Melanotan 2: what the research shows
- By Reed Calder
- Last reviewed Nov 11, 2026
- 40 studies and official documents checked
In short
Melanotan 2 is a lab-made peptide, a copy of the hormone that darkens skin. It was tested in people in three small studies from 1996 to 2000, in 23 men in all. In the first it darkened the skin of two of three men; in the other two it brought on erections in men with erectile dysfunction. Nausea and yawning were common. It has never been approved for any use. What we know about harm since then comes from case reports: moles that darken, melanoma, muscle and kidney injury, and priapism. We found no study that follows users, so nobody knows how often these happen.
EvidenceCellAnimalHuman
Melanotan 2 is sold online as an injectable powder or a nasal spray, and is often called the “Barbie drug.” This page covers what it is, what the three human studies found, what the case reports show, what has been found in the vials, and where it stands legally.
Names and forms you’ll see
| Name | What it is | Studied in people? |
|---|---|---|
| Melanotan 2, Melanotan II, MT-II, MT2 | A lab-made peptide: a ring-shaped chain of 7 amino acids copied from part of alpha-MSH, the hormone that tells skin cells to make pigment (Dorr et al., 1996). Its mass is 1,024 (PubChem) | Yes: 3 small studies |
| The “Barbie drug” | A nickname for Melanotan 2, from its skin darkening and appetite loss (Bonchev, 2026) | Same as Melanotan 2 |
| Melanotan 1, afamelanotide | A different peptide, in a straight chain rather than a ring (Hadley and Dorr, 2006). The FDA-approved Scenesse implant contains it (FDA label, 2024) | Yes: approved for one rare disorder |
| Bremelanotide, PT-141 | A relative that came out of Melanotan 2 research (Hadley and Dorr, 2006). Approved as Vyleesi for one use (label); see our PT-141 page | Yes |
| “Melanotan” with no number | Products have been sold labeled melanotan I and/or II (Langan et al., 2010), so a bare “melanotan” can mean either | Unclear |
CAS numbers
A CAS number is a substance’s chemical registry number. Some “research” vials list it in place of a name. A different number usually means a different form, such as a salt, or a different substance. Melanotan 1 and Melanotan 2 have different registry numbers.
What Melanotan 2 is
Your body makes a hormone called alpha-MSH. It switches on a receptor called MC1R on pigment cells, and they make the dark pigment eumelanin (Bonchev, 2026). Melanotan 2 is a shorter, ring-shaped copy that switches on this receptor and several others, which is why it is called a non-selective melanocortin receptor agonist (Wessells et al., 2000).
Those other receptors are in the brain and elsewhere. They help control appetite, blood pressure and sexual sensation (Breit et al., 2011). That fits what the trials saw: tanning, nausea, loss of appetite and erections.
Researchers developed Melanotan 1 first, in the early 1980s (Bonchev, 2026). Melanotan 1 was tested for tanning and Melanotan 2 for erectile dysfunction, and PT-141 came out of that work (Hadley and Dorr, 2006).
What has been studied
In people
| Study | Who and how | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| Dorr 1996, pilot phase 1 | 3 healthy men; injections of Melanotan 2 or saline for 2 weeks | Skin was darker in 2 of 3 men, measured a week after the last injection. Mild nausea; stretching and yawning with erections lasting 1 to 5 hours; drowsiness and fatigue in 1 of 2 men at the highest dose (Dorr et al., 1996) |
| Wessells 1998 | 10 men with erectile dysfunction of no known physical cause; double-blind crossover against placebo | Erections in 8 of 10 men. Tip rigidity above 80% lasted 38.0 minutes on average, against 3.0 on placebo. More nausea, stretching, yawning and loss of appetite than on placebo (Wessells et al., 1998) |
| Wessells 2000 | 10 men with erectile dysfunction and physical risk factors; double-blind crossover, each dose given twice | Erections after 12 of 19 injections against 1 of 21 placebo doses, and higher sexual desire. 4 of the 19 injections caused severe nausea (Wessells et al., 2000) |
- Small and old. The three studies are from 1996 to 2000 and gave Melanotan 2 as single injections or for 2 weeks at most. A 2000 review of the two erection trials, 20 men, found erections without sexual stimulation in 17 of 20, and severe nausea in 12.9% of the men at the dose studied (Wessells et al., 2000).
- Tanning data in people are thin. The only tanning result for Melanotan 2 is the 3-man study above. The larger skin-pigment trials tested Melanotan 1, a different peptide: one enrolled 77 people (Fitzgerald et al., 2006).
- Nothing newer. We found no human trial of Melanotan 2 published after 2000. A 2026 review of peptides for male sexual dysfunction found melanocortin drugs, Melanotan 2 and PT-141, gave the most consistent gains in erections (Ramez et al., 2026). Another 2026 review notes that Melanotan 2 stays available through unregulated markets, with concerns about product quality, dose variability and “incompletely characterized adverse effects” (Vasylieva et al., 2026).
- The registry. ClinicalTrials.gov lists one Melanotan 2 record, a 2026 phase 2 vitiligo study. Its own summary calls it an “example” study record and we could not verify it, so we don’t count it (NCT07437560).
EvidenceCellAnimalHuman
What the case reports show
Almost everything known about harm comes from case reports, in which a doctor writes up one person, or a few, who used it. A case report can’t show that Melanotan 2 caused what happened, and it can’t say how common it is. Reports like these are the reason regulators and dermatologists warn (Habbema et al., 2017; Skin Cancer Foundation, 2026).
| What was reported | Examples | What it can and can’t tell us |
|---|---|---|
| Moles darken or new ones appear | A 24-year-old man whose moles were imaged before and during use; the changes made it hard to tell a mole from melanoma (Mang et al., 2012). A report of new moles and darker old ones 24 hours after a single injection (Schulze et al., 2014). A 16-year-old girl with a family cancer syndrome got darker moles (Sivyer, 2012) | The most repeated finding after tanning itself. A 2017 review noted “increasing numbers of case reports” (Habbema et al., 2017) |
| Melanoma | Four case reports of melanoma in moles during or soon after use, counted in 2017 (Habbema et al., 2017). A 20-year-old woman had one removed about 3 months after a 3 to 4 week course plus sunbeds (Hjuler and Lorentzen, 2014). A 22-year-old woman had an oral melanoma in the upper jaw after using a nasal spray (Yassin Alsabbagh et al., 2025). A 49-year-old man had five melanomas in situ found within weeks of starting, with tanning beds too (Vadner and Smith, 2026) | None proves cause. See the next section |
| Muscle, kidney and heart-rate problems | A 39-year-old man had a racing heart, tremors and rhabdomyolysis, muscle breakdown: his creatine kinase rose from 1,760 to 17,773 IU/L in 12 hours (Nelson et al., 2012). A renal infarction, a blocked blood supply to part of a kidney, was most likely caused by use, the authors wrote (Peters et al., 2020). A 2026 case of fast heart rate and rhabdomyolysis also involved an undisclosed synthetic cannabinoid (Mullins et al., 2026) | Single cases; in one, another substance was involved |
| Priapism | Two men needed emergency care for an erection that wouldn’t go down. One needed surgery (Mallory et al., 2021), and the other had not regained erectile function at 4 weeks (Dreyer et al., 2019). A third report links an overdose with priapism (Devlin et al., 2013) | The FDA lists priapism among the serious events reported (FDA, 2026) |
| Brain swelling | A letter in Annals of Internal Medicine describes posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), a brain swelling syndrome, after use (Kaski et al., 2013) | One report; the FDA lists PRES too (FDA, 2026) |
| Skin at injection sites and in the mouth | A 65-year-old woman developed ulcers at her injection sites, diagnosed as pyoderma gangrenosum, an inflammatory skin ulcer (Dickson and Hlaing Htwe, 2025). A man had gum and cheek pigment after 64 days of injections; the gum pigment was still visible 3 months after he stopped (Bonchev, 2026) | Some effects lasted months after the last injection |
| Infection from needles | A 2010 review warned of blood-borne virus spread from shared needles and of impure products (Langan et al., 2010) | A risk of how it is used, not of the peptide itself |
- In the trials. The common effects were nausea, stretching and yawning, erections and, at the highest dose, drowsiness (Dorr et al., 1996; Wessells et al., 1998).
The melanoma question
- What the reports show. Moles can darken fast, and the change can make a mole hard to read (Mang et al., 2012). The Skin Cancer Foundation says rapid mole changes “can make the detection of skin cancer more difficult” (Skin Cancer Foundation, 2026).
- What they can’t show. Several of the melanoma reports also involve sunbeds (Hjuler and Lorentzen, 2014; Vadner and Smith, 2026; Bonchev, 2026). In the 2026 report of five melanomas in situ, the authors say they may have been there before the pigment change made them visible (Vadner and Smith, 2026).
