GHK-Cu in Australia: legal status and listed suppliers

Legal status in Australia

Not listed by name in the Poisons Standard (June 2026). Schedule 4 covers copper compounds for human use, but with exceptions for preparations below stated copper limits, so whether a particular GHK-Cu preparation falls under it depends on the product.

As understood at 2026-09-22. Verify with the TGA.

What GHK-Cu is

GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring three-amino-acid peptide bound to copper. It is found in human plasma, saliva and urine, and its concentration declines with age. It is long-established as a cosmetic skincare ingredient, which makes it unusual among the substances on this site.

Full GHK-Cu page: targets and research →

Listed suppliers in Australia

7 of the 10 suppliers we list in Australia list GHK-Cu. Listed, not endorsed: each row is the supplier’s own stated terms.

Au Peptide Labs Australia For laboratory research use only. Not for human consumption. Aussie Peptides Australia Research use only. Statements have not been evaluated by the TGA. We do not ship internationally at this time. Australian Peptide Site Australia Intended for laboratory and scientific research use only. Global Peptides Australia Unmodified peptides are sold for research use only. Next Gen Peptides Australia Not for human consumption. Pept Australia Products sold by Pept are intended for laboratory research purposes only and are not approved for human consumption. Synapse Peptides Australia Australia All products are supplied strictly for research purposes only and are not intended for human or veterinary use.

Clinical Research

In vivo stimulation of connective tissue accumulation by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+ in rat experimental wounds

Maquart FX, Bellon G, Chaqour B, et al. (1993). Journal of Clinical Investigation. animal rats with wound chambers implanted under the skin, given repeated injections of GHK-Cu or saline

Regenerative and protective actions of the GHK-Cu peptide in the light of the new gene data

Pickart L, Margolina A (2018). International Journal of Molecular Sciences. review n/a (review)

Middle-aged mice treated with GHK-Cu peptide administered intraperitoneally or intranasally show behavioral rescue but divergent hippocampal aging programs

Mazzola J, Rosenfeld M, Tucker M, Wezeman J, Ladiges W, Liao GY (2026). bioRxiv (preprint). preprint aged C57BL/6J mice (20–21 months), both sexes