Many people encounter GHK-Cu through skincare products or research discussions and want to know what it actually is. Here is what the available data shows, without the marketing language.
Key takeaways
- GHK-Cu is a copper-binding peptide with the molecular formula C14H21CuN6O4 and a molecular weight near 400.9.
- No FDA label details (indications, mechanism, or approved brand names) were provided in this dataset.
- Three registered clinical trials reference GHK-Cu, spanning completed, recruiting, and not-yet-recruiting stages.
- Current trial interest centers on facial skin quality, topical wound healing, and circulating GHK-Cu levels after patch use.
- No FAERS adverse event reports were available for this compound.
What GHK-Cu is
GHK-Cu is a small peptide that binds copper, identified in PubChem under CID 139035031. Beyond its chemical identity, no FDA label information on drug class or mechanism was available in this dataset, so no claims about how it works in the body are made here.
What the evidence shows
Three clinical trials reference GHK-Cu in the available records. One completed Phase 4 trial assessed facial skin quality, hydration, and skin barrier effects across three treatment sessions in adults of all skin types. A separate Phase 2 trial, currently recruiting, is evaluating a topical GHK-Cu gel for acute skin wound healing. A third study, not yet recruiting, plans to examine how a patch affects circulating GHK and GHK-Cu levels in healthy adults.
Reported side effects
No adverse event reports were available for GHK-Cu in this dataset, so no side effect pattern can be summarized at this time.