- No study follows users. A PubMed search for melanotan on November 11, 2026 returned 253 papers. We found no cohort or registry that tracks users for skin cancer.
- Lab results are mixed. In mice, topical Melanotan 2 slowed established melanoma; the authors say earlier findings on its cancer effect had been equivocal (Wu et al., 2020). A 2026 case report adds that alpha-MSH itself has shown both protective and potentially harmful effects (Bonchev, 2026).
- Where that leaves it. Melanotan 2 hasn’t been shown to cause melanoma, and it hasn’t been shown safe for moles. The warnings rest on repeated case reports and on the lack of any study that tracks users.
What has been found in vials
- Less than the label. Vials from three online shops, each claiming 10 mg of Melanotan 2, held between 4.32 and 8.84 mg. Vials from two of the shops held unidentified impurities of 4.1% to 5.9% (Breindahl et al., 2015).
- Purity of 30%. A forensic laboratory that identified the powder in a vial labeled “Melanotan II” found a purity of 30% (Deville and Charlier, 2024).
- “Research use only.” The Melanotan 2 vial in the 2026 five-melanoma report carried that label (Vadner and Smith, 2026).
Two small tests can’t say what any vial holds today. They show that the amount on a label and the amount inside have differed.
The usual claims, checked
| Claim | What the studies found |
|---|---|
| A safe, natural way to tan | It is a lab-made copy of a natural hormone. It was given to 23 men in three studies lasting days to 2 weeks, and case reports describe the harms above (Dorr et al., 1996; Habbema et al., 2017) |
| Protects against sun damage and skin cancer | Sellers made this claim in 2007, and the FDA said there was no evidence the product was safe and effective for its labeled uses (FDA, 2007). A 2010 review said the photoprotective effects of these analogs were still to be fully determined (Langan et al., 2010) |
| Tans like a sunbed without the UV | Skin was darker in 2 of 3 men after 2 weeks (Dorr et al., 1996). Several case reports involve injections and sunbeds together, so the tan can’t be credited to one (Hjuler and Lorentzen, 2014; Bonchev, 2026) |
| Burns fat | Loss of appetite was a side effect in the 1998 trial (Wessells et al., 1998). We found no human trial that measured weight or fat |
| Raises libido | In men with erectile dysfunction, erections rose in studies of 10 men each, and desire was higher after injections in one, with nausea (Wessells et al., 1998; Wessells et al., 2000). It is not approved for this |
| Increases cortisol | We found no human study that measured it |
| Causes melanoma | Reported in case reports; no study shows cause or follows users. See the melanoma section |
| A nasal spray is gentler than injections | We found no study that compared them. A 2025 case report describes a melanoma of the mouth lining after a nasal spray (Yassin Alsabbagh et al., 2025) |
| Research-grade vials are pure | Vials tested held 4.32 to 8.84 mg against 10 mg labeled, and one forensic sample was 30% pure (Breindahl et al., 2015; Deville and Charlier, 2024) |
| The effects stop when you stop | Not always. Gum pigment was still visible 3 months after one man stopped, and one man with priapism had not regained erectile function at 4 weeks (Bonchev, 2026; Dreyer et al., 2019) |
| Before-and-after photos show how it works | Photos don’t show the dose, what was in the vial, or sunbed use, and the case reports above describe sunbeds alongside injections (Vadner and Smith, 2026) |
Melanotan 1 and Melanotan 2
| Melanotan 1 (afamelanotide) | Melanotan 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | A straight chain; mass 1,647 (PubChem) | A ring of 7 amino acids; mass 1,024 (PubChem) |
| Receptors | Mainly MC1R, in skin pigment cells (Vadner and Smith, 2026) | Non-selective, with effects on sexual function and appetite (Vadner and Smith, 2026) |
| Tested for | Tanning and light-sensitivity disorders (Fitzgerald et al., 2006; Langendonk et al., 2015) | Erectile dysfunction (Wessells et al., 2000) |
| Approval | FDA-approved as Scenesse, an implant, for adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria, a rare disorder that makes sunlight painful (FDA, 2019) | Not approved for any use (Skin Cancer Foundation, 2026) |
| Skin checks | The Scenesse label recommends a full-body skin exam twice a year (FDA label, 2024) | No label |
Legal and approval status
- Not approved for any use. The Skin Cancer Foundation’s July 2026 warning says the FDA hasn’t approved Melanotan 2 for any use and that its safety hasn’t been established (Skin Cancer Foundation, 2026).
- The FDA warned a seller in 2007. It told consumers to stop using Melanotan 2, an unapproved product advertised as a tanning agent that could protect against skin cancer and rosacea, and said selling it across state lines violates federal law (FDA, September 2007).
- On the FDA’s safety-risk list. The FDA lists Melanotan 2 among bulk substances for compounding that may present significant safety risks, citing case reports of melanoma, PRES, sympathomimetic toxidrome and priapism, and a risk of immune reaction from clumped or impure peptide (FDA, 2026). It does not appear in the FDA’s May 2026 compounding categories (FDA list, May 2026).
- Not in the October 2026 HHS policy. That temporary policy covers six peptides (Reuters, 2026).
- Warnings elsewhere. The FDA, Ireland’s HPRA and Australia’s TGA have each issued warnings, according to a 2026 report (Bonchev, 2026), and a 2017 review says multiple national health organizations have warned (Habbema et al., 2017).
- Banned in sport. Melanotan 2 isn’t named on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s 2026 list, but its S0 class bans any drug with no government approval for human use (WADA, 2026).
- “Research use only” products aren’t approved for use in people.
What to look for if you research it
We don’t name or link sellers. These checks come from the studies and registries:
- Which melanotan? Melanotan 1 is CAS 75921-69-6 and Melanotan 2 is CAS 121062-08-6; they are different peptides (FDA GSRS; FDA GSRS).
- Amount, not just purity. In the vial tests, the amount inside differed from the label, so a lab report that gives milligrams matters as much as a purity percentage (Breindahl et al., 2015).
- Claims of safety. A page that calls it safe or “natural” should cite a study. The only human studies are the three above.
- Case reports counted as evidence. A case report shows what happened to one person. It can’t show cause or how often.
Our guide to what to look for explains what each test on a lab report proves and which routes are legal; how to read a peptide study explains how to judge the studies sellers cite. For other compounds in this group, see sexual health and hormones.
What’s still unknown
- How often moles change, melanoma or kidney and muscle injury happen in users, since no study tracks them.
- Whether Melanotan 2 causes melanoma.
- Any safe dose or length of use. The longest human study we found gave 2 weeks of injections to 3 men.
- What is in the products sold today. Two small tests found less than the label and one found 30% purity.
- Whether a nasal spray absorbs the same way, or does the same things, as an injection.
- Effects in women, teens and people with a history of skin cancer, who weren’t in the trials.
Retracted and flagged studies
A retracted study has been pulled by its journal, usually for serious errors or misconduct, and its results shouldn’t be relied on. A withdrawn paper was pulled, often before final publication. An expression of concern means the journal has flagged a problem it is still looking into.
We check every study this page cites against PubMed and the Retraction Watch database, and search both for flagged studies that mention Melanotan 2. We recheck every month. Last checked Nov 11, 2026.
We found no retracted, withdrawn or flagged studies that mention Melanotan 2.
Studies this page relies on
| Study | Published in | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Dorr et al., 1996 | Life Sci | No retraction or concern |
| Wessells et al., 1998 | J Urol | No retraction or concern |
| Wessells et al., 2000 | Urology | No retraction or concern |
| Wessells et al., 2000 | Int J Impot Res | No retraction or concern |
| Fitzgerald et al., 2006 | Peptides | No retraction or concern |
| Hadley and Dorr, 2006 | Peptides | No retraction or concern |
| Langan et al., 2010 | Br J Dermatol | No retraction or concern |
| Breit et al., 2011 | Mol Cell Endocrinol | No retraction or concern |
| Mang et al., 2012 | Hautarzt | No retraction or concern |
| Nelson et al., 2012 | Clin Toxicol (Phila) | No retraction or concern |
| Devlin et al., 2013 | Clin Toxicol (Phila) | No retraction or concern |
| Kaski et al., 2013 | Ann Intern Med | No retraction or concern |
| Sivyer, 2012 | Dermatol Pract Concept | No retraction or concern |
| Schulze et al., 2014 | Eur J Dermatol | No retraction or concern |
| Hjuler and Lorentzen, 2014 | Dermatology | No retraction or concern |
| Breindahl et al., 2015 | Drug Test Anal | No retraction or concern |
| Langendonk et al., 2015 | N Engl J Med | No retraction or concern |
| Habbema et al., 2017 | Int J Dermatol | No retraction or concern |
| Dreyer et al., 2019 | BMJ Case Rep | No retraction or concern |
| Peters et al., 2020 | CEN Case Rep | No retraction or concern |
| Wu et al., 2020 | Int J Mol Sci | No retraction or concern |
| Mallory et al., 2021 | Sex Med | No retraction or concern |
| Deville and Charlier, 2024 | J Forensic Sci | No retraction or concern |
| Yassin Alsabbagh et al., 2025 | Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg | No retraction or concern |
| Dickson and Hlaing Htwe, 2025 | Cureus | No retraction or concern |
| Bonchev, 2026 | Life (Basel) | No retraction or concern |
| Vadner and Smith, 2026 | JAAD Case Rep | No retraction or concern |
| Vasylieva et al., 2026 | Sex Med Rev | No retraction or concern |
| Mullins et al., 2026 | Am J Emerg Med | No retraction or concern |
| Ramez et al., 2026 | J Sex Med | No retraction or concern |
Bring your questions to other researchers
Our forum opens once 100 researchers join the waitlist. Members post studies, ask what they actually found, and answer with sources.
