VIP 6mg

Key points

• VIP is a natural 28 amino acid peptide that acts on receptors involved in blood flow, the gut and immune regulation.
• A medicine based on it, aviptadil, has been studied for conditions such as severe lung injury and circulation problems.
• As sold online for general wellness, it has little supporting evidence.
• It is not a licensed medicine in the UK as sold here.

Quick facts

What it is

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), 28 amino acids

Studied for

Lung injury and circulation (as the drug aviptadil)

UK status

Not a licensed medicine as sold online

Note

Can lower blood pressure and cause flushing

How it works

VIP relaxes smooth muscle, widens blood vessels and helps regulate inflammation, through receptors found around the body. These effects are the basis of medical interest in its drug form, aviptadil. The benefits claimed for VIP sold as a wellness product are far less established.

What the evidence shows

The serious research is on the medicine aviptadil, in specific conditions such as lung injury, where results have been mixed. For VIP sold online for general wellness or chronic inflammation, good human evidence is limited.

What it does not settle

• Evidence for the wellness uses it is marketed for is limited.
• There is no established dose for self directed use.
• Its effects on blood pressure make unsupervised use a concern.

Side effects

Common

• Because it widens blood vessels, flushing and a drop in blood pressure can occur.

Less common but serious

• A fall in blood pressure can be significant, which is one reason its medical use is supervised.
• Because there is no licensed product to buy, the dose, purity and contents of material sold online cannot be verified.

Report any suspected side effect through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.

UK legal status and access

VIP sold online has no UK marketing authorisation, so it is not a licensed medicine and is not offered by registered clinics or pharmacies for general use. Its drug form, aviptadil, is used only in specific medical research and treatment settings.

Common questions