Melanotan 1
Melanotan 1 (Afamelanotide): Research Guide
Published by Peptara Labs · Updated · How we research and check our pages
The short answer
Melanotan 1, also written melanotan-1, is another name for afamelanotide, a lab-made version of the natural hormone alpha-MSH; the FDA approved it as Scenesse for adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria (FDA approval, 2019).
This page is general educational information, research-use framing only, not medical advice. Any decision about a research compound belongs with a qualified clinician.
What is melanotan 1?
Melanotan 1 is afamelanotide, a lab-made copy of the natural hormone alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) that the FDA approved as the product Scenesse (FDA approval, 2019).
It is a small peptide based on the alpha-MSH sequence, with two changes (Nle at position 4 and D-Phe at position 7) that make it more stable and longer-acting than the natural hormone. The names "melanotan 1," "melanotan-1," "melanotan I," and "afamelanotide" all point to the same molecule. It is not the same as melanotan II (MT-2), which is a more heavily altered peptide. The approved use is for adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), a rare inherited condition in which sunlight triggers skin pain (FDA approval, 2019).
How does melanotan 1 work?
Melanotan 1 binds the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) on pigment-making cells and pushes them to produce more eumelanin, the darker pigment that absorbs and scatters UV light.
Research on melanocortin signaling describes MC1R as the receptor most tied to skin and hair color. MC1R is a Gs-protein-coupled receptor, so when an agonist such as alpha-MSH or afamelanotide binds it, the cell raises its cyclic AMP signal, which shifts melanogenesis (the making of melanin) toward eumelanin (Herraiz et al., 2021, Pigment Cell Melanoma Res). In EPP, that added pigment is the basis for the approved use (FDA approval, 2019). Receptor focus is what separates the melanotan family: MC1R governs pigment, MC4R is linked to appetite and sexual function, and MC3R and MC5R have other roles. Because melanotan-1 leans toward MC1R, its main documented action is pigment, not appetite or sexual function.
How was melanotan-1 dosed in the research?
The strongest human data comes from the approved product, where afamelanotide is delivered as a subcutaneous implant placed by a healthcare professional, not as a self-chosen dose.
The FDA-approved labeling describes a fixed 16 mg implant of afamelanotide placed under the skin roughly every two months by a trained clinician (Scenesse prescribing information; FDA approval, 2019). That is the approved product's specification, not a recommendation, and an individual does not titrate it. This differs from the "tanning" peptides sold as research chemicals, which are powders for reconstitution with no approved dose and limited human safety data. PL does not provide dosing instructions. Research-reported amounts here describe what has been used in the approved setting, and any personal dose belongs with a qualified clinician.
What are the reported side effects of melanotan-1?
In the approved-use setting, reported effects include the intended skin darkening plus reactions such as nausea, fatigue, and changes at the implant site, and human safety data for cosmetic or unapproved use is limited.
Afamelanotide darkens skin by design, and its labeling notes it can also darken moles, which is why the FDA-approved information recommends a full-body skin examination twice a year (Scenesse prescribing information; FDA approval, 2019). That same labeling lists reactions such as nausea, fatigue, headache, and reactions where the implant is placed. Nausea is a theme across melanocortin drugs: in the bremelanotide (PT-141) phase 3 program, about 40 percent of participants reported nausea (Kingsberg et al., 2019). For melanotan-1 specifically, long-term safety in cosmetic or unregulated use has not been established in controlled human trials, so a clinician should oversee any use and watch for skin changes.
How does melanotan-1 compare with MT-2 and PT-141?
All three are melanocortin analogs that split by receptor: melanotan-1 acts mainly at MC1R for pigment and is approved for EPP, MT-2 activates several melanocortin receptors and is not approved, and PT-141 acts mainly at MC4R for sexual function and is approved for a desire disorder.
| Compound | Also called | Structure | Main receptor | Regulatory status | Best-cited human anchor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melanotan-1 | Afamelanotide, Scenesse | Linear alpha-MSH analog | MC1R (pigment) | Approved for EPP | FDA approval, 2019 |
| Melanotan II (MT-2) | MT-II | Cyclic, shortened analog | Non-selective (MC1R, MC3R, MC4R, MC5R) | Not approved | Human data limited |
| PT-141 | Bremelanotide, Vyleesi | MT-2 derived | MC4R (sexual function) | Approved for a sexual-desire disorder | Kingsberg et al., 2019 (RECONNECT phase 3) |
Because MT-2 is non-selective, reports describe effects beyond tanning, including appetite and sexual effects that reflect its MC3R and MC4R activity; it is not approved by a major regulator, and human safety data for it is limited. PT-141 is chemically derived from MT-2 but was developed for a different target, MC4R signaling in the brain linked to sexual arousal, and it carries the melanocortin-class nausea signal, reported in about 40 percent of participants in its phase 3 program (Kingsberg et al., 2019). Our MT1 vs MT2 comparison sets melanotan-1 and melanotan-2 side by side on receptor selectivity, regulatory status and reported effects, and our melanotan II (MT-2) page and PT-141 (bremelanotide) page carry the detail on each.
