Skin & aging Copper-binding tripeptide
GHK-Cu
Regulatory status
Status at a glance
503A compounding status
Not nominated
We found no pending nomination for the 503A bulks list. Unless the substance has another legal pathway (for example, a USP monograph or use in an FDA-approved drug), 503A pharmacies generally may not compound with it.
- Also known as
- the Copper Peptide
- FDA approval
- Not FDA-approved for any use
- 503B outsourcing
- Not determined
- Anti-doping (WADA)
- Not on the WADA Prohibited List
- DEA schedule
- Not a controlled substance
About peptide status
Most peptides discussed here are not FDA-approved for any use, and products labeled “research use only” are not for human use. Removal from Category 2 does not authorize compounding. PCAC votes are non-binding recommendations; FDA and HHS make the final decisions.
This is not medical or legal advice, and we do not publish dosing, sourcing or reconstitution information. Talk with a licensed clinician before using any peptide.
If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911.
Key takeaway
GHK-Cu is a copper-binding tripeptide involved in tissue repair, sold on the wellness market as an injectable for skin, hair, and tissue repair. For this systemic use the evidence is preclinical, with no controlled human trials; its better-studied role is topical. As of 2026 the injectable/systemic use is not FDA-approved.
At a glance
- FDA status
- Not FDA-approved (systemic/injectable use)
- What it is
- Copper-binding tripeptide involved in matrix remodeling and repair
- Research
- For systemic use, evidence is animal and laboratory only; human data relate mostly to topical use
- Topical form
- Cosmetic form cataloged separately as Copper tripeptide-1
- Evidence strength
- Low research
Summary
GHK-Cu is a copper-binding tripeptide tied to tissue repair. See what animal and lab research shows, how it works, and why injectable use is not FDA-approved.
What is GHK-Cu?
GHK-Cu is the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine bound to copper. It occurs naturally in the body and declines with age, and it is one of the most studied "copper peptides." This entry concerns the systemic, injectable wellness use for skin, hair, and tissue repair; the topical cosmetic form is cataloged separately under its ingredient name, Copper tripeptide-1. The injectable use is not an approved medicine.
How does it work?
In laboratory and animal models, GHK-Cu is described as a signal for tissue remodeling. It is reported to:
- Influence the extracellular matrix
- Deliver copper
- Act as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
- Support new blood-vessel formation
- Switch on gene programs linked to repair
These are cell and animal findings. This describes the proposed mechanism, separate from demonstrated benefit from systemic use in people.
Is it FDA-approved?
Safety note
Status: Not FDA-approved (systemic/injectable use)
Category: Wellness and performance · Primary body area: Skin & aging
No, not for systemic use. Injectable or systemic GHK-Cu is not an FDA-approved drug. Copper peptides sit in the contested peptide-compounding space; the FDA advisory committee reviewed several peptides in 2026, but those recommendations are non-binding and no additions to the compounding list have been finalized, so lawful compounding remains unsettled. (Topical cosmetic use is regulated separately as a cosmetic ingredient.)
What does the research show?
Editor’s note
Evidence strength: Low research (1 human · 2 animal/cell studies)
Systemic efficacy rests on animal and laboratory signaling data, with no controlled human trials for the injectable wellness use.
For systemic use, the evidence is preclinical. The table sets out what has been studied in each model, with both animal studies drawn from PubMed:
| Model | Finding |
|---|---|
| Rat | Injected GHK-Cu transiently improved ligament-graft healing |
| Mouse | GHK-Cu reduced acute lung injury |
| Human | Data essentially limited to topical cosmetic and wound contexts; no robust human trials establish efficacy or safety of injected GHK-Cu for skin, hair, or tissue repair |
The systemic benefit is therefore an extrapolation from cell and animal work.
Sources: a rat ligament-healing study (Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 2015, DOI: 10.1002/jor.22831) and a mouse lung-injury study (Oncotarget, 2016, DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11168), indexed on PubMed. This document is educational, is not medical advice or a health claim, and is not an offer to sell any product.
Registered human trials
1 registered human trial on ClinicalTrials.gov that we reviewed
Sources
- [1]
- [2]
- [3]
- [4]
- [5]
- [6]
- [7]
- [8]
- [9]
- [10]
- [11]
- [12]
- PMID 1809108
- [13]
- [14]
- [15]
- [16]
- [17]
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