Melanotan-1
Melanotan-1 (Afamelanotide): Research Guide
The short answer
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 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). See our melanotan II (MT-2) page and our PT-141 (bremelanotide) page for 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.
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.
Keep reading
Related research and verification
Melanotan-1: FAQ
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.