (basis for Category 2 classification), but these are quality/manufacturing concerns rather than pharmacological toxicity. Injection site burning is the most common complaint for injectable use and can be mitigated by mixing with BPC-157 or rotating injection sites. Zinc supplementation (15--30 mg/day) is commonly recommended to prevent copper-zinc imbalance with chronic injectable use. Avoid concurrent use with topical Vitamin C (destabilizes the copper complex). Long-term high-dose systemic use could theoretically lead to copper overload, though not reported in clinical literature
Clinical check-in
If real-world use or exposure is being considered, review potential interactions, contraindications, and monitoring needs with a licensed clinician rather than relying on summary copy alone.
Cited sources
Every claim on this page links to one of the 5 sources below. Identifiers are PubMed (PMID), ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT), or DOI; click through to the source of record before acting on a claim.
- 1NCT07437586ClinicalTrials.gov
- 2NCT05932732ClinicalTrials.gov
- 3Effects of GHK-Cu on MMP and TIMP Expression, Collagen and Elastin Production, and Facial Wrinkle ParametersReference
- 4Epigenetic mechanisms activated by GHK-Cu increase skin collagen density in clinical trialReference
- 5Regenerative and Protective Actions of the GHK-Cu Peptide in the Light of the New Gene DataReference