VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide) Pen
Vasoactive intestinal peptide in solution at 5 mg/mL, 3 mL and 15 mg per pen. Filled from a peptide lot tested in the manufacturer’s own laboratory, with a certificate.
| Compound | Vasoactive intestinal peptide (1-28) amide; aviptadil |
|---|---|
| CAS number | 40077-57-4 |
| Molecular formula | C147H238N44O42S |
| Contents | VIP: 15 mg per 3 mL pen (0.5% w/v) |
| Form | Sterile aqueous solution in bacteriostatic water (0.9% benzyl alcohol), supplied in a 3 mL glass cartridge inside a preloaded autoinjector pen fitted with a needle |
| Storage, sealed | Store at 2–8 °C in the original carton, protected from light |
| Format | Solution in a 3 mL pre-filled pen |
Sizes and lots
- 15 mg · 1 pen — $83.99
- 15 mg · Kit of 10 — $746.67
This listing is a preloaded autoinjector pen with 3 mL of VIP solution at 5 mg/mL, 15 mg of peptide in all, ready without reconstitution. Published work on VIP covers its receptors, its relationship with PACAP and its effects on immune and nerve cells, mostly in cell and animal models.
What is in the pen
The pen holds 3 mL of VIP at 5 mg/mL, which is 15 mg of peptide. It is the same vasoactive intestinal peptide sold freeze-dried in the VIP5 10 mg vial and the VIP5 5 mg vial.
A pen fixes the concentration at filling, while a freeze-dried vial lets the laboratory choose the volume and keeps the peptide dry until it is needed. The general trade-offs are covered in peptide pen vs vial.
What the research covers
VIP belongs to a superfamily of related peptide hormones that also includes glucagon, the glucagon-like peptides, secretin, GIP, GHRH and PACAP1. Its closest relative is PACAP: the two share 68% of their amino acid sequence and act on the same receptors, VPAC1 and VPAC2, which mainly couple to adenylate cyclase and raise cAMP2. PACAP alone has a third, selective receptor, PAC11. VIP is made by neurons and by immune cells, and immune cells carry VIP receptors, which is why reviews describe it as an immune regulator as well as a neurotransmitter, vasodilator and secretagogue3. The IUPHAR review linked VIP and PACAP signalling in the brain to circadian rhythms, memory and stress responses, and in the periphery to insulin secretion and the control of inflammation1.
Most of the evidence on what VIP does comes from receptor pharmacology, transgenic animals and rodent disease models, summarised in reviews rather than trials2. None of the cited work used VIP held in solution in a pen, and none reports how stable VIP is once dissolved. The VIP peptide research guide has the full literature, including half-life and circadian work, and the VIP5 10 mg vial page has a longer summary of the receptor studies.
Frequently asked questions
How does the pen differ from the VIP5 vials?
The vials contain dry peptide that is stored frozen and dissolved in the lab to whatever concentration a study needs. The pen contains the same peptide already in solution at a fixed 5 mg/mL, 15 mg in 3 mL.
Do the published VIP studies apply to the pen?
Only as background. They describe the peptide, its receptors and its effects in cells and animals. The solution in this pen, its concentration and its shelf life were not part of any of them.
Is there a safety data sheet for the pen?
Not yet. The freeze-dried VIP5 vials have one, but the pen does not, so this page gives no solvent or storage details for the solution.
References
- Harmar AJ, Fahrenkrug J, Gozes I, et al. Pharmacology and functions of receptors for vasoactive intestinal peptide and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide: IUPHAR review 1. Br J Pharmacol. 2012;166(1):4-17. DOI · PubMed
- Dickson L, Finlayson K. VPAC and PAC receptors: From ligands to function. Pharmacol Ther. 2009;121(3):294-316. DOI · PubMed
- Delgado M, Ganea D. Vasoactive intestinal peptide: a neuropeptide with pleiotropic immune functions. Amino Acids. 2013;45(1):25-39. DOI · PubMed
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary consumption. Products have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.