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SkinLimited human evidence FDA-approved label on file

GHK-Cu

Copper tripeptide studied in dermatology for skin remodeling and wound contexts. Topical formulations are widely used in cosmetics.

Educational only — not medical advice. SmartPeptide does not prescribe, diagnose, or treat. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider before using any peptide, supplement, medication, or protocol.

What the research shows

Topical GHK-Cu has dermatology RCTs supporting effects on collagen, skin barrier, and post-procedure recovery. Reasonable mechanistic data for fibroblast and keratinocyte effects.

What's still experimental

Injectable use in humans is largely unproven. Hair-loss and systemic anti-aging claims need larger trials.

Anecdotal / community reports

Cosmetic skin and hair-thickness reports are widespread; topical formulations are widely available OTC.

Anecdotal reports are NOT scientific evidence. They reflect personal experience and may not generalize.

FDA approval status

Source: openFDA + DailyMed (NIH/NLM)
1 FDA-approved label on file
  • MELAO GHK-Cu PEPTIDE SUNSCREEN
    (BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE,ETHYLHEXYL SALICYLATE,HOMOSALATE,OCTOCRYLENE) · Guangdong Aimu Biological Technology Co., Ltd
    Full label on DailyMed
    Indications & usage

    Use Helps prevent sunburn If used as directed with other sun protection measures (see Directions), decreases the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging caused by the sun

    Dosage & administration

    Directions ·Apply liberally 15 minutes before sun exposure. ·Reapply at least every 2 hours. ·Use a water resistant sunscreen if swimming or sweating. ·Sun Protection Measures. Spending time in the sun increases your risk of skin cancer and early skin aging. To decrease this risk, regularly use a sunscreen with a Broad Spectrum SPF value of 15 or higher and other sun protection measures including: ·Limit time in the sun, especially from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. ·Wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, hats, and sunglasses ·Children under 6 months of age: Ask a doctor.

    Warnings

    Warnings For external use only

Doses studied in research

Source: Published clinical trial

What published trials tested or FDA-approved labels specify. Reporting research facts — not a SmartPeptide recommendation.

Community-anecdotal range — NOT a SmartPeptide recommendation

The doses below are aggregated from research-peptide community forums (Reddit, biohacker discussions). They are NOT supported by clinical trials, NOT FDA-approved, and NOT a SmartPeptide recommendation. Source purity, dose accuracy, and user-reported outcomes are unverifiable. We display this only because the information is publicly available elsewhere — visitors should absolutely consult a licensed clinician familiar with experimental peptides before any use.

Community-anecdotal — not evidence-basedCosmetic + research-peptide community discussion
Indication studied: Community-discussed for skin / wound healing (topical formulations have limited human evidence; injectable is anecdotal-only)
Typical (topical)
1mg(1,000 µg)
daily · topical

Topical cosmetic formulations

Open calculator
Typical (injection)
1.5mg(1,500 µg)
1x daily during 4-week cycle · subcutaneous

Anecdotal injectable range — far less evidence than topical

Open calculator

Notes from the source: Topical GHK-Cu has some small human trial support. Injectable GHK-Cu for systemic effects is anecdotal-only.

Important framing: The numbers above are what published trials tested or what FDA-approved labels specify. They are NOT a SmartPeptide recommendation for you. Trial doses come paired with screening, monitoring, and clinician oversight. Always consult a licensed clinician before any peptide use.

How clinicians typically protocol this

Third-party reference · not our recommendation

Dosing phases, cycle lengths, and administration timing as listed in a compounding-pharmacy clinician reference guide. Shown so you can see what a real protocol looks like — and bring informed questions to a licensed clinician.

Third-party protocol referenceCompounding-pharmacy clinician protocol reference (Nov 2025)

Dose numbers, frequencies, and cycle lengths in this panel are extracted from a clinician-facing reference protocol distributed by a US-based compounding pharmacy in November 2025. SmartPeptide has paraphrased all descriptive text and adds no endorsement. Always consult a licensed clinician.

Repair

Endogenous copper-binding tripeptide; studied for skin, hair, and wound repair.

Protocol phases

Typical (subcutaneous)
1–2 mgdaily AM
subcutaneous
Cycle length

Loading phase 5 days/week for 4–5 weeks, then maintenance 2–3× weekly.

Reported side effects
Burning at injection site (very common)Redness / swelling / bruisingAllergic reactions in copper-sensitive individualsHypotension at higher doses

Protocol notes: The reference reports BPC-157 co-administration may reduce injection-site burning. Do not use if allergic to copper.

