Not approved (research only)Copper-binding peptides (GHK-Cu)Skin research
Copper peptides
"Copper peptides" usually means GHK-Cu, a copper-binding tripeptide found in plasma and widely used in topical cosmetics.
What is Copper peptides?
"Copper peptides" usually means GHK-Cu, a copper-binding tripeptide found in plasma and widely used in topical cosmetics. Copper peptides is not approved by the FDA for any use; products sold under this name are labeled for research use only, not for human consumption.
Key takeaways
- Copper peptides is not approved by the FDA for any use; products sold under this name are labeled for research use only, not for human consumption.
- PubMed indexes 57 papers on Copper peptides (0 tagged as clinical trials) as of October 19, 2026.
- ClinicalTrials.gov lists 23 registered studies using Copper peptides.
- No vendor in our directory listed Copper peptides when we checked.
Regulatory & access status
Copper peptides is not approved by the FDA for any use; products sold under this name are labeled for research use only, not for human consumption.
Sellers that market unapproved peptides for human use can receive FDA warning letters; our vendor directory links any letter we found on fda.gov.
How much research exists on Copper peptides?
PubMed indexes 57 papers mentioning Copper peptides in the title or abstract, 23 of them from the last five years and 0 tagged as clinical trials (search run October 19, 2026; repeat the search).
Most relevant recent papers
- Peptide Supplements and Their Therapeutic Applications in Sports Medicine. — Am J Sports Med, 2026
- Theoretical study of copper binding to GHK peptide. — Comput Biol Chem, 2020
- Copper Ion Binding Site in β-Amyloid Peptide. — Nano Lett, 2016
- Biomimetic Hydrogel Scaffolds with Copper Peptide-Functionalized RADA16 Nanofiber Improve Wound Healing in Diabetes. — Macromol Biosci, 2022
- Copper-Induced Supramolecular Peptide Assemblies for Multi-Pathway Cell Death and Tumor Inhibition. — Angew Chem Int Ed Engl, 2024
- Microneedle-Mediated Delivery of Copper Peptide Through Skin. — Pharm Res, 2015
Registered clinical studies
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 23 studies with Copper peptides as an intervention (see all). Most recent:
- NEPC Study: An Exploratory Safety and Efficacy Study With PSMA, SSTR2 and GRPR Targeted Radioligand Therapy in Metastatic Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer. — NCT06379217 · Phase 1 · active not recruiting · started 2024-07-29
- Cu64-DOTA-trastuzumab PET and Markers Predicting Response to Neoadjuvant Trastuzumab + Pertuzum in HER2+ Breast Cancer — NCT02827877 · Phase 2 · active not recruiting · started 2016-07-15
- 67Cu-SARTATE™ Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy Administered to Pediatric Patients With High-Risk, Relapsed, Refractory Neuroblastoma — NCT04023331 · Phase 1/Phase 2 · terminated · started 2020-08-18
- Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy Administered to Participants With Meningioma With 67Cu-SARTATE™ — NCT03936426 · Phase 1/Phase 2 · completed · started 2018-07-09
- Trial Assessing the Impact on Facial Skin Quality, Hydration, and Skin Barrier of Three (3) Hydrafacial Treatments in Adults of All Skin Types. — NCT05932732 · Phase 4 · completed · started 2023-11-20
What the evidence does not show
- Paper counts measure research attention, not whether Copper peptides works or is safe.
- No clinical trial in humans is tagged in PubMed under this name.
- No FDA review of any "research use only" product's identity, purity, sterility or dose.
Research suppliers that list Copper peptides
None of the vendors in our directory listed Copper peptides in their public catalog when we checked. The vendor directory records what each vendor publishes about testing.
Copper peptides reconstitution math
Lab arithmetic only, not dosing guidance: use the peptide calculator to turn a vial size and diluent volume into a concentration.
Copper peptides FAQ
Is Copper peptides FDA-approved?
Copper peptides is not approved by the FDA for any use; products sold under this name are labeled for research use only, not for human consumption.
Is Copper peptides safe?
There are no published human safety trials of Copper peptides that we could find. Products sold as "research use only" have no FDA review of purity, sterility or dose, and are not for human use.
How much research is there on Copper peptides?
PubMed indexes 57 papers on Copper peptides (0 tagged as clinical trials) as of October 19, 2026.
Who sells Copper peptides?
None of the vendors in our directory listed it when we checked.
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