Both are sold for tissue repair, but they come from opposite ends of the evidence spectrum. GHK-Cu is a long-established cosmetic ingredient with human skin data; BPC-157 has none in humans.
Side by side
| BPC-157 | GHK-Cu | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Body-protection pentadecapeptide | Copper tripeptide |
| Status | Research compound | Research compound (cosmetic use of topical forms) |
| Route | Subcutaneous injection | Subcutaneous injection |
| Typical vials | 2 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg | 50 mg, 100 mg |
| Dose range | 250 mcg to 500 mcg | 1 mg to 3 mg |
| Frequency | 1 to 2 times daily | Daily |
| Half-life | No human data | No human data |
| Dosing unit | micrograms | milligrams |
Pharmacokinetics
No curves are shown, on purpose.
No published human pharmacokinetics for BPC-157 or GHK-Cu. Drawing one curve against an absent one would imply a comparison that cannot be made.
What the evidence supports
These grade how well each outcome has been studied in humans, never how well either compound works. A strong grade can sit on a negative result.
The strongest evidence for any claimed outcome is Human RCT for GHK-Cu and Animal only for BPC-157. That gap is the most important line on this page.
BPC-157
| Outcome | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Gastrointestinal protection | Animal only |
| Tendon and ligament healing | Animal only |
| Any outcome in humans | No data |
GHK-Cu
| Outcome | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Skin appearance, topical | Human RCT |
| Wound healing, topical | Human, observational |
| Gene expression changes | Mechanistic only |
| Any outcome from injection | No data |
How to choose
GHK-Cu has human data, in skin, applied topically
That is a different evidence bar from a drug trial, but it is genuine human evidence and it is about the route it is sold for.
BPC-157's claims are systemic and unevidenced in people
Tendon, ligament and gut healing are all extrapolated from rodents.
The routes are not interchangeable
GHK-Cu's evidence is topical. Injecting it is a different proposition with much less behind it.
At the syringe
At the default setup on each compound's own page, a 5 mg vial in 2 mL puts 25 mcg on every insulin unit, while a 50 mg vial in 5 mL puts 100 mcg on every unit. That is the number that decides whether a dose lands on a readable mark, and it is set by how much water goes in, not by the compound.