PEP-0057Research chemical

Melanotan 2

Also known as

Melanotan 2 is catalogued in the Peptides Pub research index, with coverage focused on Metabolic health.

Evidence

Preliminary· 3.5

Animal or in-vitro only

Risk band

Elevated

Serious AEs reported or theoretical

Research goals

Metabolic health

Summary

Melanotan II is a synthetic non-selective melanocortin-receptor agonist whose effects in humans include increased skin pigmentation and induction of spontaneous penile erection and sexual stimulation [1]. It is used as an unregulated product, with surveyed motivations including the pursuit of a tanned appearance ahead of sun holidays and bodybuilding competitions [3]. The human literature here is dominated by safety concerns rather than efficacy trials: case reports describe rhabdomyolysis, renal failure, and renal infarction attributed to the drug [1], and clinicians are cautioned about risks including pigmented skin lesions [3]. Other available evidence is preclinical or chemical, including reversal of high-fat-diet-induced memory impairment in zebrafish [2] and medicinal-chemistry work designing receptor-selective analogs [4]. There are no controlled interventional efficacy trials in the provided papers, so its therapeutic profile remains unestablished and safety-limited.

Sources

  1. 1. Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report CEN case reports, 2020.
  2. 2. Melanotan-II reverses memory impairment induced by a short-term HF diet Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie, 2023.
  3. 3. Melanotan II User Experience: A Qualitative Study of Online Discussion Forums Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland), 2021.
  4. 4. CLIPSing Melanotan-II to Discover Multiple Functionally Selective hMCR Agonists Journal of medicinal chemistry, 2022.

For educational purposes only.

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