SHERIDAN, WY, June 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Koi Peptides has launched GHK-Cu, the copper tripeptide-1 complex that forms when copper(II) binds glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine (a tripeptide), as a research-use-only reference compound, available for laboratory use. Every lot is documented by HPLC for purity, by mass spectrometry for identity, and for copper content, and arrives with a per-batch Certificate of Analysis.
Koi Peptides Launches GHK-Cu as a Research-Use-Only Compound:
https://koipeptides.com/product/ghk-cu/
GHK-Cu now appears in the Koi Peptides research catalog as a reference compound that ships only for research, in lyophilized form for laboratory handling. For each batch, Koi runs a purity check by reverse-phase HPLC, an identity check by mass spectrometry, and an elemental measurement of copper, then issues a Certificate of Analysis bearing that batch’s lot number. Koi Research Labs LLC, the company behind the brand, offers the material solely as a research reference and not as a cosmetic product, supplement, or drug.
For laboratories, the value here is a copper-peptide reference whose composition and copper stoichiometry are documented and open to verification. Koi describes research-grade GHK-Cu by its documentation and lot history, makes no use of it, and provides it for in vitro and laboratory study only. How much material a vial holds is fixed by the product specification and noted on that lot’s certificate. The documented per-batch approach Koi uses across its line also governs this release.
“GHK-Cu is a copper complex, so a buyer needs to know that the peptide is right and that the copper is right,” said Dr Tshering Pedon, research analyst at Koi Research Labs. “We characterize both for every lot, publish the certificate, and supply the material for laboratory research only.”
What Is GHK-Cu? Copper Peptide Identity, Sequence, and Molecular Weight
GHK-Cu, cataloged in cosmetics under the name copper tripeptide-1, is what forms when a copper(II) ion coordinates glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine (Gly-His-Lys), a three-residue peptide. The free tripeptide has the molecular formula C14H24N6O4, a molecular weight of 340.38 g/mol, and CAS number 49557-75-7. The copper complex has the molecular formula C14H22CuN6O4, a molecular weight of about 401.9 g/mol, and CAS number 89030-95-5, with copper held by the peptide at roughly a one-to-one ratio.
In PubChem, the free tripeptide is recorded under CID 342538 and the copper complex under CID 378611. GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring copper-binding peptide, first isolated from human plasma, and it has also been reported in saliva and urine; material for laboratory and commercial use is synthesized. The copper coordination gives the solid its characteristic blue color, which is why the molecule is sometimes called a blue copper peptide. Other names for it include copper peptide and prezatide copper.
How Koi Peptides Characterizes GHK-Cu: HPLC, Mass Spec, and Copper Content
Because GHK-Cu is a copper coordination complex, Koi documents three properties for every lot: the purity of the peptide, the identity of the peptide, and the copper content. Each result is recorded on the lot’s Certificate of Analysis and supported by the analytical methods Koi publishes.
HPLC Purity Analysis
Purity is determined by reversed-phase HPLC with ultraviolet detection. The area under the target peak is divided by the total peak area and reported as a percentage of the area, measured against the release threshold Koi sets for the product. Related peptide impurities, including truncated sequences, resolve as separate peaks and are measured in the same run.
Mass-Spec Identity Confirmation
For identity, mass spectrometry does the work. Electrospray ionization (ESI-MS) or MALDI-TOF reads the intact mass of the peptide and sets it against the value calculated for glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine, which flags a truncated sequence or a wrong peptide.
Copper Content and the 1:1 Complex
Copper content is the step specific to a copper complex. The copper is quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) or atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), confirming that the copper-to-peptide molar ratio sits close to the expected one-to-one. The same elemental work also supports heavy-metal testing of the material.
Per-Batch COA and Endotoxin
Each lot’s certificate lists the HPLC purity, the mass-spectrometry identity, the copper content, a bacterial endotoxin reading from the LAL (Limulus Amebocyte Lysate) test, the counterion, and the lot number. The certificates sit in a public library, and each vial’s lot number points back to its matching document.
Why Reference-Compound Characterization Matters in Copper Peptide Research
Comparative laboratory work depends on a starting material of known composition. For a copper complex, that means a known peptide identity, a known purity, and a known copper-to-peptide ratio. An undocumented identity, an unstated purity, or an off-target copper ratio introduces hidden variables that can affect calibration and undermine reproducibility.
Independent testing across the research-peptide supply chain has repeatedly found vials that contain less of the target than the label states, are mislabeled, or contain no detectable target at all. For a copper complex, an under-characterized batch introduces an extra failure mode, because the copper content can deviate from the expected ratio without any change a buyer can see by eye.
Reproducibility research has long identified reagent and reference-material variability as a measurable contributor to irreproducible results, as noted in a 2015 analysis in PLOS Biology. A documented per-batch standard exists to remove that variable from the experimental design.
Koi provides GHK-Cu records, so a laboratory can confirm what a vial contains, including the copper ratio, before designing COA-verified work around it.
