PT-141 (Bremelanotide)
Also known as: Bremelanotide, PT 141, Vyleesi
PT-141 (Bremelanotide) is a cyclic peptide melanocortin receptor agonist that enhances sexual desire and arousal through central nervous system mechanisms. It is FDA-approved as Vyleesi for premenopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD).
Half-Life
2–3 hours
Route
SubQ
Category
Sexual Health & Libido
Studies
50 references
Key Benefits
- Enhances sexual desire and libido in both men and women
- Improves arousal through central nervous system activation
- Effective for psychological erectile dysfunction
- Works for female sexual arousal disorder
- May improve sexual satisfaction and intensity
- Fast-acting — effects within 45–60 minutes
- FDA-approved for HSDD in premenopausal women
Mechanism of Action
PT-141 activates melanocortin receptors in the brain, particularly MC3R and MC4R, which are involved in sexual arousal regulation. Unlike PDE5 inhibitors (Viagra, Cialis) which act peripherally on blood vessels, PT-141 acts centrally on the nervous system to enhance sexual desire and arousal directly. This makes it effective for psychological and neurogenic sexual dysfunction, not just vascular causes.
Dosing Protocols
Standard On-Demand Protocol
- Dose
- 0.5–1.75 mg
- Frequency
- As needed (not daily)
- Timing
- 30–45 minutes before anticipated sexual activity
- Cycle
- Maximum 8 doses per month (FDA guidance)
Start at 0.5 mg to assess nausea tolerance. FDA-approved dose for women (Vyleesi) is 1.75 mg. Effects onset 45–60 min; peak 1–2 hours; may last 6–12 hours. Lower starting dose recommended for first use.
Calculate your draw volume
Enter your vial size and BAC water to get exact injection volumes
Side Effects
- Nausea (most common — 40% of users in clinical trials)
- Facial flushing and warmth
- Transient blood pressure changes (typically increase then normalize)
- Headache
- Spontaneous erections in men at higher doses
- Injection site bruising
Contraindications
Uncontrolled hypertension or cardiovascular disease. Pregnancy or breastfeeding. Limit to 8 doses per month. Do not use with medications that slow heart rate.
Storage
Refrigerate autoinjector or reconstituted solution at 2–8°C. Pre-filled autoinjector should be warmed to room temperature before use.
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Clinical Research
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Mihulka O, Curran M, Narasimhan RM, Moore JF, Rojas KE · Journal of minimally invasive gynecology · 2025PubMed Verified
- 2.Practical considerations and emerging approaches for the management of vasomotor and sexual symptoms in breast cancer patients on endocrine therapies
Fuhrman J, Yun J, Indorf A · Expert review of clinical pharmacology · 2025ReviewPubMed Verified
- 3.Polymorphism of Melanocortin Receptor Genes-Association with Inflammatory Traits and Diseases
Bardhan M, Anand A, Javed A, Chilo MA, Khan N, Garg T et al. · Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025ReviewPubMed Verified
- 4.FDA-approved drugs as potential covalent inhibitors of key SARS-CoV-2 proteins: an in silico approach
Serilmez M, Abuelrub A, Erol I, Durdaği S · Turkish journal of biology = Turk biyoloji dergisi · 2025PubMed Verified
- 5.Female Sexual Desire, Arousal, and Orgasmic Dysfunctions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Treatment Options
Toledo RG, Winkelman WD, Reyes-Gonzalez D, Bergeron S, Fladger A, Hacker MR et al. · Journal of minimally invasive gynecology · 2026Meta-AnalysisPubMed Verified
- 6.2024 SOGC, 2024 NCCN, 2022 ESO-ESMO, and 2018 ASCO: a comparison of female cancer survivorship guidelines for the management of sexual health concerns
Bhinder JK, Kennedy SKF, Faouk Al Aadah C, Al-Khaifi M · Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025ReviewPubMed Verified
