Melanotan II
Synthetic melanocortin analog promoted online for tanning and other effects.
Editorial review: August 13, 2026Evidence snapshot
This drawer marks papers. It is not a plan, a dose, or a source. A paper is a bounded report. It is not a protocol. Grades name the object. They are not a safety rating.
Identity lock. Melanotan II (MT-II) is a synthetic cyclic α-MSH analogue (lactam). PubChem CID 92432; formula C50H69N15O9 / MW 1024.2; CAS 121062-08-6. It is not FDA-approved for tanning, sexual dysfunction, or any other indication. Off-label does not apply. There is no label to be off of. Do not confuse Melanotan II with FDA-approved bremelanotide (Vyleesi / PT-141) — that is a separate drawer with a different labeled object (premenopausal HSDD). Related chemistry does not make them the same regulatory object. This drawer marks what papers report. It is not use advice.
Bottom line
Small early human studies reported pigmentation and, separately, erectile effects with notable acute adverse effects (nausea, stretching/yawning complex, fatigue). Case reports and reviews describe serious safety signals with unregulated use (including melanoma-associated reports, priapism, and other adverse events). Causality for melanoma is not proven by case reports alone; the signal is still part of an honest evidence map. Controlled modern approval-quality efficacy/safety for cosmetic tanning is not established.
Papers
Early human developmental studies
PMID 8637402 — Dorr 1996
Tested: pilot Phase I evaluation of Melanotan-II in healthy male volunteers (pigmentation-oriented developmental study; adverse-effect observations including nausea and a stretching/yawning complex).
Does not show: regulatory approval, long-term skin-cancer safety, or a modern tanning indication.
PMID 9679884 — Wessells 1998
Tested: double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of Melanotan-II on erections in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction (RigiScan monitoring).
Does not show: an approved ED drug, equivalence to bremelanotide’s labeled HSDD object, or tanning safety.
PMID 11018622 — Wessells 2000
Tested: α-MSH analogue (Melanotan II object in this series) on penile erection and sexual desire in men with organic erectile dysfunction.
Does not show: FDA approval, or interchangeability with Vyleesi.
PMID 11035391 — Wessells 2000
Tested: review/summary of human studies of melanocortin agonists including Melanotan II for erection and sexual motivation.
Does not show: a contemporary approval package or cosmetic-tanning license.
PMID 9760697 — Hadley 1998
Tested: discovery/development narrative for Melanotan-I and Melanotan-II as melanogenic drug candidates.
Does not show: completed modern Phase 3 tanning approval for Melanotan II.
Unregulated-use risk reviews and population context
PMID 28266027 — Habbema 2017
Tested: review of risks of unregulated α-MSH analogue use (melanotan I/II), contrasting with the separately regulated afamelanotide context.
Does not show: that Melanotan II is safe for cosmetic self-administration.
PMID 19224885 — Evans-Brown 2009
Tested: commentary/report on use of melanotan I and II in the general population.
Does not show: efficacy or safety establishing medical use.
PMID 34464955 — Gilhooley 2021
Tested: qualitative study of Melanotan II user experience from online discussion forums.
Does not show: controlled efficacy or safety; user narrative is not a trial.
Case reports / safety signals (cite as reports, not proven population causation)
PMID 21564053 — Paurobally 2011
Tested: case report of melanotan-associated melanoma.
Does not show: proven population-level causation by itself; still a safety-signal object to mark.
PMID 22724573 — Ong 2012
Tested: case report of melanotan-associated melanoma in situ.
Does not show: definitive causal proof; marks the reported association.
PMID 30796078 — Dreyer 2019
Tested: case report of melanotan-induced priapism.
Does not show: incidence rates; marks a serious adverse-event report with unregulated use.
PMID 31953620 — Peters 2020
Tested: case report and literature review raising Melanotan II as a possible cause of renal infarction.
Does not show: definitive causality for all users; marks a serious reported signal.
What is not established
Any approved indication for Melanotan II. Safe cosmetic tanning. Equivalence to FDA-approved bremelanotide (different labeled object, different regulatory status). That case-report melanoma associations equal proven causation — or that absence of a large RCT safety database equals safety. Product identity and purity for unregulated melanotan preparations. This drawer does not provide use advice, schedules, or sourcing.
Selected sources
8637402 9679884 11018622 11035391 9760697 28266027 19224885 34464955 21564053 22724573 30796078 31953620
Reported experiences
Tanning, libido, appetite
Reported topics are not established benefits.Risks and unknowns
Nausea, skin changes, blood-pressure effects, prolonged erections, unknown contaminants
Compare experiences with care.
Join the discussion
Verified members can contribute to compound conversations.