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Recovery & Repair
The most-discussed healing peptide, built on a stomach-protein fragment.
Longevity & Skin
A natural copper-binding tripeptide with decades of skin research.
BPC-157 is not FDA-approved and rated 2/5 for evidence; GHK-Cu is not FDA-approved and rated 3/5. GHK-Cu has more human evidence behind it. BPC-157 is banned in sport by WADA; GHK-Cu is not. BPC-157 is listed under Recovery & Repair; GHK-Cu under Longevity & Skin.
Often used together: Skin/hair (GHK-Cu) alongside tissue repair (BPC-157) is a common combination.
| Compare | BPC-157 The most-discussed healing peptide, built on a stomach-protein fragment. | GHK-Cu A natural copper-binding tripeptide with decades of skin research. |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Recovery & Repair | Longevity & Skin |
| Evidence | 2/5Dozens of rodent studies; only tiny human pilot data (e.g. knee pain retrospective, IV safety pilot). | 3/5Several small human topical/cosmetic studies; injection data is mainly preclinical. |
| FDA status | Not FDA-approved | Cosmetic ingredient; injectable not approved |
| WADA (sport) | Banned | Not on the Prohibited List |
| Also known as | Body Protection Compound-157, Bepecin, PL 14736 | Copper tripeptide-1, Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper |
| How it works | Appears to up-regulate growth-factor receptors (VEGFR2, growth hormone receptor), promote new blood vessel formation (angiogenesis), and modulate nitric-oxide signaling. Exact human pharmacology is not established. | Delivers copper to tissue, stimulates collagen and glycosaminoglycan synthesis, supports wound remodeling, and appears to reset expression of many genes toward a younger profile (gene-expression studies). |
| Half-life | Short (hours); effects thought to be local + signaling driven | Short (minutes–hours); effects driven by gene/repair signaling |
| Commonly reported doses |
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| Route | Subcutaneous, near injury site | Subcutaneous |
| Good once mixed | ~28 days in the fridge | ~30 days in the fridge |
| Top side effects |
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| Lowest research-listing price per mg | $2.40 (10 mg vial, 40% off) | $0.35 (100 mg vial, 40% off) |
| Latest lab purity | 99.61% (lot BP0002) | 99.94% (lot GHK0003) |
Want a third? Add another peptide. Doses are commonly reported ranges, not recommendations.
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Connect MyPeps to ChatGPT or Claude and ask follow-ups about BPC-157 and GHK-Cu. It answers from these same pages, with links back here.
BPC-157 is not FDA-approved and rated 2/5 for evidence; GHK-Cu is not FDA-approved and rated 3/5. GHK-Cu has more human evidence behind it. BPC-157 is banned in sport by WADA; GHK-Cu is not. BPC-157 is listed under Recovery & Repair; GHK-Cu under Longevity & Skin.
BPC-157: Not FDA-approved. GHK-Cu: Cosmetic ingredient; injectable not approved. Regulations change, so confirm with the FDA.
BPC-157 is rated 2 out of 5: Dozens of rodent studies; only tiny human pilot data (e.g. knee pain retrospective, IV safety pilot). GHK-Cu is rated 3 out of 5: Several small human topical/cosmetic studies; injection data is mainly preclinical. The scale is explained on our methodology page.
BPC-157 is banned by WADA, by name or as part of a named class. GHK-Cu is not named on the WADA list, though the general rule on non-approved substances (S0) can still apply.
Skin/hair (GHK-Cu) alongside tissue repair (BPC-157) is a common combination. That describes how some people use them, not a recommendation.