Peptides
VIP (aviptadil): lung trial results and why route matters
How does it work?
Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), also called aviptadil when made as a drug candidate, is a 28-amino-acid neuropeptide with effects on blood vessels, airways, and immune signaling. Mechanistic lung-protection theories do not establish a treatment for chronic inflammation or general wellness. [1]
What do trials show?
The NIH-funded TESICO randomized study compared intravenous aviptadil with placebo in adults hospitalized with COVID-19-associated respiratory failure. Among 461 people in the aviptadil comparison, the study was stopped for futility; 90-day clinical status and mortality did not significantly improve. Other smaller or differently delivered studies cannot erase this result or establish a benefit for an unverified catalog vial. [1]
Safety
VIP can affect blood pressure and heart rate. TESICO involved monitored 12-hour hospital infusions and tracked serious events. Its safety observations cannot be transferred to an unsupervised injection or nasal product of different quality and route. [1]
DOSE STATUS
How much?
EVIDENCE CONTEXT
What is known?
The cited evidence does not establish a dose for this use or product.
TESICO infused 600, 1,200, and 1,800 pmol/kg over 12 hours on successive days in hospital. This escalating trial exposure did not produce a clinical benefit and is not a recommended dose. No safe/effective dose for the catalog’s 10 mg vial or claimed wellness use has been established. [1]
Sources & further reading
- NIH-funded TESICO randomized aviptadil trial (opens in a new tab)pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov