Melanotan II
aka MT-2
Mechanism
Melanotan II (MT-II) is a cyclic heptapeptide analog of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) — Ac-Nle-cyclo[Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-NH2 — developed at the University of Arizona in the 1980s by Hruby, Hadley, and colleagues as a candidate photoprotection / sunless-tanning agent. It has never been approved by the FDA or any other regulator for any indication; clinical development was abandoned and it is sold only via grey-market research-chemical channels. Genuine safety signals have been reported, including darkening of existing moles, eruptive atypical nevi, and case reports of new primary melanoma in young tanning-seeking users.
Identification
| CAS number | 121062-08-6 |
|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C50H69N15O9 |
| Sequence | Ac-Nle-cyclo[Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-NH2 |
| Typical dose | 0.25–0.5 mg/day subcutaneous (loading); Phase I clinical starting dose 0.01 mg/kg/day SC |
| Half-life | ~30–60 minutes |
Vendors selling Melanotan II
| Vendor | Size | Price | Listed purity | Trust |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moglabs | 10 mg | $28.00 | — | 96 |
| Moglabs | 10 mg | $38.00 | — | 96 |
| Crush Research | 10 mg | $43.00 | — | 95 |
| Orbitrex Peptides | — | $39.99 | — | 95 |
| Profound Aminos | 10 mg | $59.00 | — | 95 |
| Prime Peptides | 10 mg | $40.00 | — | 95 |
| Peptide Tech | 10 mg | $34.99 | — | 94 |
| Amino Club | — | $29.99 | — | 93 |
| Skye Peptides | 12.5 mg | $49.00 | — | 90 |
| Peptide Plugs | 10 mg | $40.00 | — | 89 |
| EZ Peptides | 10 mg | $44.00 | — | 85 |
| Simple Peptide | — | $38.00 | — | 85 |
| Peptidegurus | 10 mg | — | — | 84 |
| Peptidegurus | 10 mg | — | — | 84 |
| Peptidegurus | 20 mg | — | — | 84 |
| Peptidegurus | 30 mg | — | — | 84 |
| Ascension Peptides | 10 mg | $43.00 | — | 84 |
| Cocer Peptides | 10 mg | $60.00 | — | 82 |
| Texpeptide | 10 mg | $40.00 | — | 70 |
| Crystal Peptides | 10 mg | $34.99 | — | 66 |
| Mandy | 10 mg | $41.00 | — | 43 |
| MJT peptides | 10 mg | $51.00 | — | 39 |
| HK Peptide Ltd (hk peptides) | — | — | — | 37 |
| Cernum Biosciences | 10 mg | $44.99 | — | — |
| NG Peptide | 10 mg | $24.99 | — | — |
| Alpha Omega | 10 mg | $38.00 | — | — |
| Bulk Peptides | 10 mg | $140.00 | — | — |
| Felix Chemical Supply | 10 mg | $29.99 | — | — |
| Ignite Peptides | 10 mg | $40.00 | — | — |
| Kimera Chems | — | $41.99 | — | — |
| Oneday Compounds | 10 mg | $44.99 | — | — |
| Pepvida Labs | 10 mg | $35.00 | — | — |
| Polaris Peptides | 17 mg | $45.00 | — | — |
| Soma Peptides | — | $69.00 | — | — |
| Soma Peptides | 10 mg | $49.00 | — | — |
| Southern Aminos | 10 mg | $36.75 | — | — |
| True Peptide | 10 mg | $28.00 | — | — |
| Wellness Peptides | — | $45.00 | — | — |
Research
This case report presents a three-month follow-up of a patient who self-administered Melanotan II injections over a period of 64 days with the goal of achieving a deeper tanning effect. Melanotan II is an unlicensed synthetic peptide analog belonging to the melanocortin hormone family.
source →This example interventional study record describes a randomized Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating investigational Melanotan II (MT-II) as an adjunct to standard NB-UVB phototherapy for repigmentation in adults with stable nonsegmental vitiligo.
source →The case of a 22-year-old female who developed a mass in the anterior maxilla after using Melanotan II, a nasal spray containing a synthetic analogue of melanocyte-stimulating hormone, is reported. The patient had used the nasal spray for tanning purposes.
source →Current antidepressant therapy shows substantial limitations, and there is an urgent need for the development of new treatment strategies for depression. Stressful events and hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis play an important role in the pathogenesis of depression.
source →With peptides increasingly favored as drugs, natural product motifs, namely the tryptathionine staple, found in amatoxins and phallotoxins, and the 2,2'-bis-indole found in staurosporine represent unexplored staples for unnatural peptide macrocycles.
source →A high-fat (HF) diet has been shown to increase the risk of neurological impairments and neurodegenerative disorders. The melanotropins used in this study have been associated with diet-related disorders; however, there is an absence of studies on their effect on diet-induced neurobehavioral conditions.
source →The pleiotropic role played by melanocortin receptors (MCRs) in both physiological and pathological processes has stimulated medicinal chemists to develop synthetic agonists/antagonists with improved potency and selectivity.
source →Rationale Obesity is a major health problem worldwide. An understanding of the factors that drive feeding behaviors is key to the development of pharmaceuticals to decrease appetite and consumption.
source →Background Melanotan II (MT II) is a synthetic analogue of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone that, via interaction with the melanocortin 1 receptor, induces skin hyperpigmentation.
source →New findings What is the central question of this study? Can chronic treatment of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) deficient mice with the melanocortin agonist melanotan II during cold acclimation rescue the impaired thermogenic capacity previously observed in PACAP deficient mice?
source →The spread of performance and image enhancing drugs (PIEDs) often requires forensic toxicology laboratories to identify unknown compounds without reference standards.
source →Renal infarction is an uncommon condition resulting from an acute disruption of renal blood flow and it is potentially life-threatening disease. The cause and outcome of renal infarction is not well established and is frequently misdiagnosed or diagnosed late.
source →Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interactions, difficulty with communication, and repetitive behavior patterns. In humans affected by ASD, there is a male pre-disposition towards the condition with a male to female ratio of 4:1.
source →