Claimed effect · VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide)

Does VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide) help with COVID-19 respiratory failure?

A
Grade A — established in humans1 large RCT (n=461) — stopped for futility · effect size: not measurable
Short answerEstablished in humans. 1 large RCT (n=461) — stopped for futility point the same way: no measurable effect, or none yet shown. In the NIH-funded TESICO trial, three days of intravenous aviptadil did not improve the 90-day outcome or survival; the safety monitoring board stopped it for futility. An earlier, smaller sponsor-run trial had reported benefit in some analyses.

What the studies show

In the NIH-funded TESICO trial, three days of intravenous aviptadil did not improve the 90-day outcome or survival; the safety monitoring board stopped it for futility. An earlier, smaller sponsor-run trial had reported benefit in some analyses.

“The odds ratio (OR) for being in a better category of the primary efficacy endpoint for aviptadil versus placebo at day 90, from a model stratified by baseline disease severity, was 1·11 (95% CI 0·80-1·55; p=0·54).”

Verbatim, from the abstractBrown SM, Barkauskas CE, Grund B, et al. Intravenous aviptadil and remdesivir for treatment of COVID-19-associated hypoxaemic respiratory failure in the USA (TESICO): a randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet Respir Med, 2023

Several well-run randomised trials in people, pointing the same way. You can plan around this. It still says nothing about whether the effect is worth the side effects for you.

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In context

Vasoactive intestinal peptide is a natural hormone that relaxes smooth muscle and blood vessels and dampens inflammation, made throughout the gut, lungs and nervous system. As the drug aviptadil it is licensed in the UK and some other countries — combined with phentolamine as an injection into the penis — for erectile dysfunction. Its pandemic moment came as an intravenous treatment for COVID-19 respiratory failure: the NIH-run TESICO trial of 461 patients was stopped for futility, with no improvement in outcomes or survival. The nasal-spray use promoted for 'chronic inflammatory response syndrome' from mould exposure has never been tested in a controlled trial.

VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide) is licensed narrowly (ed, some countries); other uses unapproved. Legal status differs by country — see the regulation section or the jurisdiction pages.

Questions

Is VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide) proven to help with COVID-19 respiratory failure?
Yes, as far as human trials can show it: 1 large RCT (n=461) — stopped for futility. LYO grades this outcome A.
What studies are behind the grade?
In the NIH-funded TESICO trial, three days of intravenous aviptadil did not improve the 90-day outcome or survival; the safety monitoring board stopped it for futility. An earlier, smaller sponsor-run trial had reported benefit in some analyses.
Is VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide) approved for this?
VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide) is an approved medicine (Licensed narrowly (ED, some countries); other uses unapproved); whether this particular outcome is a licensed indication is stated on the compound page's regulation section.

Other outcomes for VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide)

Written and maintained by LYO Research — how pages are written and checked. Reviewed 10 September 2026. Grades count human evidence only; see how LYO grades. Not medical advice. Correct this page →