ghk-cu vs glow

updated October 25, 2026

ghk-cu (tier S) vs glow (tier A): what each is, why each got its grade, half-life and source counts side by side.

the difference

checked October 25, 2026

in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, a topical ghk-cu gel improved closure of diabetic plantar ulcers when treatment began right after debridement.

• Mulder GD et al. Wound Repair Regen 1994 (PMID 17147644)

a PubMed search and a ClinicalTrials.gov search on October 24, 2026 found no human study of a blend of ghk-cu, bpc-157 and tb-500.

• PubMed search: GHK-Cu with BPC-157 and TB-500 or thymosin beta-4 (October 24, 2026)
• ClinicalTrials.gov search: BPC-157 and its aliases (October 24, 2026)

in July 2026, FDA proposed keeping bpc-157 and tb-500 off the 503A bulks list for pharmacy compounding, and its review says neither is a component of an FDA-approved drug. FDA's advisory committee then voted on both; news reports put the vote on each at 8-6-1 in favor of adding it, and the committee's recommendations are non-binding.

• FDA presentations, Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, July 23, 2026 (BPC-157, KPV, TB-500)
• FDA briefing document, BPC-157, Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, July 2026
• FDA meeting page, Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, July 23-24, 2026

FDA's May 2026 update to its 503A nomination categories lists non-injectable ghk-cu among the substances under evaluation.

• FDA, bulk drug substances nominated under section 503A, updated May 14, 2026

ghk-cu · tier S

the copper peptide with the strongest skin evidence in the catalog. topical record first, injectable story thinner.

tier rationale

the most studied cosmetic peptide in history. pickart 1973: young plasma applied to aged liver cells made them behave young. five decades of topical research on collagen, wound healing, inflammation. cleanest safety profile in the catalog after 40+ years of cosmetic use. S because topical efficacy is documented and safety is exceptional. the asterisk: injectable GHK-Cu has a much thinner human evidence base.

glow · tier A

klow without kpv. ghk-cu, bpc-157 and tb-500, with ghk-cu dominant by weight.

tier rationale

a three-peptide blend of GHK-Cu + BPC-157 + TB-500, heavily weighted toward GHK-Cu (typical ratio 50:10:10). emerged from peptide clinics in parallel with KLOW but with a cosmetic-first positioning rather than a gut-inflammation angle. none of the three components is FDA-approved. the blend has no formal clinical research. A-tier for the same reason KLOW is: strong component-level evidence, consistent user reports, but zero blend-specific trials and no approval pathway.

at a glance

reptides grades the research record and cites the literature behind every call. research reference only; not medical advice.