VIP peptide (vasoactive intestinal peptide) is a natural 28-amino-acid hormone. Its drug form, aviptadil, is approved only in a combination injection for erectile dysfunction in some European countries, and studies in people tested the heart and lungs. PepBank shows 212 results on VIP peptide from 48 studies in people, and 675 from animal and lab studies. The strongest evidence is a randomized trial in people. Data as of 2026-10-30.
Also known as VIP, RLF-100, Vasoactive intestinal peptide, Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, Aviptadil, Aviptadilum and 3 more
| What it is | Natural peptide, 28 amino acids |
|---|---|
| Approval | Approved only in a combination product (aviptadil with phentolamine) in some European countries |
| In sport | Not listed as banned by WADA |
| Studies | 420 studies with results. 218 of them gave VIP peptide, with 887 results. 212 in people267 in animals408 in lab cells |
| Best study in people | Randomized controlled trial with 461 people (2023) |
| Clinical trials | 15 registered: 1 active or planned, 3 with posted results |
| Community use | Mold illness (CIRS), as the final step of the Shoemaker protocol; Brain fog, fatigue and breathing symptoms (self-reported outcomes); Stacked with BPC-157 for gut involvement, or with thymosin alpha-1 |
Natural 28-residue neuropeptide. Aviptadil is the drug form. It is authorised only as part of a combination injection with phentolamine for erectile dysfunction in some European countries. No FDA approval and no central EMA approval.
Amino acids in one chain
The oldest paper on VIP peptide in PepBank is from 1972.
A registered trial of VIP peptide started (NCT00004494).
The key facts about the molecule. Long codes are in the closed section below.
Three-letter sequenceH-His-Ser-Asp-Ala-Val-Phe-Thr-Asp-Asn-Tyr-Thr-Arg-Leu-Arg-Lys-Gln-Met-Ala-Val-Lys-Lys-Tyr-Leu-Asn-Ser-Ile-Leu-Asn-NH2
InChIKeyHEOYHMUESMJFDC-RIWXPGAOSA-N
SMILESCC[C@H](C)[C@@H](C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(=O)N)C(=O)N)NC(=O)[C@H](CO)NC(=O)[C@H](CC(=O)N)NC(=O)[C@H](CC(C)C)NC(=O)[C@H](CC1=CC=C(C=C1)O)NC(=O)[C@H](CCCCN)NC(=O)[C@H](CCCCN)NC(=O)[C@H](C(C)C)NC(=O)[C@H](C)NC(=O)[C@H](CCSC)NC(=O)[C@H](CCC(=O)N)NC(=O)[C@H](CCCCN)NC(=O)[C@H](CCCNC(=N)N)NC(=O)[C@H](CC(C)C)NC(=O)[C@H](CCCNC(=N)N)NC(=O)[C@H]([C@@H](C)O)NC(=O)[C@H](CC2=CC=C(C=C2)O)NC(=O)[C@H](CC(=O)N)NC(=O)[C@H](CC(=O)O)NC(=O)[C@H]([C@@H](C)O)NC(=O)[C@H](CC3=CC=CC=C3)NC(=O)[C@H](C(C)C)NC(=O)[C@H](C)NC(=O)[C@H](CC(=O)O)NC(=O)[C@H](CO)NC(=O)[C@H](CC4=CNC=N4)N
Results grouped by what the studies measured. Each card shows where its results come from.
In healthy volunteers, VIP raised the heart rate compared with placebo. Cephalalgia, 2006
In people with biliary fistulas, VIP given into a vein increased bile secretion by 85%. European journal of clinical investigation, 1992
In people with asthma, VIP given into a vein opened the airways. Lancet, 1983
In healthy men, VIP infusion raised renin activity in the blood. British journal of clinical pharmacology, 1987
In adults with migraine, a 2-hour VIP infusion caused migraine attacks in far more people than placebo did. JAMA network open, 2021
In adults with COVID-19 and serious breathing failure, intravenous aviptadil did not improve recovery at day 90 compared with placebo. The Lancet. Respiratory medicine, 2023
Studies in people come first, then studies in animals and in the lab.
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 15 trials of VIP peptide. 1 is active or planned, and 3 have posted results. PepBank does not show trial results.