Questions
What is Melanotan 2?
A lab-made peptide, a ring-shaped copy of part of alpha-MSH, the hormone that darkens skin. It was tested in 23 men in three small studies from 1996 to 2000 and has never been approved (Dorr et al., 1996; Skin Cancer Foundation, 2026).
Is Melanotan 2 the same as Melanotan 1?
No. Melanotan 1 is afamelanotide, a straight-chain peptide approved as the Scenesse implant for one rare disorder. Melanotan 2 is a different, ring-shaped peptide with no approval (Hadley and Dorr, 2006; FDA, 2019).
Is the “Barbie drug” safe?
“Barbie drug” is a nickname for Melanotan 2. It hasn’t been shown safe: the harms known come from case reports, and the FDA lists it among compounding substances with safety risks (Bonchev, 2026; FDA, 2026).
Does Melanotan 2 cause melanoma?
Melanoma has been reported after use, but no study shows cause, and we found no study that follows users. Several reports also involve sunbeds (Habbema et al., 2017; Vadner and Smith, 2026).
What does Melanotan 2 do to moles?
In case reports, moles darkened and new ones appeared, in one case within 24 hours of a single injection (Schulze et al., 2014). The change can make a mole hard to read (Mang et al., 2012).
How long does it take to tan with Melanotan 2?
In the only human study, skin pigment was measured a week after a 2-week course and was higher in 2 of 3 men (Dorr et al., 1996). No study timed the tan in a larger group.
How long should you take Melanotan 2?
No study has set a safe length of use. The longest human study we found gave 2 weeks of injections to 3 men (Dorr et al., 1996).
Does Melanotan 2 burn fat?
We found no human trial that measured weight or fat. Loss of appetite was a side effect in a 1998 trial (Wessells et al., 1998).
Does Melanotan 2 increase cortisol?
We found no human study that measured it.
What are the side effects of Melanotan 2?
In trials: nausea, stretching and yawning, erections, and drowsiness at the highest dose (Dorr et al., 1996). In case reports: darker or new moles, melanoma, rhabdomyolysis, kidney infarction and priapism (Habbema et al., 2017; Nelson et al., 2012).
Why does Melanotan 2 cause erections?
In the trials it started erections without sexual stimulation in 17 of 20 men (Wessells et al., 2000). It acts on several melanocortin receptors, some of which are tied to sexual sensation (Breit et al., 2011). Priapism, an erection that won’t go down, has been reported (Mallory et al., 2021).
Is a Melanotan 2 nasal spray safer than an injection?
We found no study that compared them. A 2025 case report describes a melanoma of the mouth lining after a nasal spray (Yassin Alsabbagh et al., 2025).
What is the Melanotan 2 dosage?
No study has set a dose for tanning or any other use. The trials gave weight-based doses to a few men in clinics, and severe nausea followed at the dose studied in 12.9% of them (Wessells et al., 2000). We don’t give dosing advice.
Is Melanotan 2 legal?
It isn’t FDA-approved for any use. The FDA warned consumers in 2007 and lists it among compounding substances with safety risks, and it is banned in sport (FDA, 2007; FDA, 2026; WADA, 2026).
