What is Melanotan II?
A synthetic cyclic α-MSH analog that can stimulate skin pigmentation; regulators warn about serious adverse effects of unapproved products.
Melanotan II in the library · Cosmetic & Skin Peptides · Human Trials · What are peptides?
1 registered trials · 5 indexed papers · 41 human / 159 animal studies
From the PeptideWhiz library entry. "As described" sections summarize claims made in the sources; they are not PeptideWhiz endorsements.
Mechanism (as described)
- A manufactured, cyclic seven-amino-acid analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) that acts through melanocortin signaling, which is involved in pigmentation and other bodily functions. It is described as a potent, nonselective melanocortin receptor agonist binding mainly MC1R (skin pigmentation) and MC4R (sexual function and appetite).
- Early studies also recorded nausea, appetite changes and spontaneous erections. The best-known early trials were small and described as neither large nor long enough to establish the safety of repeated cosmetic use.
Registered human trials (1)
| Trial | Phase | Status | Year | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melanotan II (MT-II) as an Adjunct to NB-UVB Phototherapy for Repigmentation in Stable Nonsegmental Vitiligo | Phase 2 | recruiting | 2026 | 60 |
Peer-reviewed studies (5)
| Paper | Authors | Journal | Year | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A glimpse into the underground market of melanotan | Callaghan Iii DJ | Dermatology online journal | 2018 | Observational Study |
| Melanocortin receptor agonists, penile erection, and sexual motivation: human studies with Melanotan II | Wessells H et al. | International journal of impotence research | 2000 | Controlled Clinical Trial |
| Effect of an alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone analog on penile erection and sexual desire in men with organic erectile dysfunction | Wessells H et al. | Urology | 2000 | Randomized Controlled Trial |
| Synthetic melanotropic peptide initiates erections in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction: double-blind, placebo controlled crossover study | Wessells H et al. | The Journal of urology | 1998 | Controlled Clinical Trial |
| Evaluation of melanotan-II, a superpotent cyclic melanotropic peptide in a pilot phase-I clinical study | Dorr RT et al. | Life sciences | 1996 | Clinical Trial, Phase I |
More cited research
- Changes in Oral Mucosa Associated with Melanotan II Injections: A Case Report (2026, human observational)
- Melanotan II nasal spray: a possible risk factor for oral mucosal malignant melanoma? (2025, human case report)
- CLIPSing Melanotan-II to Discover Multiple Functionally Selective hMCR Agonists (2022, human observational)
- LC-HRMS characterization of the skin pigmentation and sexual enhancers melanotan II and bremelanotide sold on the black market of performance and image enhancin (2021, human observational)
- 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 (2024, animal)
- Melanotan-II reverses memory impairment induced by a short-term HF diet (2023, animal)
- Melanocortin receptor agonist melanotan-II microinjected in the nucleus accumbens decreases appetitive and consumptive responding for food (2022, animal)
- Melanotan II, a melanocortin agonist, partially rescues the impaired thermogenic capacity of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide deficient mice (2021, animal)
Conditions researched
Related compounds
- Glutathione
- ACTH (Corticotropin)
- Alpha-MSH
- Endothelin-1
- Insulin (regular human)
- Oxytocin
- PT-141 (Bremelanotide)
- VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide)
- Adrenomedullin
- Angiotensin II
FAQ
What is Melanotan II?
A synthetic cyclic α-MSH analog that can stimulate skin pigmentation; regulators warn about serious adverse effects of unapproved products.
How many registered human trials study Melanotan II?
The PeptideWhiz trial index lists 1 registered trial for Melanotan II, the most recent from 2026.
How much published research exists on Melanotan II?
The PeptideWhiz paper index links 5 PubMed papers to Melanotan II; by study type, 41 human and 159 animal studies.
Which conditions is Melanotan II researched for?
Sexual function & libido (women and men), Skin, hair loss, wounds & mast-cell/histamine reactivity.
Research and education only. Not medical advice. No dosing guidance. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov registry and PubMed via the PeptideWhiz index (204,289 studies).