GHK-Cu (Copper Tripeptide-1)

GHK-Cu is the glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine tripeptide complexed with copper(II), a fragment of α2-macroglobulin whose plasma concentration declines with age. In topical cosmetic dermatology it has been marketed for decades for wound healing, skin remodeling, and hair growth; supportive human trials are small and the broader literature is mechanistic and in-vitro (modulation of >4000 genes, fibroblast and angiogenic effects). Topical cosmetic preparations remain widely sold in the EU and US under cosmetic-regulation pathways, but no GHK-Cu drug product is FDA- or EMA-approved. Injectable GHK-Cu was placed on the FDA 503A Category 2 list in 2023, removed from Category 2 on 22 April 2026 alongside eleven other peptides whose nominators withdrew, and is scheduled for PCAC consultation before the end of February 2027.