Melanotan II

Key Benefits#

• Promotes skin tanning and melanin production
• Reduces UV exposure needed to tan
• Enhances libido and sexual function
• May suppress appetite
• Faster, deeper tan development
• Longer-lasting tan maintenance
• Potential photoprotective effects

Mechanism of Action#

Melanotan II activates multiple melanocortin receptors throughout the body (MC1R–MC4R). MC1R activation in melanocytes stimulates melanogenesis (tanning). MC3R and MC4R activation in the brain drives sexual arousal and appetite suppression. The broad receptor activation profile gives it multiple effects but also contributes to its side effect profile.

Dosing Protocols#

Side Effects#

• Nausea (very common, especially in first days)
• Facial flushing
• Spontaneous erections in men
• Darkening or changes in existing moles (monitor closely)
• New freckles or moles
• Fatigue
• Yawning

Contraindications#

History of melanoma or any skin cancer. Many moles, dysplastic nevi, or family history of melanoma. Pregnancy or breastfeeding. Autoimmune conditions. Hypertension or cardiovascular disease.

Storage#

Lyophilized powder: store at −20°C. Reconstituted: refrigerate at 2–8°C, use within 30 days. Protect from light.

Featured In Stacks#

1. 1.
   Changes in Oral Mucosa Associated with Melanotan II Injections: A Case Report

   Bonchev A · Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Case ReportPubMed Verified

2. 2.
   Melanotan II nasal spray: a possible risk factor for oral mucosal malignant melanoma?

   Yassin Alsabbagh A, Bhujel N, Singh RP · International journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery · 2025Case ReportPubMed Verified

3. 3.
   Antidepressant-like and antistress effects of the ACTH(4-10) synthetic analogs Semax and Melanotan II on male rats in a model of chronic unpredictable stress

   Inozemtseva LS, Yatsenko KA, Glazova NY, Kamensky AA, Myasoedov NF, Levitskaya NG et al. · European journal of pharmacology · 2024PubMed Verified

4. 4.
   Barbie drug identification: Not a child's play

   Deville M, Charlier C · Journal of forensic sciences · 2024Case ReportPubMed Verified

5. 5.
   Recommended Tool Compounds for the Melanocortin Receptor (MCR) G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs)

   Weirath NA, Haskell-Luevano C · ACS pharmacology & translational science · 2024PubMed Verified

6. 6.
   Therapeutic Strategies Against Metabolic Imbalance in a Male Mouse Model With 5-HT2CR Loss-of-Function

   Liu H, Liu Z, Wong HK, Xu N, Liu Q, Li Y et al. · Endocrinology · 2024PubMed Verified

7. 7.
   Multiple metabolic signals in the CeA regulate feeding: The role of AMPK

   Castro G, Mendes NF, Weissmann L, Quaresma PGF, Saad MJA, Prada PO · Molecular and cellular endocrinology · 2024PubMed Verified

8. 8.
   5-Hydroxypyrroloindoline Affords Tryptathionine and 2,2'-bis-Indole Peptide Staples: Application to Melanotan-II

   Todorovic M, Blanc A, Wang Z, Lozada J, Froelich J, Zeisler J et al. · Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) · 2024PubMed Verified

9. 9.
   Melanocortin agonism in a social context selectively activates nucleus accumbens in an oxytocin-dependent manner

   Ford CL, McDonough AA, Horie K, Young LJ · Neuropharmacology · 2024PubMed Verified

10. 10.
    Melanotan-II reverses memory impairment induced by a short-term HF diet

    Wekwejt P, Wojda U, Kiryk A · Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie · 2023PubMed Verified

11. 11.
    Obesity medication lorcaserin activates brainstem GLP-1 neurons to reduce food intake and augments GLP-1 receptor agonist induced appetite suppression

    Wagner S, Brierley DI, Leeson-Payne A, Jiang W, Chianese R, Lam BYH et al. · Molecular metabolism · 2023PubMed Verified

12. 12.
    Melanocortin receptor agonist melanotan-II microinjected in the nucleus accumbens decreases appetitive and consumptive responding for food

    Eliason NL, Martin L, Low MJ, Sharpe AL · Neuropeptides · 2022PubMed Verified

13. 13.
    Vasopressin neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamus promote wakefulness via lateral hypothalamic orexin neurons

    Islam MT, Rumpf F, Tsuno Y, Kodani S, Sakurai T, Matsui A et al. · Current biology : CB · 2022PubMed Verified

14. 14.
    CLIPSing Melanotan-II to Discover Multiple Functionally Selective hMCR Agonists

