GHK-Cu vs Pinealon
Side-by-side comparison of GHK-Cu and Pinealon: mechanism, half-life, dose range, safety profile, and vendor pricing.
Price snapshot
GHK-Cu
Pinealon
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 profilePinealon
Pinealon is a synthetic tripeptide — glutamyl-aspartyl-arginine (Glu-Asp-Arg, or EDR) — developed by the St Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology (IBG) under the leadership of Professor Vladimir…
Lowest listed price: $45.00 across 3 listings
Full Pinealon profileSide-by-side comparison
| Attribute | GHK-Cu | Pinealon |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Skin, Hair & Aesthetics | Nootropics |
| 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… | The proposed mechanism of Pinealon is rooted in the Khavinson school's broader theory of short-peptide tissue-specific bioregulation. The full theory is worth understanding because it underlies all twelve Russian bioregulator compounds in this catalog. The… |
| Half-Life | ~30-60 min (plasma; approximate legacy figure, no robust modern human PK study) | Not formally characterized in humans. Short regulatory peptides of this class are cleared from plasma within minutes; the Khavinson framework proposes durable downstream gene-expression effects that outlast the brief dosing window, which is the stated rationale for pulsed cycling rather than continuous dosing. |
| Typical Dose Range | 200-500 mcg SC daily (community/RUO; no clinically established injectable dose) | Subcutaneous (primary route): 2-10 mg/day, typically 3-5 mg, in pulsed 10-20 day cycles, 2-4 cycles/year. Intranasal: 150-800 mcg per nostril daily. Research use only; oral dosing is not recommended because the peptide is largely degraded by GI proteases. |
| Dosing Frequency | Once daily subcutaneous; some run 5 days on / 2 days off. Topical: 1-2x daily to cleansed skin. | Once daily during a cycle (morning preferred); some advanced users split into AM + midday doses. Not dosed continuously year-round - cycles are pulsed. |
| 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… | The side-effect profile of Pinealon, based on the available Russian clinical literature and user-reported experience, is described as mild and uncommon. Whether this reflects genuinely low toxicity or inadequate reporting in the available studies is a… |
| Molecular Weight | Free peptide (GHK): 340.38 Da (C14H24N6O4). Copper complex (GHK-Cu): 401.9 Da (C14H22CuN6O4, neutral 1:1 Cu(II) complex). | 418.40 g/mol (C15H26N6O8) |
| Common Vial Sizes | 50 mg, 100 mg | — |
Price History
4 data points- OF
- BM
- Half Nattys
- BHG Labs
Price History
2 data points- Ion Peptide
- Disguised Alpha
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)
Pinealon: potential benefits
- Neuroprotection against oxidative and hypoxic stress (preclinical models)
- Antioxidant support - reduced oxidative DNA damage in aged neurons (in vitro)
- Cognitive and memory support in aging populations (small Russian clinical reports)
- Reduced neuronal apoptosis and support of dendritic-tree integrity in cell models
- Investigated for neuroprotection in Alzheimer's-model systems (preclinical)
Frequently asked
What's the difference between GHK-Cu and Pinealon?
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…. Pinealon is a nootropics that the proposed mechanism of pinealon is rooted in the khavinson school's broader theory of short-peptide tissue-specific bioregulation. the full theory is worth understanding because…. The two differ in mechanism, half-life (~30-60 min (plasma; approximate legacy figure, no robust modern human PK study) vs Not formally characterized in humans. Short regulatory peptides of this class are cleared from plasma within minutes; the Khavinson framework proposes durable downstream gene-expression effects that outlast the brief dosing window, which is the stated rationale for pulsed cycling rather than continuous dosing.), and typical dose range.
Which has the longer half-life, GHK-Cu or Pinealon?
GHK-Cu has a half-life of ~30-60 min (plasma; approximate legacy figure, no robust modern human PK study). Pinealon has a half-life of Not formally characterized in humans. Short regulatory peptides of this class are cleared from plasma within minutes; the Khavinson framework proposes durable downstream gene-expression effects that outlast the brief dosing window, which is the stated rationale for pulsed cycling rather than continuous dosing.. Longer half-lives generally mean less frequent dosing but slower on/off kinetics.
Which is cheaper, GHK-Cu or Pinealon?
Lowest listed price on BodyHackGuide: GHK-Cu from $34.99, Pinealon from $45.00. 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 Pinealon?
Stacking depends on mechanism overlap, safety profile, and goals. GHK-Cu and Pinealon 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.
See current vendor prices
Listings from the vendors we track. Prices change often, so check the vendor before you buy.
Before you buy GHK-Cu or Pinealon
Check the vendor trust score. Every supplier we track is rated 0-100 on COA verification, payment transparency, shipping, reviews, and listings: one published, reproducible methodology, applied to every vendor.
Related comparisons
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. Every vendor is ranked on the same public, reproducible methodology. See editorial standards and affiliate disclosure.