Is GHK-Cu FDA-Approved? Regulatory Status Explained
As a drug, GHK-Cu holds no FDA approval for any use, and the FDA has not reviewed it for drug safety or efficacy.
GHK-Cu does appear in a separate regulatory category as a cosmetic ingredient, listed under the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) name copper tripeptide-1. In the European Union, cosmetic ingredients are governed by the Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Cosmetic-ingredient status is a separate matter from drug approval, and it does not make GHK-Cu an approved drug. A research reference compound, in turn, is not a cosmetic product and not a drug. Koi supplies GHK-Cu strictly as a research-use-only reference material, and not as a cosmetic, a supplement, or a drug product.
The material is sold for laboratory research use only and is not intended for humans or animals. The investigational new drug requirements in 21 CFR 312.2 are triggered when a drug is studied in human participants; a reference material distributed for in-vitro or laboratory-animal research, and not given to people as a drug, is handled outside that pathway. Koi does not run as a 503A or 503B compounding pharmacy, and it ships no compounded preparations.
GHK-Cu is not currently named on the WADA Prohibited List. That absence is not approval and says nothing about fitness for human use.
How to Verify GHK-Cu Sourcing Quality Using the Koi Peptides COA
A buyer can confirm a GHK-Cu lot against its Certificate of Analysis before any work begins. The certificate is specific to the batch, not a generic page that applies to every order, which is what makes per-lot verification meaningful. For a copper complex, the certificate should document a few specific things.
What GHK-Cu’s COA Should Show
A complete COA for GHK-Cu shows the peptide identity, observed mass versus theoretical mass; the HPLC purity as area percent; the copper content and the copper-to-peptide ratio; the bacterial endotoxin result in EU per milligram; the counterion; the analytical method; the test date; and the lot or batch number.
A certificate that omits the copper content or lot number is harder to rely on for a copper complex, since the copper ratio is part of what defines the material. An independent or third-party-verified certificate adds further confidence.
How to Match a Vial Lot to Its Public COA
To verify a specific vial, read the lot number printed on it, find that lot in Koi’s public Certificate of Analysis library, and check the recorded values before use. That lot number ties the vial in hand to its paperwork, so a laboratory can confirm the exact batch it holds against the recorded values.
Koi Peptides GHK-Cu Handling and Storage (Research Context)
GHK-Cu ships as a lyophilized powder. For laboratory storage, the material is kept at-20°C, sealed with a desiccant, and protected from light, as the copper complex is sensitive to light and moisture. The dry, lyophilized solid tolerates brief ambient temperatures during transit without concern. Repeated freezing and thawing of the powder is best avoided, and the handling and transit terms for the material are published on the website.
These points cover storage and handling of the dry research material in a laboratory. Koi Peptides gives no guidance on reconstituting, dissolving, dosing, or administering GHK-Cu, which is supplied for laboratory research use only.
GHK-Cu for Laboratory Use: Frequently Asked Questions
What is GHK-Cu’s molecular weight and CAS number?
The copper complex has a molecular weight of about 401.9 g/mol and CAS number 89030-95-5. The free tripeptide has a molecular weight of 340.38 g/mol and CAS number 49557-75-7.
What purity and copper content does Koi’s GHK-Cu report, and is there a COA?
Koi reports HPLC area-percent purity and copper content for every batch and posts a per-batch Certificate of Analysis in its public COA library.
Is GHK-Cu the same as the cosmetic ingredient?
It is the same molecule as the cosmetic ingredient copper tripeptide-1, but Koi supplies it as a research-use-only reference compound rather than as a cosmetic product.
What is GHK-Cu used for?
GHK-Cu ships as a research-use-only reference compound, and the laboratory that receives it sets the research application. Koi Peptides provides no guidance on how to use or apply it.
About Koi Peptides
Koi Research Labs LLC runs the Koi Peptides brand as its research-peptide arm, a United States operation that sells everything it makes for laboratory and research purposes only. Every lot moves through purity testing on reverse-phase HPLC, identity testing on mass spectrometry, copper-content analysis for copper complexes such as GHK-Cu, an endotoxin screen, and a per-batch Certificate of Analysis kept in a public library. The company’s quality standards set out how each release is documented.
All of what Koi Peptides supplies, GHK-Cu among them, is intended for laboratory and research work alone. None of it may be consumed by people or animals; none is a cosmetic product; none is a dietary supplement; and none has FDA approval as a therapy. Nothing in this announcement is medical advice.
Disclaimer: Koi Peptides provides GHK-Cu as a research-use-only analytical reference material. It is not to be consumed by humans or animals, is not a cosmetic product, is not a dietary supplement, and has no FDA approval. The fact that it is available is not approval and not a sign of fitness for human use. Koi gives no reconstitution or dosing instructions, and nothing here is medical advice.
Koi Peptides Email: press@koipeptides.com Website: https://koipeptides.com Address: 30 N Gould St Ste r, Sheridan, WY 82801, United States Phone No : +1 833-854-9601
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