Legal status · United Kingdom
Is Niacin legal in the United Kingdom?
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
Direct answer
Niacin can be sold in the United Kingdom as a supplement or cosmetic ingredient. Its legal category is "Available as a supplement; the slow-release niacin plus laropiprant product was withdrawn". That is not approval as a drug. MHRA has not checked any health claim made for it. Versions you inject, and "research use only" versions, fall outside supplement rules, so that label does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, 2 completed human trials are cited on its profile.
- People given it
- 29,087
- Found nothing
- 0
Legal category
Available as a supplement; the slow-release niacin plus laropiprant product was withdrawn
Tredaptive, the niacin and laropiprant mix tested in HPS2-THRIVE, was pulled from sale after the study.
Reviewed Sep 2026. This is a legal category, not legal advice.
A "research use only" label on a vial does not make it legal to use on people.
Niacin in the United Kingdom at a glance
| Legal category | Available as a supplement; the slow-release niacin plus laropiprant product was withdrawn |
|---|---|
| Note | Tredaptive, the niacin and laropiprant mix tested in HPS2-THRIVE, was pulled from sale after the study. |
| MHRA approval status | Not approved by MHRA as a drug; sold as a supplement or cosmetic |
| Studies in people | 5 of 6 sources on the profile |
| Reviewed | Sep 2026 |
The legal category and note come from the Niacin profile. We checked them against Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) listings on the reviewed date.
What this means
- 01
Niacin can be sold in the United Kingdom as a supplement, food or cosmetic ingredient, under the legal category above. It has no approval as a drug.
- 02
Being sold as a supplement means MHRA has not checked any health claim. The makers are responsible for safety and labels, and quality varies from product to product.
- 03
Versions you inject, and "research use only" versions, are not supplements. That label does not make them legal to use in people, and anything you inject falls under the rules for medicines.
What Niacin is
The only NAD-pathway product ever tested against real heart outcomes, in 25,673 people in HPS2-THRIVE and 3,414 in AIM-HIGH. It moved every blood fat it was meant to move. It prevented no heart attacks or strokes in either study. In HPS2-THRIVE it caused extra serious side effects, including infections and bleeding.
If you want to see why a moving blood number is not proof, study this one. Nothing else sold for longevity has been tested this hard against outcomes that matter.
How it works: Niacin gets turned into NAD by its own route, called the Preiss-Handler pathway, not the NAMPT recycling route. That is why it is a strong NAD booster.
Approval history: Slow-release nicotinic acid is an FDA-approved prescription cholesterol drug in the United States. But doctors mostly stopped using it after two large studies, AIM-HIGH and HPS2-THRIVE. Lower-dose nicotinic acid is also sold over the counter as a supplement. The mix of slow-release niacin and laropiprant tested in HPS2-THRIVE was pulled from sale worldwide after that study reported.
How MHRA treats this kind of product
Licenses medicines for sale in the UK. A compound without a licence to be sold (a marketing authorisation) is an unlicensed medicine. The law only lets it reach people through a prescriber, under the specials scheme (unlicensed medicines made for one patient's needs). It cannot be sold as a research product.
The legal category above is how The Longevity Archive reads Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency listings for Niacin on the reviewed date. It is not a legal opinion. Rules change. Bringing a compound into the country, prescribing it and owning it can each be treated differently. Check with the agency before you act on anything here.
Niacin in sport and the military
Whether Niacin is banned in sport is set by the World Anti-Doping Code and by military rules, not by its legal status in the United Kingdom. Before you compete or get tested, look up Niacin by name on the Prohibited List, or look up a named product in Global DRO. Under the World Anti-Doping Code, category S0 bans, at all times, any drug-like substance that meets two tests. No other section of the List covers it. And no government health regulator anywhere has a current approval for it as a treatment in people. Many substances that are approved somewhere are banned by name in another section. So approval does not mean a substance is allowed in sport.
- WADA Prohibited List
- Global DRO (check a named product)
- USADA (US athletes)
- Operation Supplement Safety (US service members)
The rules you compete or serve under decide this, not this page.
Niacin in other countries
United States
ApprovedFDA-approved prescription cholesterol drug, also sold over the counter as a supplement
Is Niacin legal in the United States?Australia
Not approvedAvailable as a supplement; prescription cholesterol use largely abandoned
Is Niacin legal in Australia?Canada
Not approvedPrescription slow-release product was once available; also sold as a supplement
Is Niacin legal in Canada?Frequently asked questions
Is Niacin legal in the United Kingdom?
Niacin can be sold in the United Kingdom as a supplement or cosmetic ingredient. Its legal category is "Available as a supplement; the slow-release niacin plus laropiprant product was withdrawn". That is not approval as a drug. MHRA has not checked any health claim made for it. Versions you inject, and "research use only" versions, fall outside supplement rules, so that label does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, 2 completed human trials are cited on its profile. Note: Tredaptive, the niacin and laropiprant mix tested in HPS2-THRIVE, was pulled from sale after the study.
Can I buy Niacin in the United Kingdom?
Yes, as a supplement or cosmetic. In the United Kingdom, Niacin has the legal category "Available as a supplement; the slow-release niacin plus laropiprant product was withdrawn". So products you swallow, put on your skin or use as a cosmetic can be sold under supplement rules. Versions you inject, and products labeled "research use only", are not supplements. They are not approved for use in people. Note: Tredaptive, the niacin and laropiprant mix tested in HPS2-THRIVE, was pulled from sale after the study.
Is Niacin MHRA approved?
No. In the United Kingdom, Niacin has the legal category "Available as a supplement; the slow-release niacin plus laropiprant product was withdrawn". That is not a MHRA approval to sell it. For comparison, its US FDA status is: Slow-release nicotinic acid is an FDA-approved prescription cholesterol drug in the United States. But doctors mostly stopped using it after two large studies, AIM-HIGH and HPS2-THRIVE. Lower-dose nicotinic acid is also sold over the counter as a supplement. The mix of slow-release niacin and laropiprant tested in HPS2-THRIVE was pulled from sale worldwide after that study reported.. On the evidence, 2 completed human trials are cited on its profile.
Related compounds in the United Kingdom
Full research profile
How Niacin works, the studies we cite, FDA status and the full legal summary are all on its compound profile.
Niacin profileThis page is general information about the legal status of Niacin in the United Kingdom, current as of Sep 2026. It is not legal advice. Legal status changes. For your own situation, check with Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency or ask a lawyer. Educational use only. This database summarizes published research and is not medical advice. Where a dose appears it is a record of what a trial or clinic ran, or what people describe doing, with its source attached. Nothing here is a recommendation for personal use. Sellers named on the price pages are ranked by certificate tier, then price, and any affiliate income is disclosed there. Naming a seller is not a recommendation to buy or use anything.