Reconstitution calculator Storage & reconstitution guide
Not medical advice. SmartPeptide does not prescribe, diagnose, or treat. The protocol above reproduces dose figures from a third-party clinician reference so you can see what compounding-pharmacy guidance typically looks like — it is not a recommendation for you, and it has not been validated against peer-reviewed dose-ranging trials. Many of these compounds are not FDA-approved for human use. Work with a licensed clinician familiar with peptide therapy before considering anything here.

FDA enforcement & recalls

Live · openFDA Drug Enforcement API
Total actions
2
recalls + withdrawals
Ongoing
2
not yet completed
Class I (serious)
0
health hazard / death risk
  • Class IIOngoing· Voluntary: Firm initiated
    FDA record

    GHK-Cu (Copper Peptide) for Injection, all strengths and presentations, GenoGenix, LLC, 2840 NW 2nd Ave Ste 204 Boca Raton, FL 33431-6692.

    Reason: Lack of Assurance of Sterility

    Jul 30, 2025·GenoGenix LLC
  • Class IIOngoing· Voluntary: Firm initiated
    FDA record

    GHK-CU, 10 MG/ML, 5 ML vial, The Guyer Institute of Molecular Medicine, Indianapolis, IN

    Reason: Lack of Assurance of Sterility: due to concerns with production processes which cannot assure sterility of products intended to be sterile.

    Nov 30, 2020·Advanced Nutriceuticals, LLC
FDA classifications: Class I = reasonable probability of serious adverse health consequences or death. Class II = temporary or medically reversible adverse consequences. Class III = unlikely to cause adverse health consequences.

Mechanism & targets

ChEMBL · UniProt · Open Targets

Molecule (ChEMBL)

View on ChEMBL
Formula
C65H88CuN14O19S2
Known mechanisms of action
  • Unknown
    Diagnostic agent

Live research

PubMed · ClinicalTrials.gov · Europe PMC · OpenAlex
PubMed papers
180
total
Human studies
0
MeSH: humans
Clinical trials
0
published
Active trials
1
3 total registered

Europe PMC — 335 additional records

Includes EU/UK studies and PubMed Central full-text articles. Often surfaces research weeks before PubMed indexes it.

Research volume (OpenAlex topic graph)

Total works
1,077
all years
Last 5 years
597
recent activity
Open access
976
freely readable
OA share
91%
of all works

Human clinical evidence

Semantic Scholar · AI TLDRs · influence-ranked
Total indexed
928,808
all human + lab studies
Meta-analyses
0
highest evidence
Systematic reviews
6
quality-weighted
Clinical trials
0
published RCTs etc.

Most influential human studies

Ranking blends meta-analysis > systematic review > clinical trial weight with influential-citation count and recency. AI TLDRs by Semantic Scholar / Allen Institute for AI.

Research funding & verification

NIH RePORTER · CrossRef DOI registry

NIH-funded research

U.S. National Institutes of Health
Funded projects
8,745
all years
Top award sum
$327.7M
aggregate USD
Years covered
18
research span
Largest active / recent grants

Publication landscape

CrossRef · DOI registry
Indexed works (CrossRef)
283,817
all DOIs registered
Retracted papers
0
no retractions on record
Top funders of indexed research
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China27,105 works
  • National Key Research and Development Program of China3,619 works
  • Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities2,621 works
  • China Postdoctoral Science Foundation1,803 works
  • National Research Foundation of Korea1,706 works
  • National Science Foundation1,343 works

Funder diversity is a credibility signal. Research concentrated in a single drug company's funding warrants more scrutiny than research funded across NIH, charities, and academic grants.

Preprints — cutting edge

bioRxiv · medRxiv · via Europe PMC

Preprints have NOT been peer-reviewed. They are early research shared by authors before formal validation. Treat findings as preliminary.

Showing 6 of 10 preprints indexed by Europe PMC.

Known risks

Topical use is generally well tolerated; injectable use lacks robust safety data.

Reported side effects

Skin irritation in sensitive users.

FDA adverse event reports (FAERS)

Updated quarterly by FDA
Reports filed
2
FAERS, all years
Serious reports
2
100% of reports

Most-reported reactions

  • Adverse Drug Reaction
    1
  • Anaphylactic Shock
    1
  • Blood Pressure Decreased
    1
  • Flushing
    1
  • Heart Rate Decreased
    1
  • Hyperhidrosis
    1
  • Hypersensitivity
    1
  • Immobile
    1
  • Loss Of Consciousness
    1
  • Malignant Lymphoid Neoplasm
    1

Counts from FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Voluntary reports — they show what was reported, not whether the drug caused the event. Many reports lack confirmation. FAERS docs

What requires medical supervision

Topical use is generally well tolerated. Injectable forms warrant clinical supervision.

Questions for your clinician

  • Topical vs injectable — what's the evidence delta for my goal?
  • Are there interactions with other dermatologic treatments?

Editorially curated references

Discussions about GHK-Cu

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