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Melanotan Chemical

A research-literature digest on Melanotan 2 — what the studies record about pigmentation, moles, and risk.

Melanotan 2 Sources Behind Each Health Claim

How do you find the paper behind a claim?

A small number follows each health claim. Like a road sign, that number points to one paper below. The list includes studies, doctor reports, and reviews of past work. PubMed is a public medical library where you can check each title and writer.

  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. Molinoff PB, Shadiack AM, Earle D, Diamond LE, Quon CY. PT-141: a melanocortin agonist for the treatment of sexual dysfunction. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2003;994:96-102. ↗
  4. Hueso-Gabriel L, Mahiques Santos L, Terrádez Mas L, Santonja López N. Eruptive dysplastic nevi following melanotan use. Actas Dermosifiliogr. 2012;103(4):329-331. ↗
  5. Eruptive naevi and darkening of pre-existing naevi 24 h after a single mono-dose injection of melanotan II. 2014. ↗
  6. Eruptive melanocytic naevi following melanotan injection. 2009. ↗
  7. Paurobally D, Jason F, Dezfoulian B, Nikkels AF. Melanoma associated with the use of melanotan-II. Dermatology. 2014;228(1):34-36. ↗
  8. Melanotan-associated melanoma. 2011. ↗
  9. Melanotan-associated melanoma in situ. 2012. ↗
  10. Dermoscopic changes in melanocytic nevi during use of melanotan II. Hautarzt. 2012;63(11):880-884. ↗
  11. Sivyer GW. Changes of melanocytic lesions induced by Melanotan injections and sun bed use in a teenage patient with FAMMM syndrome. Dermatol Pract Concept. 2012;2(3):10. ↗
  12. Identification and characterization by LC-UV-MS/MS of melanotan II skin-tanning products sold illegally on the Internet. 2015. ↗
  13. Langan EA, Ramlogan D, Jamieson LA, Rhodes LE. Change in moles linked to use of unlicensed "sun tan jab". BMJ. 2009;338:b277. ↗
  14. Melanotan II injection resulting in systemic toxicity and rhabdomyolysis. 2012. ↗
  15. 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. ↗
  16. Melanotan II overdose associated with priapism. 2013. ↗
  17. Melanotan Tanning Injection: A Rare Cause of Priapism. 2021. ↗
  18. Melanotan-induced priapism: a hard-earned tan. 2019. ↗
  19. Melanotan and the posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. 2013. ↗
  20. Hemodynamic actions and mechanisms of systemically administered α-MSH analogs in mice. 2012. ↗
  21. Systemic but not central nervous system nitric oxide synthase inhibition exacerbates the hypertensive effects of chronic melanocortin-3/4 receptor activation. 2011. ↗
  22. Melanotan II User Experience: A Qualitative Study of Online Discussion Forums. 2021. ↗
  23. The 'Barbie Drug' — marketing and perceptions of melanotan on social media. 2025. ↗
  24. 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. ↗
  25. Hadley ME, Dorr RT. Melanocortin peptide therapeutics: historical milestones, clinical studies and commercialization. Peptides. 2006;27(4):921-930. ↗
  26. Operation resistance: A snapshot of falsified antibiotics and biopharmaceutical injectables in Europe. 2016. ↗
  27. Risks of unregulated use of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone analogues: a review. 2017. ↗
  28. The unregulated use of melanotan-II is of public health interest to Australian dermatologists. 2017. ↗
  29. Melanotropic peptides: more than just 'Barbie drugs' and 'sun-tan jabs'? 2010. ↗
  30. Langendonk JG, et al. Afamelanotide for Erythropoietic Protoporphyria. N Engl J Med. 2015. ↗
  31. Long-term observational study of afamelanotide in 115 patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria. 2015. ↗
  32. Hadley ME, Dorr RT. Melanocortin peptide therapeutics: historical milestones, clinical studies and commercialization. Peptides. 2006;27(4):921-930. ↗
  33. The 'Barbie Drug' — marketing and perceptions of melanotan on social media. 2025. ↗
  34. Discovery and development of novel melanogenic drugs. Melanotan-I and -II. 1998. ↗
  35. 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. ↗
  36. Ryakhovsky VV, Khachiyan GA, Kosovova NF, Isamiddinova EF, Ivanov AS. The first preparative solution phase synthesis of melanotan II. Beilstein J Org Chem. 2008;4:39. ↗
  37. Bonchev A. Changes in Oral Mucosa Associated with Melanotan II Injections: A Case Report. Life (Basel). 2026;16(2):265. ↗
  38. O'Leary RE, Diehl J, Levins PC. Update on tanning: More risks, fewer benefits. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014;70:562-568. ↗