GHK-Cu · copper tripeptide · research use only
GHK-Cu dosage splits into two routes — and the COA has to prove the copper.
GHK-Cu is the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine bound to a copper(II) ion. That copper is not an additive; it is part of the molecule, which is why GHK-Cu appears in the research two completely different ways — as a topical at a serum percentage, and as a subcutaneous injectable dosed in milligrams. This page separates those two dosing conventions, gives the ~0.5–2 mg/day figures the injectable literature reports, and explains why the single most important thing on a GHK-Cu certificate is proof that the copper is actually chelated to the peptide 1:1, not free copper sitting next to an un-complexed tripeptide. Framed as a research reference, not a human protocol. Titan does not stock GHK-Cu; the in-catalog repair-signalling compound is BPC-157.
Topical: measured as a percentage
In cosmetic and topical research GHK-Cu is not dosed in milligrams at all — it is formulated at a concentration, typically a low single-digit percentage of a serum or cream. There is no reconstitution and no injection; the variable is the formulation percentage and how much is applied to the surface. This is a different dosing world from the injectable figures below, and mixing the two units is the most common mistake in GHK-Cu write-ups.
How GHK-Cu is studied →Injectable: ~0.5–2 mg/day subcutaneous
Where GHK-Cu is used as a reconstituted subcutaneous compound, the research and protocol figures cluster around 0.5–2 mg per day, sometimes framed as a lower daily microgram dose (a few hundred mcg) or 1–2 mg a few times per week rather than daily. These are the numbers a lab would model — reproduced as a reference, not a human instruction. Because it is a milligram-scale injectable, the draw math resembles TB-500 more than the microgram-scale BPC-157 draws.
Milligram-scale mixing math →Reconstitution, when it applies
Lyophilized GHK-Cu for injection is reconstituted like any vial: the working concentration is set by the bacteriostatic water added. As a worked example, a 50 mg vial in 5 mL of BAC water yields 10 mg/mL, so 0.1 mL on a U-100 syringe draws 1 mg. Always confirm your own vial's stated mass and run the numbers before any in-vitro modelling — never assume a fixed concentration.
Run the numbers →The copper complex is the COA
A plain 'purity ≥99%' number is not enough for GHK-Cu, because the copper is what makes it GHK-Cu rather than free GHK. A meaningful certificate confirms the tripeptide sequence by mass spectrometry AND the copper complex — the characteristic copper(II) coordination that gives the compound its deep blue colour. Un-complexed peptide plus loose copper is a different, weaker material even if the 'peptide purity' looks fine.
How to read a COA →The in-catalog repair alternative
If the interest is tissue-repair signalling rather than GHK-Cu's copper-driven mechanism specifically, the compound Titan actually stocks is BPC-157 — a stable gastric-derived peptide dosed at the microgram scale. The comparison page is honest about where the two overlap and where they don't: different molecules, different mechanisms, one of them in stock.
See the BPC-157 vial →Research-use framing
These figures describe concentrations and doses used in GHK-Cu research, reproduced strictly as a laboratory reference for in-vitro and modelling work — not instructions for human use. Titan does not sell GHK-Cu and supplies only research-use-only reagents, not for human or animal consumption. Nothing here is medical or cosmetic advice.
Research-use policy →The detail, in plain terms
The GHK-Cu reference, in one table.
GHK-Cu is unusual because it has two legitimate dosing units — a topical percentage and an injectable milligram figure — and a verification requirement most sheets miss. These are the variables a researcher weighs, reproduced as a reference, not a human protocol. Titan stocks BPC-157, not GHK-Cu.
- Compound
- GHK-Cu — glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine tripeptide chelated to copper(II).
- Topical route
- Formulation percentage of a serum/cream (typically low single-digit %), not milligrams.
- Injectable route
- ≈0.5–2 mg/day subcutaneous (or a few hundred mcg/day, or 1–2 mg a few times weekly).
- Reconstitution
- For injectable vials only — e.g. 50 mg + 5 mL BAC water → 10 mg/mL (0.1 mL = 1 mg).
- COA priority
- Confirm tripeptide identity by MS AND the copper(II) complex — not just a purity %.
- Titan catalog
- Not stocked. In-catalog repair peptide: BPC-157 vial 5mg, $54.99.
Questions researchers ask
Before you order.
- What is the research dosage of GHK-Cu?
- It depends entirely on the route. Topical GHK-Cu research uses a formulation percentage of a serum or cream (typically a low single-digit percent), while injectable GHK-Cu research figures cluster around 0.5–2 mg per day subcutaneously, sometimes a few hundred micrograms daily or 1–2 mg a few times per week. These are reproduced as a laboratory research reference only, not a human dosing protocol or medical advice.
- Why does GHK-Cu have two different dosing units?
- Because it is studied two different ways. As a topical cosmetic compound it is formulated at a concentration (a percentage), so there is no reconstitution or injection. As a subcutaneous injectable it is dosed in milligrams like other reconstituted peptides. Confusing the percentage with the milligram figure is the most common error in GHK-Cu references.
- What has to be on a GHK-Cu COA?
- More than a purity number. Because the copper is part of the molecule, a meaningful certificate confirms both the glycyl-histidyl-lysine tripeptide identity by mass spectrometry and the copper(II) complex itself — the coordination that gives GHK-Cu its blue colour. Un-complexed peptide with loose copper is a weaker, different material even when a 'peptide purity' figure looks acceptable.
- Does Titan sell GHK-Cu?
- No. Titan does not stock GHK-Cu. The in-catalog compound in the tissue-repair space is BPC-157, a stable gastric-derived peptide sold as a research-use-only reagent. This page is an informational dosing reference and an honest pointer to what Titan actually carries.
- How does GHK-Cu compare to BPC-157?
- They are different molecules with different mechanisms — GHK-Cu is a copper-carrying tripeptide often studied topically for skin and remodelling, while BPC-157 is a longer peptide studied for gastric and connective-tissue repair signalling and dosed at the microgram scale. The dedicated comparison page breaks down where the interest overlaps and where it doesn't.