Lypressin
The lysine form of vasopressin, once a nasal spray for diabetes insipidus
Lypressin is lysine vasopressin, the form of the antidiuretic hormone made by pigs. Sprayed into the nose, it controlled the excessive urination of diabetes insipidus, and was marketed in the US as Diapid. It has been discontinued there, superseded by longer-acting desmopressin.
What is it?
Human vasopressin carries arginine at position 8; the pig hormone carries lysine. Synthetic 8-lysine vasopressin made it possible to treat diabetes insipidus with a nasal spray instead of injections. In a 1964 report of three patients, it gave excellent control in one and helped the other two alongside injected vasopressin tannate, but the well-controlled patient needed sprays every three hours during the day, which shows its short action.
That short action is why it was superseded: desmopressin, a modified vasopressin with a longer effect, replaced it. In the US, Diapid is listed as discontinued.
Lysine vasopressin has also been used as a research tool. Because vasopressin releases ACTH, it served as a stimulation test for the pituitary-adrenal axis: in patients with hypoadrenalism caused by hypothalamic disease, it raised ACTH in four of six, but not in patients with pituitary disease. Tested for pain relief in healthy people, intranasal lypressin produced no meaningful analgesia at doses that already caused water retention. Terlipressin, a modified lysine vasopressin, is broken down to it in the body.
At a Glance
Every value in this table is printed from the Grey Peptides dataset, the same record the compound explorer and comparison tool read, so the three can never disagree.
Published Research
Studies of lypressin, from their PubMed abstracts.
Nasal spray for diabetes insipidus
Synthetic 8-lysine vasopressin nasal spray gave excellent control in one of three patients with diabetes insipidus, who needed sprays every three hours by day, and was a useful supplement to vasopressin tannate in the other two.
No pain relief in humans
Intranasal lypressin at doses that already produced a significant antidiuretic effect had no marked analgesic effect on ischaemic, thermal or dental pain in healthy volunteers.
Pituitary stimulation testing
In 10 patients with secondary hypoadrenalism, lysine vasopressin raised plasma ACTH in 4 of 6 with hypothalamic disorders and in none with pituitary disease or isolated ACTH deficiency.
Effects on clotting factors in cirrhosis
In 8 patients with cirrhosis, lysine vasopressin infusion raised factor VIII and plasminogen activator, while triglycyl lysine vasopressin did not; the latter was shown to be cleaved to lysine vasopressin in the body.
Side Effects & Contraindications
Reported Side Effects
From the studies above.
Contraindications & Cautions
No current US label: the product is discontinued and DailyMed has no label (read October 3, 2026).
Legal Status
Lypressin is no longer marketed in the US.
Frequently Asked Questions
?What is the difference between lypressin and vasopressin?
Lypressin has lysine at position 8, as in the pig hormone; human vasopressin has arginine. Both concentrate urine through the kidney's V2 receptors.
?Why was lypressin replaced?
Its effect was short, so patients needed frequent sprays; longer-acting desmopressin replaced it, and Diapid is discontinued in the US.
?Is lypressin related to terlipressin?
Yes. Terlipressin is triglycyl lysine vasopressin, which the body cleaves into lysine vasopressin.
?How well did lypressin control diabetes insipidus?
In a 1964 report of three patients, the nasal spray gave excellent control in one, who needed it every three hours during the day but not at night; in the other two it helped only as a supplement to injected vasopressin tannate.
?Does lypressin relieve pain?
No meaningful effect was found. In healthy volunteers, intranasal lypressin did not relieve ischaemic, thermal or dental pain at doses that already caused water retention, so the authors concluded it cannot be used for pain.
?Why was lysine vasopressin used in hormone testing?
Vasopressin stimulates ACTH release from the pituitary. In patients with low adrenal function, lysine vasopressin raised ACTH in most of those with hypothalamic disease but in none with pituitary disease, helping locate the problem.
References
- [fda] US FDA, Drugs@FDA (openFDA): DIAPID, NDA 016755 (Novartis), marketing status discontinued; no label on DailyMed. Read October 3, 2026.
- [pubmed] CHIRMAN SB, et al. "DIABETES INSIPIDUS. TREATMENT WITH 8-LYSINE VASOPRESSIN IN A NASAL SPRAY." Calif Med, 1964;101(1):1-3. PMID: 14179526.
- [pubmed] Kemppainen P, et al. "Human pain thresholds after the application of lypressin, a vasopressin analogue." Pharmacol Toxicol, 1987;61(1):16-9. PMID: 3628176.
- [pubmed] Cantalamessa L, et al. "CRH and lysine-vasopressin stimulation tests in the diagnosis of hypoadrenalism secondary to hypothalamic or pituitary disorders." Horm Metab Res, 1990;22(7):389-93. PMID: 2169450.
- [pubmed] Prowse CV, et al. "Haemostatic effects of lysine vasopressin and triglycyl lysine vasopressin infusion in patients with cirrhosis." Eur J Clin Invest, 1980;10(1):49-54. PMID: 6768567.
Sources & Citations
Studies were read from their PubMed records; regulatory sources are listed below, read October 3, 2026.
Medical Disclaimer: This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, and nothing here is an instruction to obtain or use any compound. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before making health decisions.