    Tomassi S, Dimmito MP, Cai M, D'Aniello A, Del Bene A, Messere A et al. · Journal of medicinal chemistry · 2022PubMed Verified

15. 15.
    Zebrafish Bioassay for Screening Therapeutic Candidates Based on Melanotrophic Activity

    Hong TI, Hwang KS, Choi TI, Kleinau G, Scheerer P, Bang JK et al. · International journal of molecular sciences · 2021PubMed Verified

16. 16.
    Melanotan II User Experience: A Qualitative Study of Online Discussion Forums

    Gilhooley E, Daly S, McKenna D · Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021PubMed Verified

17. 17.
    Depletion of Alpha-Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone Induces Insatiable Appetite and Gains in Energy Reserves and Body Weight in Zebrafish

    Hsieh YW, Tsai YW, Lai HH, Lai CY, Lin CY, Her GM · Biomedicines · 2021PubMed Verified

18. 18.
    Intracerebroventricular administration of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) enhances thigmotaxis and induces anxiety-like behavior in the goldfish Carassius auratus

    Watanabe K, Konno N, Nakamachi T, Matsuda K · Peptides · 2021PubMed Verified

19. 19.
    The Mesencephalic Trigeminal Nucleus Controls Food Intake and Body Weight via Hindbrain POMC Projections

    Fortin SM, Chen J, Grill HJ, Hayes MR · Nutrients · 2021PubMed Verified

20. 20.
    Melanocortin receptor activation alleviates amyloid pathology and glial reactivity in an Alzheimer's disease transgenic mouse model

    Lau JKY, Tian M, Shen Y, Lau SF, Fu WY, Fu AKY et al. · Scientific reports · 2021PubMed Verified

21. 21.
    Restoration of Cardiac Function After Myocardial Infarction by Long-Term Activation of the CNS Leptin-Melanocortin System

    Gava FN, da Silva AA, Dai X, Harmancey R, Ashraf S, Omoto ACM et al. · JACC. Basic to translational science · 2021PubMed Verified

22. 22.
    Melanotan Tanning Injection: A Rare Cause of Priapism

    Mallory CW, Lopategui DM, Cordon BH · Sexual medicine · 2021Case ReportPubMed Verified

23. 23.
    Pharmacological chaperone action in humanized mouse models of MC4R-linked obesity

    René P, Lanfray D, Richard D, Bouvier M · JCI insight · 2021PubMed Verified

24. 24.
    Melanotan II, a melanocortin agonist, partially rescues the impaired thermogenic capacity of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide deficient mice

    McMillan TR, Forster MAM, Short LI, Rudecki AP, Cline DL, Gray SL · Experimental physiology · 2021PubMed Verified

25. 25.
    LC-HRMS characterization of the skin pigmentation and sexual enhancers melanotan II and bremelanotide sold on the black market of performance and image enhancing drugs

    Mestria S, Odoardi S, Frison G, Strano Rossi S · Drug testing and analysis · 2021PubMed Verified

26. 26.
    G(q)α/G(11)α deficiency in dorsomedial hypothalamus leads to obesity resulting from decreased energy expenditure and impaired sympathetic nerve activity

    Wilson EA, Sun H, Cui Z, Jahnke MT, Pandey M, Metzger P et al. · American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism · 2021PubMed Verified

27. 27.
    Development of Ligand-Drug Conjugates Targeting Melanoma through the Overexpressed Melanocortin 1 Receptor

    Zhou Y, Mowlazadeh Haghighi S, Liu Z, Wang L, Hruby VJ, Cai M · ACS pharmacology & translational science · 2020PubMed Verified

28. 28.
    A sentinel population: The public health benefits of monitoring enhanced body builders

    McVeigh J, Salinas M, Ralphs R · The International journal on drug policy · 2021PubMed Verified

29. 29.
    CAPS2 deficiency induces proopiomelanocortin accumulation in pituitary and affects food intake behavior in mice

    Fujima S, Amemiya N, Arima T, Sano Y, Furuichi T · Neuroscience letters · 2020PubMed Verified

30. 30.
    Combining MALDI mass spectrometry imaging and droplet-base surface sampling analysis for tissue distribution, metabolite profiling, and relative quantification of cyclic peptide melanotan II

    Chen B, Vavrek M, Gundersdorf R, Zhong W, Cancilla MT · Analytica chimica acta · 2020PubMed Verified

31. 31.
    Hypothalamic POMC deficiency increases circulating adiponectin despite obesity

