Melanocortin receptor agonist · Fact sheet
Melanotan II
Also known as Melanotan-2 · MT-II · MT2
Melanotan II is an unapproved peptide associated with skin pigmentation and sexual effects. Small trials reported erections and nausea; serious case reports raise additional concerns and do not establish a safe tanning use.
What is Melanotan II?
Melanotan II activates melanocortin pathways. It is different from the approved drugs afamelanotide and bremelanotide, and their approvals do not transfer to it.
Benefits people look for
Tanning, increased sexual desire, and erectile effects drive interest. A pigmentation change is not evidence of protection from ultraviolet damage.
What the evidence supports
- Small studies found more erectile responses than placebo, with increased sexual desire in one study.
- These experimental observations are not an FDA-approved indication.
All research areas
- Erectile responses
- Sexual desire
- Melanocortin signaling
Anecdotal reports & lived experiences
Reports describe what someone noticed. They cannot establish cause, typical results, or how often a side effect happens.
No attributable personal reports are summarized here yet. The benefits above describe research interests; the side effects below come from the cited medical sources.
We do not fill this gap with unsourced testimonials or estimated success rates.
Side effects & risks
- Nausea, yawning, stretching, and reduced appetite were reported in the small trials.
- FDA cites serious case reports, including prolonged erections and melanoma; such reports do not establish incidence or causation.
This is a summary of the cited evidence, not a complete product label. A lack of human safety data does not establish safety.
Clinical research: how strong is it?
Early human evidenceTwo small controlled crossover studies in men with erectile dysfunction found erectogenic effects. They do not establish everyday tanning safety, lasting sexual benefit, or applicability to other populations.
Selected research to read
Ten-person crossover study of erections, desire, and tolerability.
Ten-person controlled crossover study; short follow-up and narrow population.
FDA approval & research status
Melanotan II is not FDA approved. It is not interchangeable with approved melanocortin medicines, and the cited small trials do not establish a current approval pathway.
No FDA-approved use is documented in the records summarized on this page.
No FDA-approved Melanotan II product
Melanotan II is not FDA approved. It is not interchangeable with approved melanocortin medicines, and the cited small trials do not establish a current approval pathway.
This summarizes the cited product or research record. Trial phases do not establish successful completion of earlier stages, and a stopped program is not ongoing development. Approval applies only to the labeled product, use and population.
What we still don’t know
- Long-term skin and cancer outcomes
- The frequency of serious adverse events
- Safety across populations and unverified products
The takeaway
Melanotan II has observable biological effects and substantial unresolved risks; a tan or sexual response is not proof of safety.
Sources & further reading
Medical evidence and regulatory sources are listed here. Personal reports are linked separately in the experiences section.
- 1fdaFDA: safety concerns for selected bulk substances
Ingredient-specific safety findings; compounding review is not drug approval.
- 2pubmedMelanotan II in men with organic erectile dysfunction
Ten-person crossover study of erections, desire, and tolerability.
- 3pubmedMelanotan II in psychogenic erectile dysfunction
Ten-person controlled crossover study; short follow-up and narrow population.