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- 8.Bremelanotide
2006ReviewPubMed Verified
- 9.Novel Pharmacologic Treatments of Female Sexual Dysfunction
How A, Jowdy C, Novatcheva E, Clayton AH · Clinical obstetrics and gynecology · 2025ReviewPubMed Verified
- 10.Female Syrian hamster analyses of bremelanotide, a US FDA approved drug for the treatment of female hypoactive sexual desire disorder
Borland JM, Kohut-Jackson AL, Peyla AC, Hall MA, Mermelstein PG, Meisel RL · Neuropharmacology · 2025PubMed Verified
- 11.Gap in Sexual Dysfunction Management Between Male and Female Patients Seen in Primary Care: An Observational Study
Stanley EE, Pfoh E, Lipold L, Martinez K · Journal of general internal medicine · 2025PubMed Verified
- 12.Melanocortin Receptor Agonist Bremelanotide Induces Cell Death and Growth Inhibition in Glioblastoma Cells via Suppression of Survivin Expression
Suzuki S, Kitanaka C, Okada M · Anticancer research · 2024PubMed Verified
- 13.Understanding the Interplay Between Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD)
Gollapudi M, Thomas A, Yogarajah A, Ospina D, Daher JC, Rahman A et al. · Cureus · 2024ReviewPubMed Verified
- 14.Pharmacotherapy of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in Premenopausal Women
Barakeh D, Mdaihly H, Karaoui LR · The Annals of pharmacotherapy · 2025ReviewPubMed Verified
- 15.A Comprehensive Review of Novel FDA-Approved Psychiatric Medications (2018-2022)
Giliberto S, Shishodia R, Nastruz M, Brar C, Bulathsinhala S, Terry J et al. · Cureus · 2024ReviewPubMed Verified
- 16.First-time orgasm in a young man with lifelong anorgasmia after flibanserin use: a case report
Saffati G, Naeem T, Kaaki B, Khera M · Sexual medicine · 2023Case ReportPubMed Verified
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Ronghe V, Pannase K, Gomase KP, Mahakalkar MG · Cureus · 2023ReviewPubMed Verified
- 18.What Women Want? The State of the Art regarding the Treatment of Young Women with Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
de Oliveira L, Vignozzi L, Giraldi A, Varod S, Corona G, Reisman Y · Pharmacology · 2024ReviewPubMed Verified
- 19.Targeting the central melanocortin system for the treatment of metabolic disorders
Sweeney P, Gimenez LE, Hernandez CC, Cone RD · Nature reviews. Endocrinology · 2023ReviewPubMed Verified
- 20.Small Effects, Questionable Outcomes: Bremelanotide for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
Spielmans GI, Ellefson EM · Journal of sex research · 2024ReviewPubMed Verified
- 21.Expression of Concern: Salvage of Sildenafil Failures With Bremelanotide: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Study
Safarinejad MR, Hosseini SY · The Journal of urology · 2023PubMed Verified
- 22.Ligands for Melanocortin Receptors: Beyond Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones and Adrenocorticotropin
Yuan XC, Tao YX · Biomolecules · 2022ReviewPubMed Verified
- 23.An evaluation of bremelanotide injection for the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder
Cipriani S, Alfaroli C, Maseroli E, Vignozzi L · Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy · 2023ReviewPubMed Verified
- 24.Pharmacologic therapeutic options for sexual dysfunction
Burton CS, Mishra K · Current opinion in obstetrics & gynecology · 2022ReviewPubMed Verified
- 25.Finding Our Way From the Bench to the Bedside: The Ethos, Logos, and Pathos of Biomedical Research
Kim NN · Sexual medicine reviews · 2022PubMed Verified
- 26.Management of Hypertension with Female Sexual Dysfunction
Zhong Q, Anderson Y · Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2022ReviewPubMed Verified
- 27.Pharmacotherapy for female sexual dysfunctions (FSDs): what is on the market and where is this field heading?