Is melanotan 1 approved for cosmetic tanning?
No. The only approved use of afamelanotide is erythropoietic protoporphyria, delivered as a clinician-placed implant, and no melanotan product is approved for cosmetic tanning, whatever it does to pigment.
The tanning peptides sold as research chemicals are not approved medicines and have not been tested for cosmetic use the way approved drugs are. Because melanotan-1 darkens moles as well as skin, and because long-term safety in this setting is not established, skin monitoring is emphasized, and any use belongs with a qualified clinician. PL supplies research materials for laboratory study and does not provide medical advice or dosing instructions.
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Related research and verification
Melanotan 1: FAQ
Is melanotan 1 the same as afamelanotide?
Yes. Melanotan 1 and afamelanotide are the same peptide, and the spellings melanotan-1 and melanotan I name it too; afamelanotide is the term used for the FDA-approved product Scenesse (FDA approval, 2019).
What does melanotan-1 do in the body?
It activates the MC1R receptor on pigment cells, which raises eumelanin, the darker pigment that absorbs UV light. In its approved EPP use, that added pigment is the point (FDA approval, 2019).
Is melanotan-1 the same as melanotan-2?
No. Melanotan-1 (afamelanotide) is a linear, MC1R-focused peptide approved for EPP, while melanotan-2 (MT-2) is a cyclic, non-selective peptide that also acts at MC3R, MC4R, and MC5R and is not approved. See our melanotan II page.
Does melanotan-1 work like PT-141 for sexual function?
No. PT-141 (bremelanotide) drives sexual-function effects mainly through MC4R, while melanotan-1 leans toward MC1R, so its main documented action is pigment, not sexual function.
What side effects have been reported with melanotan-1?
The FDA-approved labeling lists reactions such as nausea, fatigue, headache, and reactions at the implant site, plus darkening of skin and moles (Scenesse prescribing information; FDA approval, 2019). Nausea runs across the melanocortin class; bremelanotide (PT-141) caused nausea in about 40 percent of participants in its phase 3 program (Kingsberg et al., 2019).
Is melanotan-1 approved for tanning?
No. Afamelanotide is approved only for EPP and is given as a clinician-placed implant. No melanotan product is approved for cosmetic tanning, and human safety data for that use is limited.
How was melanotan-1 dosed in the research?
In the approved EPP setting it is delivered as a subcutaneous implant placed by a healthcare professional, not a self-chosen dose. PL does not provide dosing instructions, and personal dosing decisions belong with a qualified clinician.
What does melanotan 1 do to pigment?
It acts on pigment, which is why the question comes up. Melanotan 1 activates MC1R on pigment-making cells and pushes them to produce more eumelanin, the darker pigment that absorbs and scatters UV light, and in the approved EPP setting that added pigment is the whole point (FDA approval, 2019). Pigment is also where its documented action stops, since MC1R governs skin and hair color while appetite and sexual function sit with other melanocortin receptors. Whether that adds up to a cosmetic tan has never been tested the way an approved drug is tested.
Is melanotan 1 safe?
It depends entirely on the setting, and the two are not comparable. In the approved EPP use there is FDA-approved labeling, and that labeling calls for a full-body skin examination twice a year, because the compound darkens moles as well as skin (Scenesse prescribing information; FDA approval, 2019). Outside that setting there is no equivalent record: long-term safety in cosmetic or unregulated use has not been established in controlled human trials, and the tanning peptides sold as research chemicals are not approved medicines. That is why any use belongs with a qualified clinician who can watch for skin changes.
References
- Herraiz C, et al. The alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone/melanocortin-1 receptor interaction: a driver of pleiotropic effects beyond pigmentation. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 2021.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Scenesse (afamelanotide) implant, prescribing information; FDA approval, October 8, 2019.
- Kingsberg SA, Clayton AH, Portman D, et al. Bremelanotide for the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder: two randomized phase 3 trials (RECONNECT). Obstet Gynecol. 2019;134(5):899-908.
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General educational information only, research-use framing, not medical advice. Confirm the current status where you live and consult a qualified professional before acting.