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AHK-Cu

AHK-Cu is a small peptide of three amino acids (alanine, histidine and lysine) bound to a copper ion. It is a close relative of GHK-Cu, with alanine in place of glycine. It is not approved as a medicine. Published research on it is very limited: the main study tested it on human hair follicles and cells in the lab, not in people.

Not approved · research onlyChecked October 2026
Open the AHK-Cu calculatorSources

Approval status

Not approved as a medicine anywhere. It does not appear on FDA’s lists of substances nominated for pharmacy compounding, so FDA has not reviewed its safety or quality.45

What it’s used or studied for

  • Animal & lab only

    Hair growth: in lab studies, it lengthened human hair follicles kept alive outside the body and helped hair-root (dermal papilla) cells grow.3

  • No studies

    Skin anti-aging effects and injected use are promoted online, but no published studies have tested either.

Each label shows how strong the evidence is: an approved use, human studies, animal or lab studies only, or a popular claim with no published studies. Being studied is not the same as being proven safe or effective.

Side effects

There are no published human safety data for AHK-Cu, applied to the skin or injected.3

Cautions

  • No regulator has assessed AHK-Cu, so there is no official review of its safety or quality.4

What it’s made of

Type
Peptide
Length
3 amino acids
Sequence
Ala-His-Lys
Modifications
Bound to a copper(II) ion (copper complex). PubChem lists it as the hydrochloride; the peptide alone, AHK, is C15H26N6O4, 354.41 g/mol.
Formula
C15H24ClCuN6O4-
Molar mass
451.39 g/mol

Made by chemical synthesis and combined with copper.123

This page summarizes published information. It is not medical advice and doesn’t recommend using any compound. Many of these compounds are sold for research only. Talk to a licensed clinician.

Sources

  1. PubChem: AHK-Cu, copper complex of Ala-His-Lys, hydrochloride (CID 168431292)
  2. PubChem: L-Alanyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine (AHK) (CID 7408502)
  3. Pyo et al. (2007). The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro. Arch Pharm Res
  4. FDA: Bulk drug substances nominated for compounding under section 503A, categories 1 to 3 (updated May 14, 2026)
  5. FDA: Bulk drug substances used in compounding that may present significant safety risks (current as of April 2026)

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