Nappi RE, Tiranini L, Cucinella L, Martini E, Bosoni D, Righi A et al. · Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy · 2023PubMed Verified
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Nappi RE, Tiranini L, Martini E, Bosoni D, Righi A, Cucinella L · The Urologic clinics of North America · 2022ReviewPubMed Verified
- 29.Prespecified and Integrated Subgroup Analyses from the RECONNECT Phase 3 Studies of Bremelanotide
Simon JA, Kingsberg SA, Portman D, Jordan R, Lucas J, Sadiq A et al. · Journal of women's health (2002) · 2022RCTPubMed Verified
- 30.Effect of bremelanotide on body weight of obese women: Data from two phase 1 randomized controlled trials
Spana C, Jordan R, Fischkoff S · Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · 2022PubMed Verified
- 31.Safety Profile of Bremelanotide Across the Clinical Development Program
Clayton AH, Kingsberg SA, Portman D, Sadiq A, Krop J, Jordan R et al. · Journal of women's health (2002) · 2022RCTPubMed Verified
- 32.Female sexual dysfunctions: an overview on the available therapeutic interventions
da Silva Lara LA, Rufino AC, Oliveira FF, Rossato S, Borges CS, Reis RM · Minerva obstetrics and gynecology · 2022ReviewPubMed Verified
- 33.Pharmacotherapy for Sexual Dysfunction in Women
Lee JH, Lee JE, Harsh V, Clayton AH · Current psychiatry reports · 2022ReviewPubMed Verified
- 34.Bremelanotide for Treatment of Female Hypoactive Sexual Desire
Edinoff AN, Sanders NM, Lewis KB, Apgar TL, Cornett EM, Kaye AM et al. · Neurology international · 2022ReviewPubMed Verified
- 35.Bremelanotide and flibanserin for low sexual desire in women: the fallacy of regulatory precedent
Mintzes B, Tiefer L, Cosgrove L · Drug and therapeutics bulletin · 2021ReviewPubMed Verified
- 36.Psychometric validation of the Female Sexual Distress Scale-Desire/Arousal/Orgasm
Derogatis LR, Revicki DA, Rosen RC, Jordan R, Lucas J, Spana C · Journal of patient-reported outcomes · 2021PubMed Verified
- 37.Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in Women: Physiology, Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Pettigrew JA, Novick AM · Journal of midwifery & women's health · 2021ReviewPubMed Verified
- 38.Structural insights into ligand recognition and activation of the melanocortin-4 receptor
Zhang H, Chen LN, Yang D, Mao C, Shen Q, Feng W et al. · Cell research · 2021PubMed Verified
- 39.Bremelanotide
2012ReviewPubMed Verified
- 40.Failure of a Meta-analysis: A Commentary on Glen Spielmans's "Re-Analyzing Phase III Bremelanotide Trials for 'Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in Women'"
Kingsberg SA, Clayton AH, Portman D, Krop J, Jordan R, Lucas J et al. · Journal of sex research · 2021PubMed Verified
- 41.Re-Analyzing Phase III Bremelanotide Trials for "Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder" in Women
Spielmans GI · Journal of sex research · 2021Meta-AnalysisPubMed Verified
- 42.Management of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in transgender women: a guide for clinicians
Cocchetti C, Ristori J, Mazzoli F, Vignozzi L, Maggi M, Fisher AD · International journal of impotence research · 2020ReviewPubMed Verified
- 43.The Patient Experience of Premenopausal Women Treated with Bremelanotide for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder: RECONNECT Exit Study Results
Koochaki P, Revicki D, Wilson H, Pokrzywinski R, Jordan R, Lucas J et al. · Journal of women's health (2002) · 2021RCTPubMed Verified
- 44.The neurobiology of bremelanotide for the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women
Pfaus JG, Sadiq A, Spana C, Clayton AH · CNS spectrums · 2022ReviewPubMed Verified
- 45.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
- 46.Reliability and validity of the elements of desire questionnaire in premenopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder
Revicki DA, Althof SE, Derogatis LR, Kingsberg SA, Wilson H, Sadiq A et al. · Journal of patient-reported outcomes · 2020PubMed Verified
- 47.Female Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder: A Practical Guide to Causes, Clinical Diagnosis, and Treatment
Kingsberg SA, Simon JA · Journal of women's health (2002) · 2020PubMed Verified
- 48.Ultra-sensitive quantification of the therapeutic cyclic peptide bremelanotide utilizing UHPLC-MS/MS for evaluation of its oral plasma pharmacokinetics
Sauter M, Uhl P, Burhenne J, Haefeli WE · Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis · 2020PubMed Verified
- 49.New Drugs 2020, part 2
Hussar DA · Nursing · 2020PubMed Verified
- 50.2019 FDA TIDES (Peptides and Oligonucleotides) Harvest
Al Shaer D, Al Musaimi O, Albericio F, de la Torre BG · Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020ReviewPubMed Verified
Medical disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Many compounds listed are research chemicals not approved for human use. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any protocol.
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