# GHK-Cu (Copper Tripeptide-1)

GHK-Cu is the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine, bound to copper(II). It is a fragment of a larger blood protein (α2-macroglobulin), whose level in your plasma drops with age. In topical cosmetic skincare, it has been marketed for decades for wound healing, skin remodeling, and hair growth. But the supporting human trials are small, and the broader literature is mostly mechanistic and in lab dishes (it modulates more than 4,000 genes, with effects on fibroblasts and blood-vessel growth). Topical cosmetic products are widely sold in the EU and US under cosmetic rules. But no GHK-Cu drug product is approved by the FDA or EMA. Injectable GHK-Cu was placed on the FDA's 503A Category 2 list in 2023. It was removed from Category 2 on 22 April 2026, alongside eleven other peptides whose nominators withdrew. A PCAC consultation is scheduled for before the end of February 2027.

## Sources

- Pickart L, Vasquez-Soltero JM, Margolina A. (2015). GHK Peptide as a Natural Modulator of Multiple Cellular Pathways in Skin Regeneration. BioMed Research International. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/648108
- Pickart L, Margolina A. (2018). Regenerative and Protective Actions of the GHK-Cu Peptide in the Light of the New Gene Data. International Journal of Molecular Sciences
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2023). Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding That May Present Significant Safety Risks (503A Category 2; injectable GHK-Cu added 2023). https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/certain-bulk-drug-substances-use-compounding-may-present-significant-safety-risks

---

_Canonical: https://usa-longevity.com/en/glossary/ghk-cu · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-06-22_