Is BPTES legal in the United Kingdom?

The tool compound behind a distinct senolytic idea: senescent cells run on glutamine to neutralise their own acidity, so blocking glutaminase kills them. Demonstrated in mice and cells. BPTES itself has never been given to a person.

The glutaminolysis route to senolysis was set out in Science in 2021. Lysosomal membrane damage lowers the internal pH of senescent cells, which induces kidney-type glutaminase; the resulting glutaminolysis produces ammonia that neutralises the acidity and keeps the cell alive.

Mechanism: Established in human cells and mice: senescent cells have lowered intracellular pH from lysosomal membrane damage, which induces kidney-type glutaminase and the ammonia production that buffers it. BPTES binds GLS1 allosterically and blocks that.

Regulatory history: Not approved and not in clinical development. A preclinical research compound with no registered human trial. The orally bioavailable glutaminase inhibitor in this class, telaglenastat, reached randomised oncology trials and is also unapproved.

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 BPTES 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.