Melanotan II
A cyclic α-MSH analogue studied for melanocortin-receptor pharmacology, pigmentation biology, and related neuroendocrine effects.
What Melanotan II is
Melanotan II is a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide analogue of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. In research settings it is used to probe melanocortin receptors, especially MC1R-linked pigmentation pathways and central MC3R/MC4R circuits involved in sexual function and energy balance. It is investigational and is discussed here strictly as a research compound.
Small human pilot studies in the 1990s characterized subcutaneous dosing, pigmentation changes, and dose-limiting effects such as nausea and yawning/stretching complexes. Separate controlled work examined erectile responses in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction. Those papers are historical clinical-research documents, not modern use guides.
Because Melanotan II sits in a compliance-sensitive category often misused in cosmetic tanning communities, educational content must stay inside research-use-only language. No cosmetic self-administration guidance is provided or implied.
How it works
Melanotan II is a non-selective melanocortin receptor agonist. MC1R activation on melanocytes increases eumelanin synthesis, which is why pigmentation endpoints appear in early trials. Central MC3R/MC4R engagement helps explain observed effects on sexual behavior and appetite-related readouts in experimental models. Cyclic structure improves potency and enzymatic stability versus linear native α-MSH fragments.
Who works with it, and what they are measuring
Dermatology-adjacent pigment labs, melanocortin neuropharmacology groups, and sexual-medicine research units are the historical audiences. Regulatory, toxicology, and analytical chemists also study it because unregulated cosmetic channels created public-health surveillance questions. This profile is for research literacy only.
What the research examines
These describe where the compound shows up in published work. None of them should be read as an established outcome.
How it appears in the literature
Amounts reported in published research, shown for reference. Not a protocol.
| Research context | Reported amount | Frequency | Route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot phase I subcutaneous research (Dorr et al.) | 700 mcg – 2.1 mg | weekday research dosing over short courses | subcutaneous |
| Psychogenic ED pharmacodynamic study (Wessells et al.) | 1.75 mg | investigational single/short-term SC dosing | subcutaneous |
Handling & storage
Store lyophilized Melanotan II frozen or refrigerated per COA, dry and light-protected. After bacteriostatic-water reconstitution, keep refrigerated and protected from light; discard according to lab stability policy.
Notes on combined research
Research literature more often studies Melanotan II alone as a melanocortin probe than as part of a modern peptide stack. Mechanistic comparisons are made with afamelanotide/Melanotan I (linear NDP-MSH) and with selective MC4R agonists used in metabolic or sexual-function research. No cosmetic stacking discussion is appropriate or provided.
Melanotan II questions
Human pilot research commonly referenced about 0.025 mg/kg subcutaneously (on the order of 1–2 mg for many adult body weights) under clinical supervision. Those are historical trial exposures for research characterization only.
For a typical 10 mg research vial, 2–3 mL bacteriostatic water is a common laboratory dilution so that mcg/kg calculations are syringe-measurable. Exact volume is protocol-dependent.
Early phase I designs used repeated weekday subcutaneous doses over about two weeks rather than an indefinite daily lifestyle schedule. Published human work is short-course and supervised.
Research charts, when used, convert mg/kg trial doses into mcg for a stated body mass and diluent volume. They are literature translation tools, not tanning guides.
Rodent pharmacokinetic reports describe rapid plasma clearance, while pigmentation biology can continue after the peptide is no longer measurable in blood. Human half-life characterization remains limited compared with approved melanocortin drugs.
Controlled research generally evaluates it as a single melanocortin agonist. Combining research chemicals for cosmetic tanning is outside the scope of legitimate RUO education and is not advised here.
No. Afamelanotide (Melanotan I / NDP-MSH) is a related but distinct linear analogue with a different clinical development path. Melanotan II is the cyclic heptapeptide MT-II.
It is not an FDA-approved tanning or sexual-function drug, and unsupervised cosmetic use has raised safety and quality concerns. Educational content therefore stays inside research-literature framing.
Read the research yourself
Verified against PubMed, one by one. A reference you cannot open is not evidence.
- Evaluation of melanotan-II, a superpotent cyclic melanotropic peptide in a pilot phase-I clinical study.PubMed
- Synthetic melanotropic peptide initiates erections in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction: double-blind, placebo controlled crossover study.PubMed
- A comparison of HPLC and bioassay methods for plasma melanotan-II (MT-II) determination: application to a pharmacokinetic study in rats.PubMed