Is Angiotensin II legal in the United Kingdom?

The body's main blood-pressure hormone, approved as an intravenous drug for shock that no longer responds to standard vasopressors. Its pivotal trial in 344 people met a blood-pressure endpoint; death by day 28 was 46 percent on angiotensin II and 54 percent on placebo, a difference that was not statistically significant.

Angiotensin II is an 8 amino acid peptide, sequence DRVYIHPF, cut out of angiotensinogen by renin and then by angiotensin-converting enzyme. It is the business end of the renin-angiotensin system: it constricts blood vessels, drives aldosterone release and promotes sodium retention.

Mechanism: In humans, angiotensin II binds the AT1 receptor on vascular smooth muscle to cause vasoconstriction, and on the adrenal cortex to release aldosterone, which retains sodium and water. The AT2 receptor generally opposes those effects.

Regulatory history: FDA approved 21 December 2017 (GIAPREZA, NDA 209360) to increase blood pressure in adults with septic or other distributive shock. Prescription only, intravenous. A generic angiotensin II acetate injection was approved 3 June 2025 (ANDA 216966).

Licenses medicines for the UK market. A compound without a marketing authorisation is an unlicensed medicine, which can only lawfully be supplied for human use through a prescriber under the specials scheme, not sold as a research product.

The classification above is the The Longevity Archive reading of Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency listings for Angiotensin II at the reviewed date, not a legal opinion. Rules change, and importing, prescribing and possessing a compound can each be treated differently. Check the regulator directly before acting on anything here.