Solid bars are dates that happened. Hatched bars are planned dates. Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.
No approved medicine contains it.
No approved medicine contains it.
Not on the 2026 Prohibited List.
Only in a combination. Approved only in a combination product (aviptadil with phentolamine) in some European countries. No FDA approval and no central EU authorisation (EMA). Not listed as banned by WADA.
Laws and labels change, so check the regulator for the current status.
PepBank has 29 safety results from studies of VIP peptide. 23 of them come from studies in people.
The doses that these studies used. They are not recommendations.
| Dose as reported | Class | Species | Route | Duration | Design | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150-200 MBq; 1 microgram | Human | human | Not reported | Not reported | Randomized trial in people · n = 30 | Raderer 1996 |
| 200 or 400 pmol | Human | human | intracavernous injection | 3 consecutive weekly visits | Randomized trial in people · n = 24 | Roy 1990 |
| 8 pmol/kg/min | Human | human | intravenous | 20 min | Randomized trial in people · n = 15 | Vollesen 2020 |
| 8 pmol kg(-1) min(-1) | Human | human | intravenous infusion | Not reported | Randomized trial in people · n = 12 | Rahmann 2008 |
| 8 pmol/kg per min | Human | human | infusion | 25 min | Randomized trial in people · n = 12 | Hansen 2006 |
| 6 pmol/kg/min | Human | human | intravenous | 15 min | Randomized trial in people · n = 7 | Morice 1983 |
| 100 micrograms | Human | human | inhalation | Not reported | Randomized trial in people · n = 6 | Barnes 1984 |
| 70 micrograms | Human | human | inhalation | Not reported | Randomized trial in people · n = 6 | Crimi 1988 |
| 6 pmol kg-1 min-1 | Human | human | intravenous | Not reported | Randomized trial in people · n = 6 | Unwin 1987 |
| 1.5 x 10(-5) M, 10 microl | Human | human | intracutaneous | Not reported | Trial in people without random groups · n = 28 | Rukwied 1999 |
| 100 micrograms | Human | human | intravenous bolus | Not reported | Trial in people without random groups · n = 28 | Watanobe 1994 |
| 100 micrograms | Human | human | intravenous bolus | Not reported | Trial in people without random groups · n = 22 | Watanobe 1994 |
| 100 micrograms | Human | human | intravenous bolus | Not reported | Trial in people without random groups · n = 16 | Watanobe 1995 |
| 300 pmol (1 microgram) | Human | human | intravenous bolus | Not reported | Trial in people without random groups · n = 12 | Virgolini 1994 |
| 100 micrograms | Human | human | intravenous bolus | Not reported | Trial in people without random groups · n = 12 | Watanobe 1994 |
| 150 MBq/1 microgram | Human | human | Not reported | Not reported | Trial in people without random groups · n = 11 | Kurtaran 1996 |
| 50 micrograms | Human | human | intravenous | single i.v. bolus | Trial in people without random groups · n = 11 | Watanobe 1992 |
| 100 micrograms | Human | human | intravenous | single i.v. bolus | Trial in people without random groups · n = 11 | Watanobe 1992 |
| 50 or 100 micrograms | Human | human | intravenous | single i.v. bolus | Trial in people without random groups · n = 11 | Watanobe 1992 |
| 100 micrograms | Human | human | Not reported | Not reported | Trial in people without random groups · n = 8 | Watanobe 1991 |
| 6 pmol/kg/min | Human | human | intravenous | 30 minutes | Trial in people without random groups · n = 8 | Morice 1986 |
| 6 pmol kg-1 min-1 | Human | human | intravenous | 15 minutes | Trial in people without random groups · n = 7 | Morice 1984 |
| 4 pmol x kg(-1) x min(-1) | Human | human | intravenous | 60 minutes | Trial in people without random groups · n = 7 | Chiodera 1998 |
| 1.5, 3 and 5 pmol.kg-1.min-1 | Human | human | intravenous | Not reported | Trial in people without random groups · n = 6 | Guelrud 1992 |
| 5 pmol.kg-1.min-1 | Human | human | intravenous | Not reported | Trial in people without random groups · n = 6 | Guelrud 1992 |
| 0.5, 0.9 and 2.7 micro/g/kg-h | Human | human | intravenous | 1 h per dose | Trial in people without random groups · n = 6 | Holm-Bentzen 1981 |
