Legal status · United Kingdom
Is Somatostatin legal in the United Kingdom?
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
Direct answer
No. Somatostatin is not an approved medicine in the United Kingdom. Its legal category is "Not licensed as a product; lab-made versions are licensed". Nothing that contains it is allowed for any use in people. Vials labeled "for research use only" get no exception: that label does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, no study in people is cited on its profile.
- People given it
- 0
- Found nothing
- 0
Legal category
Not licensed as a product; lab-made versions are licensed
MHRA licensing and unlicensed medicine status, from the Somatostatin profile.
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.
Somatostatin in the United Kingdom at a glance
| Legal category | Not licensed as a product; lab-made versions are licensed |
|---|---|
| MHRA approval status | Not approved by MHRA |
| Studies in people | 0 of 3 sources on the profile |
| Reviewed | Sep 2026 |
The legal category and note come from the Somatostatin profile. We checked them against Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) listings on the reviewed date.
What this means
- 01
No product containing Somatostatin is approved by MHRA for any use in the United Kingdom. So nothing on sale is allowed for use in people.
- 02
"Research use only" is a label sellers put on. It is not a legal category that allows use in people, and it does not get a product out of medicines law.
- 03
Importing it, supplying it or promoting it for use in people can fall under medicines law in the United Kingdom. This page is general information, not legal advice.
What Somatostatin is
The body's natural off switch for growth hormone. Longer-lasting copies, like octreotide, are approved drugs.
Somatostatin is the body's natural brake on growth hormone. It works against GHRH and ghrelin, the signals that release it.
How it works: It switches on somatostatin receptors. That turns down growth hormone, insulin, glucagon and several gut hormones.
Approval history: A natural hormone; lab-made versions (octreotide) are FDA-approved
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 Somatostatin 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.
Somatostatin in sport and the military
Whether Somatostatin 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 Somatostatin 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.
Somatostatin in other countries
United States
Not approvedNot approved as a product; lab-made versions (octreotide, lanreotide) are FDA-approved prescription drugs
Is Somatostatin legal in the United States?Australia
Not approvedNot registered as a product; lab-made versions are registered
Is Somatostatin legal in Australia?Canada
Not approvedNot approved as a product; lab-made versions are approved
Is Somatostatin legal in Canada?Frequently asked questions
Is Somatostatin legal in the United Kingdom?
No. Somatostatin is not an approved medicine in the United Kingdom. Its legal category is "Not licensed as a product; lab-made versions are licensed". Nothing that contains it is allowed for any use in people. Vials labeled "for research use only" get no exception: that label does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, no study in people is cited on its profile.
Can I buy Somatostatin in the United Kingdom?
There is no approved product to buy. In the United Kingdom, Somatostatin has the legal category "Not licensed as a product; lab-made versions are licensed". So no licensed pharmacy product exists. Sellers who list it "for research use only" are not selling it for use in people, and that label does not change its legal status. 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.
Is Somatostatin MHRA approved?
No. In the United Kingdom, Somatostatin has the legal category "Not licensed as a product; lab-made versions are licensed". That is not a MHRA approval to sell it. For comparison, its US FDA status is: A natural hormone; lab-made versions (octreotide) are FDA-approved. On the evidence, no study in people is cited on its profile.
Related compounds in the United Kingdom
Full research profile
How Somatostatin works, the studies we cite, FDA status and the full legal summary are all on its compound profile.
Somatostatin profileThis page is general information about the legal status of Somatostatin 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.