Is Verteporfin legal?
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
- US: Prescription only (approved for eye use); use on wounds is off-label or investigational
- UK: Prescription only
- AU: Prescription only
- CA: Prescription only
The US comes first because most people ask about it. Each country has its own page. It names the agency, the law or rule, and what the legal category means in real life.
All four countries, side by side
| What we list | United States · FDA | United Kingdom · MHRA | Australia · TGA | Canada · Health Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Prescription route | Prescription route | Prescription route | Prescription route |
| Legal category | Prescription only (approved for eye use); use on wounds is off-label or investigational | Prescription only | Prescription only | Prescription only |
| Note | None recorded | None recorded | None recorded | None recorded |
| Agency | Check FDA directly | Check MHRA directly | Check TGA directly | Check Health Canada directly |
US FDA status: FDA-approved for a light-activated eye treatment (photodynamic therapy); use on wounds is investigational (mid-stage studies). Reviewed Sep 2026.
Country by country
Is Verteporfin legal in the United States?
Verteporfin is available in the United States only through a prescriber. Its legal category is "Prescription only (approved for eye use); use on wounds is off-label or investigational". It is not sold over the counter. Using it rests on the prescriber's judgment, not on an approval to sell it. Vials sold "for research use only" fall outside that route, and the label does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, no completed trial in people is cited on its profile (1 human record with no result or no dose given).
The full United States answerIs Verteporfin legal in the United Kingdom?
Verteporfin is available in the United Kingdom only through a prescriber. Its legal category is "Prescription only". It is not sold over the counter. Using it rests on the prescriber's judgment, not on an approval to sell it. Vials sold "for research use only" fall outside that route, and the label does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, no completed trial in people is cited on its profile (1 human record with no result or no dose given).
The full United Kingdom answerIs Verteporfin legal in Australia?
Verteporfin is available in Australia only through a prescriber. Its legal category is "Prescription only". It is not sold over the counter. Using it rests on the prescriber's judgment, not on an approval to sell it. Vials sold "for research use only" fall outside that route, and the label does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, no completed trial in people is cited on its profile (1 human record with no result or no dose given).
The full Australia answerIs Verteporfin legal in Canada?
Verteporfin is available in Canada only through a prescriber. Its legal category is "Prescription only". It is not sold over the counter. Using it rests on the prescriber's judgment, not on an approval to sell it. Vials sold "for research use only" fall outside that route, and the label does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, no completed trial in people is cited on its profile (1 human record with no result or no dose given).
The full Canada answerVerteporfin in sport and the military
Whether Verteporfin is banned in sport is set by the World Anti-Doping Code and by military rules, not by its legal status. Before you compete or get tested, look up Verteporfin 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.
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General information, current as of Sep 2026. Not legal advice. Legal status changes. For your own situation, check with the agency or 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.