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Hedi Raizer

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Melanotan II: sourcing, documentation and price

Melanotan II is a synthetic melanocortin receptor agonist sold for laboratory research. This page covers its identifiers, the receptor family its work centres on, and what the published record shows across in vitro, anim

peptides-pro Editorial

Melanotan II (also written MT-II, and known in the literature as the synthetic melanocortin analogue [Nle4, D-Phe7]-alpha-MSH) is a cyclic heptapeptide belonging to the melanocortin hormone family. It is an unlicensed synthetic peptide analogue, and the evidence block for this page does not supply a sequence, molecular formula or molecular weight, so none is stated here. The work on this compound centres on the melanocortin receptor family, a group of Class A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) with five subtypes, of which the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) on melanocytes is the principal target discussed in the pigmentation literature [1][6].

Melanotan II is not an approved medicine in any jurisdiction covered by the sources below, and its sale is described as illegal in the United Kingdom [3]. It is supplied to laboratories as a research-use-only material. The sections that follow set out what the published record reports, model by model, and flag plainly where the evidence is animal-only, in vitro, or a single case observation.

Research Studies

Melanotan II and MC1R activation in melanocytes

The mechanistic account given in the clinical case literature is that Melanotan II acts primarily by activating melanocortin 1 receptors on melanocytes, stimulating eumelanin production and producing skin pigmentation independent of sun exposure [1]. This is a receptor-level description rather than a report of a controlled experiment, and it is consistent with the broader characterisation of the melanocortin receptors as a centrally and peripherally expressed family of Class A GPCRs with roles including pigmentation and steroidogenesis [6]. The melanocortin-2 receptor (MC2R) is distinguished from the other subtypes in that reference work, which is relevant when interpreting selectivity claims for any melanocortin tool compound [6].

Melanotan II and oral mucosal pigmentation in a self-administering subject

A case report followed a patient who self-administered Melanotan II injections over a period of 64 days with the goal of achieving a deeper tanning effect, with three-month follow-up [1]. On initial intraoral examination, brown pigmentation was observed. This is a single-subject observational finding in a person using an unregulated product of unknown purity, and it does not establish incidence, dose-response, or causality in any generalisable sense. It is included here because it is one of the few human observations in the evidence block that describes a tissue-level pigmentation change with a stated exposure period [1].

Melanotan II and repigmentation in stable nonsegmental vitiligo

An interventional study record describes a randomized Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating investigational Melanotan II as an adjunct to standard NB-UVB phototherapy for repigmentation in adults with stable nonsegmental vitiligo [2]. The population is adults with stable nonsegmental vitiligo; the design is randomised, Phase 2, and adjunctive rather than monotherapy. A registered trial record is a statement of intended design and does not by itself report an outcome, so no efficacy claim is made here [2].

Melanotan II and oral mucosal malignant melanoma in a nasal spray user

A published case reports a 22-year-old female who developed a mass in the anterior maxilla after using Melanotan II, described as a nasal spray containing a synthetic analogue of melanocyte-stimulating hormone, for tanning purposes [3]. The paper frames the product as a possible risk factor for oral mucosal malignant melanoma. This is a single case report in one patient, and it cannot support a causal or quantitative risk statement. It is noted because it is part of the documented human record for this compound and because it concerns a non-injection route [3].

Melanotan II and antidepressant-like and antistress effects in male rats

An animal study examined the ACTH(4-10) synthetic analogues Semax and Melanotan II in male rats using a model of chronic unpredictable stress, reporting antidepressant-like and antistress effects [4]. The rationale given is that stressful events and hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis play an important role in the pathogenesis of depression, and that existing antidepressant therapy has substantial limitations [4]. This is an animal-only finding in male rats under an experimental stress paradigm. It does not translate to a human behavioural or psychiatric outcome, and no such claim is made here.

Melanotan II and analytical identification in seized samples

A laboratory identification study describes samples submitted for analysis, including two vials with a pharmaceutical appearance, and reports the unique characteristics observed during analysis of the powder contained in the vial [5]. Samples were subjected to HPLC-DAD, UHPLC-TOF-MS, and/or UPLC-MS-MS [5]. This is an analytical chemistry report on submitted samples, not a pharmacological study, and it speaks to identification methodology rather than to any biological effect. It is relevant to sourcing discussions only insofar as it documents that products presented as pharmaceutical in appearance may require instrumental confirmation of identity [5].

Melanotan II and melanocortin receptor tool-compound characterisation

A reference work on recommended tool compounds for the melanocortin receptor GPCRs describes the family as centrally and peripherally expressed Class A GPCRs with physiological roles including pigmentation, steroidogenesis and energy homeostasis, and notes that several roles remain to be fully characterised [6]. Five subtypes are recognised, with MC2R set apart from the others [6]. This is background framing for receptor-selectivity work; it does not report an experiment on Melanotan II itself, and no compound-specific potency or selectivity figure is available in the evidence block.

Melanotan II and the limits of the current evidence base

Across the sources above, the human material consists of two case reports and one registered trial record [1][2][3]; the controlled experimental material is animal-only [4]; and the remaining items are an analytical identification report and a receptor-family reference work [5][6]. There is no in vitro cell-culture study of Melanotan II in the evidence block, and no pharmacokinetic dataset. Any statement about potency, half-life, receptor selectivity or dose-response for this compound would therefore be unsupported by the sources available here, and none is made.

Comparison of evidence types

SourceModel or populationEvidence typeWhat it reports
[1]One self-administering adult, 64-day injection courseCase report, 3-month follow-upBrown oral mucosal pigmentation on intraoral examination
[2]Adults with stable nonsegmental vitiligoRandomised Phase 2 trial recordInvestigational MT-II as adjunct to NB-UVB phototherapy
[3]22-year-old female, nasal spray userCase reportAnterior maxillary mass; product framed as possible risk factor
[4]Male rats, chronic unpredictable stressAnimal studyAntidepressant-like and antistress effects
[5]Submitted samples, including two vialsAnalytical identificationHPLC-DAD, UHPLC-TOF-MS and/or UPLC-MS-MS characterisation
[6]Receptor family, no compound-specific dataReference workFive MCR subtypes; MC2R distinguished from the others

Sourcing and documentation considerations

Two points in the evidence bear directly on sourcing. First, Melanotan II is described as unlicensed, with sale illegal in the United Kingdom, and its popularity is attributed in part to social media promotion [1][3]. Second, the analytical identification report documents that vials with a pharmaceutical appearance were submitted for laboratory identification and required instrumental methods to characterise the powder inside [5]. Together these support a documentation practice in which identity is confirmed analytically rather than inferred from packaging, and in which the regulatory status of the material is recorded alongside the certificate of analysis.

For laboratory work, the practical documentation set for a research-use-only peptide typically includes a certificate of analysis stating identity and purity method, a batch or lot number traceable to the analytical run, and a safety data sheet. The evidence block does not provide purity specifications, storage conditions, solubility data or price figures for Melanotan II, so no such values are stated on this page. Where a catalogue listing exists, the specification fields on that listing are the appropriate place to read them.

If you are reading this for personal health reasons

This material is sold for laboratory research only, and we do not provide dosing or medical guidance of any kind. Anyone considering a compound for themselves should speak to a licensed clinician. The sources cited above describe unlicensed use, adverse findings and illegal sale, and they are not a basis for self-administration.

Sources

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