Sources
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- Wessells H, et al. Synthetic melanotropic peptide initiates erections in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction: double-blind, placebo controlled crossover study. J Urol. 1998;160(2):389-93. PubMed 9679884
- Wessells H, et al. Effect of an alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone analog on penile erection and sexual desire in men with organic erectile dysfunction. Urology. 2000;56(4):641-6. PubMed 11018622
- Wessells H, et al. Melanocortin receptor agonists, penile erection, and sexual motivation: human studies with Melanotan II. Int J Impot Res. 2000;12(Suppl 4):S74-9. PubMed 11035391
- Hadley ME, Dorr RT. Melanocortin peptide therapeutics: historical milestones, clinical studies and commercialization. Peptides. 2006;27(4):921-30. PubMed 16412534
- Breit A, et al. Alternative G protein coupling and biased agonism: new insights into melanocortin-4 receptor signalling. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2011;331(2):232-40. PubMed 20674667
- Fitzgerald LM, et al. Effect of MELANOTAN, [Nle(4), D-Phe(7)]-alpha-MSH, on melanin synthesis in humans with MC1R variant alleles. Peptides. 2006;27(2):388-94. PubMed 16293341
- Langendonk JG, et al. Afamelanotide for erythropoietic protoporphyria. N Engl J Med. 2015;373(1):48-59. PubMed 26132941
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- Habbema L, et al. Risks of unregulated use of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone analogues: a review. Int J Dermatol. 2017;56(10):975-80. PubMed 28266027
- Ramez M, et al. Peptides for male sexual dysfunction: a systematic review of emerging evidence. J Sex Med. 2026;23(12). PubMed 43002584
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- Mang R, et al. Dermoscopic changes in melanocytic nevi during use of melanotan II. Hautarzt. 2012;63(11):880-4. PubMed 23052015
- Schulze F, et al. Eruptive naevi and darkening of pre-existing naevi 24 h after a single mono-dose injection of melanotan II. Eur J Dermatol. 2014;24(1):107-9. PubMed 24334249
- Sivyer GW. Changes of melanocytic lesions induced by Melanotan injections and sun bed use in a teenage patient with FAMMM syndrome. Dermatol Pract Concept. 2012;2(3):203a10. PubMed 23785612
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- Yassin Alsabbagh A, et al. Melanotan II nasal spray: a possible risk factor for oral mucosal malignant melanoma? Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2025;54(9):806-8. PubMed 40210573
- Vadner DJ, Smith S. Five primary melanomas in situ in a patient with recent tanning bed use, melanotan exposure, and anabolic hormone use. JAAD Case Rep. 2026;73:111-4. PubMed 42328529
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- Peters B, et al. Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report. CEN Case Rep. 2020;9(2):159-61. PubMed 31953620
- Mullins ME, et al. Tachycardia and rhabdomyolysis after use of melanotan and an uncommon synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist. Am J Emerg Med. 2026;111:123-6. PubMed 42981758
- Mallory CW, et al. Melanotan tanning injection: a rare cause of priapism. Sex Med. 2021;9(1):100298. PubMed 33460908
- Dreyer BA, et al. Melanotan-induced priapism: a hard-earned tan. BMJ Case Rep. 2019;12(2). PubMed 30796078
- Devlin J, et al. Melanotan II overdose associated with priapism. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2013;51(4):383. PubMed 23537392
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- Dickson D, Hlaing Htwe S. Pyoderma gangrenosum secondary to melanotan. Cureus. 2025;17(12):e98297. PubMed 41487785
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- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Bulk drug substances nominated for use in compounding under section 503A. Updated May 14, 2026. FDA document
- Scenesse (afamelanotide) implant prescribing information. Clinuvel; NDA 210797; revised August 2024. FDA label
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Scenesse approval letter, NDA 210797. October 8, 2019. FDA letter
- ClinicalTrials.gov search for melanotan, November 11, 2026: one record, NCT07437560, described as an example study record. Search; NCT07437560
- Vyleesi (bremelanotide injection) prescribing information. Cosette Pharmaceuticals; NDA 210557; revised November 2025. DailyMed
- World Anti-Doping Agency. 2026 Prohibited List, section S0. WADA document
- Reuters. U.S. health department to allow temporary sale of some unapproved peptides. October 28, 2026. Article
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Global Substance Registration System: MELANOTAN II (UNII UPF5CJ93X7). GSRS
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Global Substance Registration System: AFAMELANOTIDE (UNII QW68W3J66U). GSRS
Last reviewed Nov 11, 2026. Approval and compounding status change often; we recheck this page when they do. Nothing here is medical advice; see our medical disclaimer. Found a mistake? Email editors@peptideresearchstudy.com.