GHK-Cu vs Cartalax
Side-by-side comparison of GHK-Cu and Cartalax: mechanism, half-life, dose range, safety profile, and vendor pricing.
Price snapshot
GHK-Cu
Cartalax
GHK-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 profileCartalax
Cartalax is a short synthetic peptide developed in Russia by Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, positioned as a "cartilage bioregulator" intended to…
Lowest listed price: $49.99 across 3 listings
Full Cartalax profileSide-by-side comparison
| Attribute | GHK-Cu | Cartalax |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Skin, Hair & Aesthetics | Recovery |
| Research Stage | 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. | Preclinical |
| Mechanism of Action | 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… | Mechanism of Action Cartalax's proposed mechanism is the Khavinson short-peptide framework applied to cartilage: passive membrane permeation, nuclear import, and sequence-selective chromatin modulation producing chondrocyte-favourable transcriptional shifts.… |
| Half-Life | ~30-60 min (plasma; approximate legacy figure, no robust modern human PK study) | No published human or animal pharmacokinetic data for Cartalax. As a small (~446.5 Da) tetrapeptide, rapid plasma hydrolysis (on the order of minutes) is expected, consistent with other Khavinson short peptides, but this has not been directly measured. |
| Typical Dose Range | 200-500 mcg SC daily (community/RUO; no clinically established injectable dose) | 20 mg oral/sublingual once daily for 10 days; 60-90 day washout |
| Dosing Frequency | Once daily subcutaneous; some run 5 days on / 2 days off. Topical: 1-2x daily to cleansed skin. | Once daily |
| Administration | Subcutaneous, Topical | — |
| Side Effects | 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… | Side Effects and Safety Cartalax has been used in Russian clinical settings for roughly 20 years with a sparse adverse-event literature — reassuring in direction, insufficient for confident pharmacovigilance. Reported short-term adverse effects -… |
| Molecular Weight | Free peptide (GHK): 340.38 Da (C14H24N6O4). Copper complex (GHK-Cu): 401.9 Da (C14H22CuN6O4, neutral 1:1 Cu(II) complex). | 446.5 Da (C18H30N4O9) |
| Common Vial Sizes | 50 mg, 100 mg | — |
Price History
4 data points- OF
- BM
- Half Nattys
- BHG Labs
Price History
3 data points- Ion Peptide
- Disguised Alpha
- LB
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)
Cartalax: potential benefits
- Joint and cartilage repair support
- Connective tissue maintenance
- Anti-aging effects on musculoskeletal system
- Improved joint mobility
Frequently asked
What's the difference between GHK-Cu and Cartalax?
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…. Cartalax is a recovery that mechanism of action cartalax's proposed mechanism is the khavinson short-peptide framework applied to cartilage: passive membrane permeation, nuclear import, and sequence-selective…. The two differ in mechanism, half-life (~30-60 min (plasma; approximate legacy figure, no robust modern human PK study) vs No published human or animal pharmacokinetic data for Cartalax. As a small (~446.5 Da) tetrapeptide, rapid plasma hydrolysis (on the order of minutes) is expected, consistent with other Khavinson short peptides, but this has not been directly measured.), and typical dose range.
Which has the longer half-life, GHK-Cu or Cartalax?
GHK-Cu has a half-life of ~30-60 min (plasma; approximate legacy figure, no robust modern human PK study). Cartalax has a half-life of No published human or animal pharmacokinetic data for Cartalax. As a small (~446.5 Da) tetrapeptide, rapid plasma hydrolysis (on the order of minutes) is expected, consistent with other Khavinson short peptides, but this has not been directly measured.. Longer half-lives generally mean less frequent dosing but slower on/off kinetics.
Which is cheaper, GHK-Cu or Cartalax?
Lowest listed price on BodyHackGuide: GHK-Cu from $34.99, Cartalax from $49.99. 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 GHK-Cu and Cartalax?
Stacking depends on mechanism overlap, safety profile, and goals. GHK-Cu and Cartalax 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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Research use only. BodyHackGuide is a research and price-comparison reference. The compounds discussed on this page are not approved by the FDA for human consumption and are sold strictly for laboratory research. Prices shown are pulled from vendor listings tracked on BHG and are subject to change. We earn an affiliate commission on some outbound clicks, and every vendor is ranked on the same public, reproducible methodology. See editorial standards and affiliate disclosure.