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Recovery & Repair
Synthetic fragment of thymosin beta-4, used for whole-body recovery.
Longevity & Skin
A natural copper-binding tripeptide with decades of skin research.
TB-500 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. TB-500 is banned in sport by WADA; GHK-Cu is not. TB-500 is listed under Recovery & Repair; GHK-Cu under Longevity & Skin.
| Compare | TB-500 Synthetic fragment of thymosin beta-4, used for whole-body recovery. | GHK-Cu A natural copper-binding tripeptide with decades of skin research. |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Recovery & Repair | Longevity & Skin |
| Evidence | 2/5Full-length Tβ4 has some human trials (eye, wound); TB-500 fragment is mostly animal and anecdotal. | 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 | Thymosin Beta-4 fragment, Tβ4 (Ac-SDKP / LKKTETQ region) | Copper tripeptide-1, Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper |
| How it works | Binds actin, helping cells migrate to injured tissue; promotes angiogenesis and reduces inflammation in models. Full-length thymosin beta-4 has been studied in dry eye and wound healing trials; the TB-500 fragment itself has little human data. | 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 | Not well characterized; dosed twice weekly by convention | Short (minutes–hours); effects driven by gene/repair signaling |
| Commonly reported doses |
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| Route | Subcutaneous | 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 | 99.51% (lot TB0002) | 99.94% (lot GHK0003) |
Want a third? Add another peptide. Doses are commonly reported ranges, not recommendations.
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TB-500 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. TB-500 is banned in sport by WADA; GHK-Cu is not. TB-500 is listed under Recovery & Repair; GHK-Cu under Longevity & Skin.
TB-500: Not FDA-approved. GHK-Cu: Cosmetic ingredient; injectable not approved. Regulations change, so confirm with the FDA.
TB-500 is rated 2 out of 5: Full-length Tβ4 has some human trials (eye, wound); TB-500 fragment is mostly animal and anecdotal. 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.
TB-500 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.