Melanotan 2 Rx

The literature

Melanotan 2 references

Every study cited across this site, listed with its PubMed link. Case reports are individual reports, not population risk estimates.

Back to the researchEffects & safety

How to read this list

The sources below are numbered to match the inline citations throughout the site. They include controlled human studies, animal experiments, case reports, and reviews. Where a study is a single case report, treat it as a documented individual event, not a measure of how common an effect is. Every entry links to its PubMed record so you can read the original abstract.

  1. Dorr RT, Lines R, Levine N, Brooks C, Xiang L, Hruby VJ, Hadley ME. Evaluation of melanotan-II, a superpotent cyclic melanotropic peptide in a pilot phase-I clinical study. Life Sci. 1996;58(20):1777-1784. ↗
  2. Wessells H, Fuciarelli K, Hansen J, Hadley ME, Hruby VJ, Dorr R, Levine N. Synthetic melanotropic peptide initiates erections in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction: double-blind, placebo controlled crossover study. J Urol. 1998;160(2):389-393. ↗
  3. Hadley ME, Dorr RT. Melanocortin peptide therapeutics: historical milestones, clinical studies and commercialization. Peptides. 2006;27(4):921-930. ↗
  4. Peters B, Hadimeri H, Wahlberg R, Afghahi H. Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report. CEN Case Rep. 2020;9(2):159-161. ↗
  5. Eliason NL, Martin L, Low MJ, Sharpe AL. Melanocortin receptor agonist melanotan-II microinjected in the nucleus accumbens decreases appetitive and consumptive responding for food. Neuropeptides. 2022;96:102289. ↗
  6. Bonchev A. Changes in Oral Mucosa Associated with Melanotan II Injections: A Case Report. Life (Basel). 2026;16(2):265. ↗
  7. Zhang Y, Collazo R, Gao Y, Li G, Scarpace PJ. Intermittent MTII application evokes repeated anorexia and robust fat and weight loss. Peptides. 2010;31(4):639-643. ↗
  8. Cote I, Sakarya Y, Kirichenko N, Morgan D, Carter CS, Tumer N, Scarpace PJ. Activation of the central melanocortin system chronically reduces body mass without the necessity of long-term caloric restriction. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2017;95(2):206-214. ↗
  9. Jonsson L, et al. The effects of the melanocortin agonist (MT-II) on subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue in rodents. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2007;322(3):1153-1161. ↗
  10. Heijboer AC, et al. Intracerebroventricular administration of melanotan II increases insulin sensitivity of glucose disposal in mice. Diabetologia. 2005;48(8):1621-1626. ↗
  11. Bhatt T, et al. Melanotan II, a melanocortin agonist, partially rescues the impaired thermogenic capacity of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide deficient mice. Exp Physiol. 2021;106(2):427-437. ↗
  12. Change in moles linked to use of unlicensed "sun tan jab". 2009. ↗
  13. Melanotan II injection resulting in systemic toxicity and rhabdomyolysis. 2012. ↗
  14. alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone-induced eruptive nevi. 2009. ↗
  15. Eruptive dysplastic nevi following melanotan use. (Case report). 2012. ↗
  16. Eruptive melanocytic naevi following melanotan injection. 2009. ↗
  17. Eruptive naevi and darkening of pre-existing naevi 24 h after a single mono-dose injection of melanotan II. (Case report). 2014. ↗
  18. Dermoscopic changes in melanocytic nevi during use of melanotan II. (Case report). 2012. ↗
  19. Melanotan-associated melanoma. (Case report). 2011. ↗
  20. Melanoma associated with the use of melanotan-II. (Case report). 2014. ↗
  21. Melanotan II User Experience: A Qualitative Study of Online Discussion Forums. 2021. ↗
  22. The 'Barbie Drug'-marketing and perceptions of melanotan on social media. 2025. ↗
  23. Melanotan II overdose associated with priapism. (Case report). 2013. ↗
  24. Melanotan Tanning Injection: A Rare Cause of Priapism. (Case report). 2021. ↗
  25. Habbema L, et al. Melanotan-induced priapism: a hard-earned tan. BMJ Case Rep. 2019;12(2):e227644. ↗
  26. Melanotan and the posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. (Case report). 2013. ↗
  27. Hemodynamic actions and mechanisms of systemically administered alpha-MSH analogs in mice. 2012. ↗
  28. Systemic but not central nervous system nitric oxide synthase inhibition exacerbates the hypertensive effects of chronic melanocortin-3/4 receptor activation. 2011. ↗
  29. Identification and characterization by LC-UV-MS/MS of melanotan II skin-tanning products sold illegally on the Internet. 2015. ↗
  30. LC-HRMS characterization of the skin pigmentation and sexual enhancers melanotan II and bremelanotide sold on the black market of performance and image enhancing drugs. 2021. ↗
  31. Operation resistance: A snapshot of falsified antibiotics and biopharmaceutical injectables in Europe. 2016. ↗
  32. Risks of unregulated use of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone analogues: a review. 2017. ↗
  33. The unregulated use of melanotan-II is of public health interest to Australian dermatologists. 2017. ↗
  34. PT-141: a melanocortin agonist for the treatment of sexual dysfunction. 2003. ↗
  35. Ugwu SO, Blanchard J, Dorr RT, Levine N, Brooks C, Hadley ME, Aickin M, Hruby VJ. Skin pigmentation and pharmacokinetics of melanotan-I in humans. Biopharm Drug Dispos. 1997;18(3):259-269. ↗
  36. Ugwu SO, Blanchard J, Nguyen LD, Hadley ME, Dorr RT. A comparison of HPLC and bioassay methods for plasma melanotan-II (MT-II) determination: application to a pharmacokinetic study in rats. Biopharm Drug Dispos. 1994;15(5):383-394. ↗
  37. Rossler AS, Pfaus JG, Kia HK, Bernabe J, Alexandre L, Giuliano F. The melanocortin agonist, melanotan II, enhances proceptive sexual behaviors in the female rat. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2006;85(3):514-521. ↗
  38. Afamelanotide for Erythropoietic Protoporphyria. 2015. ↗
  39. Long-term observational study of afamelanotide in 115 patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria. 2015. ↗