BPC-157 vs GHK-Cu
Side-by-side comparison of BPC-157 and GHK-Cu: mechanism, half-life, dose range, safety profile, and vendor pricing.
Price snapshot
BPC-157
GHK-Cu
BPC-157
BPC-157 (Body Protection Compound-157) is a synthetic pentadecapeptide consisting of 15 amino acids (Gly-Glu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Ala-Gly-Leu-Val) derived from a partial sequence of human gastric juice…
Lowest listed price: $34.99 across 15 listings
Full BPC-157 profileGHK-Cu
GHK-Cu is the copper(II) complex of the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine, a molecule Pickart and Thaler first pulled out of human plasma in 1973. The free peptide (GHK, C14H24N6O4) weighs about 340.4 Da; bind it 1:1…
Lowest listed price: $34.99 across 7 listings
Full GHK-Cu profileSide-by-side comparison
| Attribute | BPC-157 | GHK-Cu |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Injury, Repair & Recovery | Skin, Hair & Aesthetics |
| Research Stage | Preclinical | Approved/marketed as a topical cosmetic ingredient (Copper tripeptide-1) with supporting small human studies. Injectable use is preclinical/off-label, research-use-only, with no human clinical trials. |
| Mechanism of Action | Nitric Oxide (NO) System Modulation BPC-157 exerts a central integrative effect through modulation of the nitric oxide system. Studies by Seiwerth et al. (2022) demonstrated that BPC-157 counteracts both NO-excess and NO-deficiency states, functioning as a… | GHK-Cu works mostly as a copper shuttle and a signaling peptide. It binds Cu(II) with high affinity (log K around 16.4, close to albumin's 16.2) and can supply or regulate copper for copper-dependent enzymes like SOD1, lysyl oxidase, cytochrome c oxidase, and… |
| Half-Life | Short plasma half-life. The first formal preclinical ADME study reported an elimination half-life under ~30 minutes after IV/IM dosing in rats and dogs, with linear dose-proportional kinetics (PMID: 36588717); a 2026 biopharmaceutical review confirms this sub-30-minute plasma half-life and highlights a pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic disconnect, as biological effects persist for hours to days (PMID: 42198317). No full human pharmacokinetic study has been published; twice-daily dosing is empirical/community-standard rather than PK-derived. | ~30-60 min (plasma; approximate legacy figure, no robust modern human PK study) |
| Typical Dose Range | 200-500 mcg subcutaneous 1-2x daily (community protocols); 1-10 mcg/kg in animal studies | 200-500 mcg SC daily (community/RUO; no clinically established injectable dose) |
| Dosing Frequency | Twice daily (AM and PM) for optimal serum levels; once daily acceptable | Once daily subcutaneous; some run 5 days on / 2 days off. Topical: 1-2x daily to cleansed skin. |
| Administration | Subcutaneous, Oral, Intraperitoneal, Intravenous | Subcutaneous, Topical |
| Side Effects | Generally well-tolerated. Mild nausea or GI discomfort during initial use. Temporary increase in pain/inflammation at injury site (healing response). Rare: drowsiness, dizziness, mild headache. Very rare: transient changes in blood pressure. | Topical GHK-Cu is generally well tolerated; higher-concentration formulations (4-5%) raise the odds of irritation, redness, or stinging. Injectable use has no safety data from controlled trials; the main theoretical concern is copper accumulation with repeated… |
| Molecular Weight | 1419.5 g/mol (average); molecular formula C62H98N16O22 | Free peptide (GHK): 340.38 Da (C14H24N6O4). Copper complex (GHK-Cu): 401.9 Da (C14H22CuN6O4, neutral 1:1 Cu(II) complex). |
| Common Vial Sizes | 5mg, 10mg | 50 mg, 100 mg |
Price History
7 data points- OF
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Price History
4 data points- OF
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- BHG Labs
BPC-157: potential benefits
- Accelerated tendon and ligament healing with improved biomechanical strength in preclinical soft-tissue injury models (PMID: 30915550)
- Gastric and GI mucosal cytoprotection against ethanol-induced lesions, mediated in part by the nitric oxide system (PMID: 30279308)
- Healing of cysteamine-induced colitis and colon anastomosis in preclinical inflammatory bowel disease models (PMID: 24304574)
- Neuroprotection with dopaminergic and nitric oxide-system modulation in central nervous system injury models such as stroke and dopamine-receptor blockade (PMID: 34380875)
