Comparison
Epitalon vs GHK-Cu
Side-by-side of Epitalon and GHK-Cu. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
Epitalon
Epitalon peptide (Epithalon, tetrapeptide AEDG): telomerase activation, lifespan extension data, anti-aging trials, dosage, half-life, and safety.
GHK-Cu
GHK-Cu peptide (glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper) is a topical copper peptide. Trials show fine-line and wound-healing gains; injectable longevity claims rem.
Effects at a glance
Epitalon
- •Synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) developed at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation
- •Russian clinical literature reports mortality reduction in elderly cohorts and improved melatonin output
- •Reported telomerase activation in human somatic cell culture and lifespan extension in mice and Drosophila
- •Independent Western replication is essentially absent; no FDA-standard RCTs
- •Anecdotal protocols use 5 to 10 mg subcutaneously daily for 10 to 20 day cycles, 2 to 4 times yearly
- •Not currently on the WADA Prohibited List
GHK-Cu
- •Endogenous tripeptide that binds copper(II); plasma levels decline ~60% from age 20 to 60
- •Topical RCTs show improvement in skin firmness, fine lines, and barrier function over 12 weeks
- •Wound-healing models report accelerated re-epithelialization in diabetic and aged skin
- •Pickart gene-expression analyses show reset of >4000 genes toward a younger expression profile in cell culture
- •Anecdotal subcutaneous longevity protocols use 1 to 3 mg daily; no human longevity RCTs exist
- •Hair-growth claims rest on small open-label trials and topical scalp formulations
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Epitalon | GHK-Cu |
|---|---|---|
| Category | peptide | peptide |
| Also known as | Epithalon, Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, AEDG, Epithalamin (precursor extract) | Copper Peptide, Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper, GHK |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 5 | 2 |
| Dosing frequency | daily during cycle | daily |
| Routes | subcutaneous, intramuscular, intranasal | topical, subcutaneous |
| Onset (hr) | 24 | 24 |
| Peak (hr) | 168 | 168 |
| Molecular weight | 390.35 | 340.85 |
| Molecular formula | C14H22N4O9 | C14H24N6O4 (GHK alone); C14H22CuN6O4 with Cu(II) |
| Mechanism | Synthetic tetrapeptide proposed to interact directly with DNA and chromatin to modulate tissue-specific gene expression. Reported effects include telomerase activation, increased melatonin output from pineal cells, and circadian normalization. | Tripeptide that chelates Cu(II) and delivers it to copper-dependent enzymes (lysyl oxidase, superoxide dismutase). Modulates expression of >4000 genes toward a younger profile in fibroblast culture, including upregulation of decorin and downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. |
| Legal status | Not FDA approved; registered in Russia under domestic pharmaceutical framework; research-use-only grey market in US/EU | Topical cosmetics legal in most jurisdictions; injectable form not FDA approved for any indication; research-use-only grey market |
| WADA status | unknown | allowed |
| DEA / Rx | Not scheduled (research chemical) | Topical OTC (cosmetic); injectable not FDA approved; research-chemical status |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data; not recommended | Insufficient data; topical use likely low-risk; injectable not recommended |
| CAS | 307297-39-8 | 49557-75-7 |
| PubChem CID | 219042 | 73587 |
| Wikidata | Q5384126 | Q3104638 |
Safety profile
Epitalon
Common side effects
- injection-site reactions
- occasional mild headache (rare)
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- lactation
- active malignancy (theoretical telomerase concern)
- concurrent immunosuppression
Interactions
- melatonin: potential additive effect on circadian and pineal output; no controlled data(minor)
GHK-Cu
Common side effects
- mild erythema at topical site
- transient itch
- blue-green discoloration of injection site (copper)
- rare contact dermatitis
Contraindications
- copper allergy
- Wilson disease
- open wound near injection site (caution)
- pregnancy (no data)
Interactions
- topical retinoids: additive irritation; alternate days or apply at different times(minor)
- topical vitamin C (ascorbic acid): ascorbate reduces Cu(II) to Cu(I), which can destabilize the GHK-Cu complex; separate by 30 minutes(minor)
Which Should You Take?
GHK-Cu comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 4 catalogued goals, research-only / gray-market sourcing, with a Tier-B outcome catalogued. Epitalon is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is sleep onset or sleep quality, pick Epitalon.
- → If your priority is circadian regulation, pick Epitalon.
- → If your priority is skin health, pick GHK-Cu.
- → If your priority is wound healing, pick GHK-Cu.
Default choice: GHK-Cu. Wider use case, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Epitalon only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between Epitalon and GHK-Cu?
Epitalon and GHK-Cu differ in category (peptide vs peptide), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Epitalon or GHK-Cu?
Epitalon half-life is 0.5 hours; GHK-Cu half-life is 0.5 hours.
Can you stack Epitalon with GHK-Cu?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
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