Peptides / VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide) / United Kingdom

VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide) in the United Kingdom

Legal status, what it is, and the listed suppliers in the United Kingdom that list it.

Legal status in the United Kingdom

Approved medicine: aviptadil with phentolamine (Invicorp), intracavernosal injection for erectile dysfunction, licensed since 2000. Not approved for any other use.

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

What VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide) is

Vasoactive intestinal peptide is a 28-amino-acid hormone and neurotransmitter made in the gut, pancreas and nervous system. It widens blood vessels, relaxes smooth muscle and modulates inflammation. The synthetic form, aviptadil, is a licensed medicine in the UK in combination with phentolamine (Invicorp) for erectile dysfunction, and has been studied by inhalation and infusion for lung conditions. Unlike most peptides on this site, VIP is a natural human hormone with a long research history.

Full VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide) page: targets and research →

Listed suppliers in the United Kingdom

None of the suppliers we list in the United Kingdom list VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide).

Clinical Research

Inhalation of vasoactive intestinal peptide in pulmonary hypertension

Leuchte HH, Baezner C, Baumgartner RA, et al. (2008). European Respiratory Journal. human patients with pulmonary hypertension, n=20, single inhaled dose during catheterisation

The Use of IV Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (Aviptadil) in Patients With Critical COVID-19 Respiratory Failure: Results of a 60-Day Randomized Controlled Trial

Youssef JG, Lavin P, Schoenfeld DA, et al. (2022). Critical Care Medicine. human patients with COVID-19 respiratory failure, randomised placebo-controlled trial, n=196, ten US hospitals

Mechanisms of vasoactive intestinal peptide-mediated vasodilation in human skin

Wilkins BW, Chung LH, Tublitz NJ, Wong BJ, Minson CT (2004). Journal of Applied Physiology. human healthy volunteers, n=43, intradermal microdialysis

Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide plasma levels associated with affective symptoms and brain structure and function in healthy females

Simon RA, Barazanji N, Jones MP, et al. (2021). Scientific Reports. human healthy females, n=37, observational (plasma VIP, questionnaires, MRI)

Vasoactive intestinal peptide as a laboratory supplement to clinical activity index in inflammatory bowel disease

Duffy LC, Zielezny MA, Riepenhoff-Talty M, et al. (1989). Digestive Diseases and Sciences. human adults with inflammatory bowel disease, n=115 (48 ulcerative colitis, 67 Crohn's), observational over six months