| 6 pmol.kg-1.min-1 | Human | human | Not reported | Not reported | Trial in people without random groups · n = 6 | Maxwell 1990 |
| 6 pmol kg-1 min-1 | Human | human | intravenous infusion | 30 min | Trial in people without random groups · n = 6 | Morice 1986 |
| 0.8 to 3.2 microgram per kg per hr | Human | human | intravenous | Not reported | Trial in people without random groups · n = 5 | Domschke 1977 |
| 3.2 micrograms per kg per hr | Human | human | intravenous | Not reported | Trial in people without random groups · n = 5 | Domschke 1977 |
| 3 and 5 pmol.kg-1.min-1 | Human | human | intravenous | Not reported | Trial in people without random groups · n = 4 | Guelrud 1992 |
| 25-800 pmol | Human | human | intradermal microdialysis | Not reported | Trial in people without random groups | Wilkins 2004 |
| 10(-5) g/ml (largest effect) | Human | human | intradermal | Not reported | Trial in people without random groups | Yamashita 1987 |
| 6 pmol/kg/min | Human | human | Not reported | 15 minutes | Trial in people without random groups | Palmer 1986 |
| 1, 3 and 6 pmol/kg/min | Human | human | Not reported | 15 minutes | Trial in people without random groups | Palmer 1986 |
| 1.5 x 10(-7) to 1.5 x 10(-5) M | Human | human | intracutaneous | Not reported | Trial in people without random groups | Rukwied 1998 |
| 1 microgram/kg | Human | human | intravenous | Not reported | Trial in people without random groups | Pizzi 1992 |
| 150-200 MBq (approximately 1 microg VIP) | Human | human | Not reported | Not reported | Observational study · n = 46 | Raderer 1998 |
| 0.1, 1 and 10 nmol | Animal | rat | intraperitoneal | injections on days 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 | Study in live animals · n = 63 | Gürkan 2009 |
| 1 and 10 nmol/kg in hamsters; 1 nmol/kg in mice | Animal | hamster and mouse | intraperitoneal | 35 days in hamsters; 3 months in mice | Study in live animals · n = 38 | Poston 1988 |
What people report online. It comes from forums and guides, not from studies.
Community use of VIP is mostly as a compounded nasal spray, as the last step of the Shoemaker protocol for mold illness (CIRS). Sources report 50 mcg per spray, 4 to 8 sprays a day, for 30 days or more. A minority inject it under the skin.
| Context | Route | Amount | How often | How long | Agreement | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mold illness (CIRS) nasal spray protocol | intranasal sprayneeds a compounding pharmacy prescription | 50 mcg per spray per spray | 4 to 8 sprays daily | 30 days or more (S2: 30 days at first, then 12 weeks or more) | 2 sources agree on the nasal route and 30 days or more; S2 gives no spray count. Both sources carry seller links. | S1S2 |
| Standard nasal spray, escalating | intranasal spray | 50 to 200 mcg per dose | twice daily | 8 to 12 weeks | single source. The source carries seller links. | S1 |
| Injected under the skin (less common route) | subcutaneous injectionS1 says some practitioners prefer it for effects beyond the nose and lungs | 50 to 100 mcg per dose | once daily (S2: 50 mcg morning and evening) | 4 to 8 weeks (S2: 8 weeks on, 8 weeks off) | sources differ: S1 says 50 to 100 mcg once daily for 4 to 8 weeks; S2 says 50 mcg twice daily, 8 weeks on and 8 off. Both sources carry seller links. | S1S2 |
Gaps
Only one non-seller source (S1) gives amounts, and S1 and S2 carry seller links. The one readable forum thread (S3) gives no dose. No harm-reduction, news or regulatory document on VIP was found. The only FDA status statement came from a pharmacy-quote site (a seller), so it was removed and there is no status note. No label was found; VIP is not an approved product. No forum data for the injected route.
The answer links to every study it uses.
AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.
PepBank is a research reference. Talk to a doctor before you use any peptide.
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In PepBank now:147 peptides, 6 blends and 13 other compounds97,577 study results from 17,383 studies8,473 clinical trialsUpdated