    Yu H, Chhabra KH, Thompson Z, Jones GL, Kiran S, Shangguan G et al. · Molecular metabolism · 2020PubMed Verified

32. 32.
    Melanocortin regulation of histaminergic neurons via perifornical lateral hypothalamic melanocortin 4 receptors

    Michael NJ, Caron A, Lee CE, Castorena CM, Lee S, Zigman JM et al. · Molecular metabolism · 2020PubMed Verified

33. 33.
    Application of Dimedone Enamines as Protecting Groups for Amines and Peptides

    Chithanna S, Vyasamudri S, Yang DY · Organic letters · 2020PubMed Verified

34. 34.
    Topical MTII Therapy Suppresses Melanoma Through PTEN Upregulation and Cyclooxygenase II Inhibition

    Wu JC, Tsai HE, Hsiao YH, Wu JS, Wu CS, Tai MH · International journal of molecular sciences · 2020PubMed Verified

35. 35.
    Sites and sources of sympathoexcitation in obese male rats: role of brain insulin

    Shi Z, Zhao D, Cassaglia PA, Brooks VL · American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology · 2020PubMed Verified

36. 36.
    Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report

    Peters B, Hadimeri H, Wahlberg R, Afghahi H · CEN case reports · 2020Case ReportPubMed Verified

37. 37.
    Eruptive Melanocytic Nevi: A Review

    Burian EA, Jemec GBE · American journal of clinical dermatology · 2019ReviewPubMed Verified

38. 38.
    Melanotan-induced priapism: a hard-earned tan

    Dreyer BA, Amer T, Fraser M · BMJ case reports · 2019Case ReportPubMed Verified

39. 39.
    Melanotan-II reverses autistic features in a maternal immune activation mouse model of autism

    Minakova E, Lang J, Medel-Matus JS, Gould GG, Reynolds A, Shin D et al. · PloS one · 2019PubMed Verified

40. 40.
    Glucose-regulated protein 78 binds to and regulates the melanocortin-4 receptor

    Yoon YR, Lee TG, Choi MH, Shin SW, Ko YG, Rhyu IJ et al. · Experimental & molecular medicine · 2018PubMed Verified

41. 41.
    Falsification of biotechnology drugs: current dangers and/or future disasters?

    Janvier S, De Spiegeleer B, Vanhee C, Deconinck E · Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis · 2018ReviewPubMed Verified

42. 42.
    A glimpse into the underground market of melanotan

    Callaghan Iii DJ · Dermatology online journal · 2018PubMed Verified

43. 43.
    Limiting feeding to the active phase reduces blood pressure without the necessity of caloric reduction or fat mass loss

    Cote I, Toklu HZ, Green SM, Morgan D, Carter CS, Tümer N et al. · American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology · 2018PubMed Verified

44. 44.
    Melanotan II causes hypothermia in mice by activation of mast cells and stimulation of histamine 1 receptors

    Jain S, Panyutin A, Liu N, Xiao C, Piñol RA, Pundir P et al. · American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism · 2018PubMed Verified

45. 45.
    The stimulatory G protein G(s)α is required in melanocortin 4 receptor-expressing cells for normal energy balance, thermogenesis, and glucose metabolism

    Podyma B, Sun H, Wilson EA, Carlson B, Pritikin E, Gavrilova O et al. · The Journal of biological chemistry · 2018PubMed Verified

46. 46.
    Inherently Lean Rats Have Enhanced Activity and Skeletal Muscle Response to Central Melanocortin Receptors

    Gavini CK, Britton SL, Koch LG, Novak CM · Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) · 2018PubMed Verified

47. 47.
    Control of appetite, blood glucose, and blood pressure during melanocortin-4 receptor activation in normoglycemic and diabetic NPY-deficient mice

    da Silva AA, Freeman JN, Hall JE, do Carmo JM · American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology · 2018PubMed Verified

48. 48.
    Activation of the central melanocortin system in rats persistently reduces body and fat mass independently of caloric reduction

    Côté I, Green SM, Morgan D, Carter CS, Tümer N, Scarpace PJ · Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology · 2018PubMed Verified

49. 49.
    The unregulated use of melanotan-II is of public health interest to Australian dermatologists

    Adler NR, Dowling JP, Pan Y · The Australasian journal of dermatology · 2017Case ReportPubMed Verified

50. 50.
    AgRP-Expressing Adrenal Chromaffin Cells Are Involved in the Sympathetic Response to Fasting

    Gupta R, Ma Y, Wang M, Whim MD · Endocrinology · 2017PubMed Verified