- Promotion of angiogenesis via VEGFR2 up-regulation, internalization, and VEGFR2-Akt-eNOS signaling in rat hind-limb ischemia and endothelial assays (PMID: 27847966)
- Tendon fibroblast outgrowth, cell survival, and migration through FAK-paxillin pathway activation (PMID: 21030672)
- Growth hormone receptor up-regulation in tendon fibroblasts, potentiating growth hormone's proliferative effect (PMID: 25415472)
- Nitric oxide-system interaction with endothelium protection, angiogenesis, and EGR-1-mediated growth-factor and collagen expression (PMID: 22300085)
GHK-Cu: potential benefits
- Stimulates type I collagen synthesis in human fibroblasts at low nanomolar-to-picomolar concentrations (PMID: 3169264)
- Increases glycosaminoglycans (dermatan/chondroitin sulfate) and upregulates decorin in wound models (PMID: 11121126)
- Modulates matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors, partially correcting the MMP-9/TIMP-1 imbalance in a smoke-induced emphysema model (PMID: 35936787)
- Drives tissue remodeling and chemoattracts macrophages, mast cells, and capillary cells to injury sites (PMID: 18644225)
- Modulates expression of ~4,000+ human genes via the Broad Institute Connectivity Map, including DNA-repair and antioxidant genes (PMID: 25302294)
- Increases stemness and proliferative potential of epidermal basal cells and keratinocytes (PMID: 23019153)
- Acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory copper regulator in the context of aging (PMID: 22666519)
- Broad skin-regeneration effects on collagen, proteoglycans, MMPs, and immune/endothelial cell recruitment (PMID: 26236730)
Frequently asked
What's the difference between BPC-157 and GHK-Cu?
BPC-157 is a injury, repair & recovery that nitric oxide (no) system modulation bpc-157 exerts a central integrative effect through modulation of the nitric oxide system. studies by seiwerth et al. (2022) demonstrated that…. GHK-Cu is a skin, hair & aesthetics that ghk-cu works mostly as a copper shuttle and a signaling peptide. it binds cu(ii) with high affinity (log k around 16.4, close to albumin's 16.2) and can supply or regulate copper…. The two differ in mechanism, half-life (Short plasma half-life. The first formal preclinical ADME study reported an elimination half-life under ~30 minutes after IV/IM dosing in rats and dogs, with linear dose-proportional kinetics (PMID: 36588717); a 2026 biopharmaceutical review confirms this sub-30-minute plasma half-life and highlights a pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic disconnect, as biological effects persist for hours to days (PMID: 42198317). No full human pharmacokinetic study has been published; twice-daily dosing is empirical/community-standard rather than PK-derived. vs ~30-60 min (plasma; approximate legacy figure, no robust modern human PK study)), and typical dose range.
Which has the longer half-life, BPC-157 or GHK-Cu?
BPC-157 has a half-life of Short plasma half-life. The first formal preclinical ADME study reported an elimination half-life under ~30 minutes after IV/IM dosing in rats and dogs, with linear dose-proportional kinetics (PMID: 36588717); a 2026 biopharmaceutical review confirms this sub-30-minute plasma half-life and highlights a pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic disconnect, as biological effects persist for hours to days (PMID: 42198317). No full human pharmacokinetic study has been published; twice-daily dosing is empirical/community-standard rather than PK-derived.. GHK-Cu has a half-life of ~30-60 min (plasma; approximate legacy figure, no robust modern human PK study). Longer half-lives generally mean less frequent dosing but slower on/off kinetics.
Which is cheaper, BPC-157 or GHK-Cu?
Lowest listed price on BodyHackGuide: BPC-157 from $34.99, GHK-Cu from $34.99. Prices are pulled from the vendor listings tracked on BHG and change frequently. See the compare tables on each compound page for the current set of offers.
Can you stack BPC-157 and GHK-Cu?
Stacking depends on mechanism overlap, safety profile, and goals. BPC-157 and GHK-Cu should only be stacked after reviewing each compound's individual protocol page, side effect profile, and any published interaction data. Use the BodyHackGuide stack builder for a structured review before combining research compounds.
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