watchAnecdotalMay 3, 2026
Appearance-driven risk tradeoffs
Melanotan 2 discussion often centers on tanning outcomes, sexual effects, nausea, appetite changes, and concern over mole/skin changes.
Reddit / searchlow confidencereddit
Source Melanotan 2
MT-2 · MT-II
Skin & HairSexual HealthNot ApprovedPhase IIResearchSubQ
Popular for:Tanning, sexual function, appetite suppression
1
Registered Trials
4
Trial Publications
197
PubMed References
Phase II
Evidence Level
Overview
Melanotan II (MT-II) is a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide analogue of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH). The short version: people usually care about it for tanning, sexual function, appetite suppression, but the strength of the evidence depends heavily on indication and study type.
Melanotan II (MT-II) is a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide analogue of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH). Its sequence is Ac-Nle-cyclo[Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-NH₂, with a molecular weight of 1024.18 Da. Developed at the University of Arizona in the 1990s as a potential sunless tanning agent, MT-II acts as a non-selective agonist of melanocortin receptors MC1, MC3, MC4, and MC5.
Research Snapshot
What the evidence says
Phase IIMelanotan 2 currently shows 1 registered trials from ClinicalTrials.gov, 4 PubMed trial publications (1 RCT-tagged), and 197 PubMed references matching the stored source query. Treat PubMed references as literature surface area, not a count of clinical trials.
Known vs uncertain
Known signals
- 1 registered trials are tracked from ClinicalTrials.gov intervention records.
- 4 PubMed clinical-trial publications are indexed.
- 1 PubMed randomized controlled trial publications are indexed.
- 197 PubMed references are tracked separately from trial counts and can include animal, in-vitro, review, mechanism, or clinical records.
Open questions
- Evidence strength may vary by indication, route, formulation, and population.
- Public anecdotes can highlight interest or concern but do not establish clinical efficacy.
- Regulatory status and compounding access can change independently from the research literature.
Mechanism of Action
MC1 receptor activation stimulates melanogenesis (skin darkening).
Key Research Benefits
Skin tanning without UV exposure: MC1 activation increases eumelanin production. Phase I clinical study (Dorr et al., 1996, Life Sciences) confirmed dose-dependent tanning.
Erectile function: Double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study (Wessells et al., 1998, J Urol) showed MT-II initiated erections in men with psychogenic ED at 0.025 mg/kg.
Appetite suppression: MC4 receptor activation reduces appetite. Some users report reduced caloric intake during loading phase.
Female sexual dysfunction: Bremelanotide (PT-141), derived from MT-II, was FDA-approved in 2019 as Vyleesi for hypoactive sexual desire disorder, validating the MC4-mediated mechanism.
Clinical Evidence Summary
Research Pipeline
Preclinical
Animal
Phase I
Phase II
Phase III
Approved
1
Registered Trials
4
Trial Publications
1
RCT Publications
197
PubMed References
ClinicalTrials.govPubMed ESearchCurated alias queryChecked May 3, 2026
Registered trials are ClinicalTrials.gov intervention records. Trial publications are PubMed records tagged as clinical trials or randomized controlled trials. PubMed references are broader source-query matches and can include animal studies, in-vitro work, reviews, mechanism papers, and trial publications.
1
Registered trials
4
Trial publications
1
RCT publications
197
PubMed references
8
Reviews
0
Meta-analyses
Registered trials source
Jun 1, 2026
Melanotan II, Melanotan 2
Uses curated ClinicalTrials.gov intervention aliases to avoid misleading registry matches.
View sourcePublication counts source
May 3, 2026
Melanotan 2, Melanotan II
Uses the written Melanotan II name and avoids noisier MT-II abbreviation matches.
View source- Dorr et al. (1996) — Phase I clinical study evaluating MT-II as a tanning agent. Demonstrated dose-dependent melanogenesis with manageable side effects (Life Sciences, PMID: 8637402).
- Wessells et al. (1998) — Double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. MT-II at 0.025 mg/kg initiated erections in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction (Journal of Urology, PMID: 9679884).
- Javed & Kamraan (2013) — Review of melanoma risk. Found no conclusive evidence that MT-II directly causes melanoma.
- Wensink et al. (2021) — Systematic review concluded increased melanoma risk in MT-II users is more likely explained by concurrent UV exposure behavior.
- Bremelanotide (PT-141), a derivative of MT-II, received FDA approval in 2019 as Vyleesi for HSDD, validating the melanocortin-based mechanism for sexual function.
Key PubMed References
197 PubMed references · showing top 25 by relevance
View all on PubMed5-Hydroxypyrroloindoline Affords Tryptathionine and 2,2'-bis-Indole Peptide Staples: Application to Melanotan-II.
Review
Todorovic M, Blanc A, Wang Z, et al. · Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) · 2024
PMID: 38285527Melanocortin receptor agonist melanotan-II microinjected in the nucleus accumbens decreases appetitive and consumptive responding for food.
Animal Study
Eliason NL, Martin L, Low MJ, et al. · Neuropeptides · 2022
PMID: 36155088CLIPSing Melanotan-II to Discover Multiple Functionally Selective hMCR Agonists.
Review
Tomassi S, Dimmito MP, Cai M, et al. · Journal of medicinal chemistry · 2022
PMID: 35188390LC-HRMS characterization of the skin pigmentation and sexual enhancers melanotan II and bremelanotide sold on the black market of performance and image enhancing drugs.
Review
Mestria S, Odoardi S, Frison G, et al. · Drug testing and analysis · 2021
PMID: 33245851Combining MALDI mass spectrometry imaging and droplet-base surface sampling analysis for tissue distribution, metabolite profiling, and relative quantification of cyclic peptide melanotan II.
Review
Chen B, Vavrek M, Gundersdorf R, et al. · Analytica chimica acta · 2020
PMID: 32674774Anecdotes & Sentiment
Public discussion, not clinical evidence
This section summarizes what people are talking about in public sources. It can be useful for spotting questions, hype cycles, and recurring concerns, but it is separate from the evidence sections above.
Side Effects & Safety
> MT-II causes darkening of existing moles and nevi.
> MT-II causes darkening of existing moles and nevi. Monitor all moles closely. Any asymmetry, border changes, or rapid growth warrants immediate dermatological evaluation. The relationship between MT-II and melanoma is unclear — a 2021 review concluded increased melanoma risk in users is likely from concurrent UV exposure rather than the peptide itself.
Common: Nausea (especially at higher doses), facial flushing, fatigue, injection site redness, spontaneous erections, yawning/stretching
Serious/Rare: Rhabdomyolysis (case report at 6mg dose), priapism, darkening of moles/nevi, new nevi formation, elevated blood pressure
Contraindications: History of melanoma or atypical moles, cardiovascular disease, priapism risk factors, pregnancy
Known Interactions
No curated interaction entry is live for Melanotan 2 yet.
Until the interaction table is fully populated, use the interaction checker and related peptides below to explore adjacent compounds and likely research pairings.
Comparison Pages
Comparison pages
AllNo comparison page is linked yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Research Disclaimer
This page is for research and educational purposes only. The information presented is based on published scientific literature and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. Regulatory status can vary by compound, formulation, indication, and jurisdiction. Check official labeling, registry records, and qualified professional guidance before making any health-related decision. The studies referenced are linked to their original PubMed sources for verification.