Melanotan II
Melanotan II is an unapproved melanocortin agonist. Indexed case reports document serious harms.
Checked by the PU Research editorial team — evidence-graded against primary sources. Last check: 23 July 2026. Sources: 3. Who checks this
Safety notice. Melanotan II is not approved in any country. Indexed case reports link it to rhabdomyolysis, priapism, renal infarction, posterior reversible encephalopathy, and melanoma. Several national health agencies published warnings. Read the safety section of its profile in full.
01Identity & Classification
Melanotan II is a synthetic cyclic melanocortin analog. It is a non-selective melanocortin receptor agonist.
It is not an approved drug. Sellers distribute it illicitly as a powder.
02Mechanism: How It Works
Melanotan II activates several melanocortin receptors. This drives melanogenesis. It also produces central sexual and erectile effects.
03Research Findings
Evidence tier: one small human study, plus case reports.
A small human study reported an increase in erectile activity and sexual arousal (Hadley et al.).
Most human exposure is illicit. The record comes through case reports and poison-center data. That is a lower evidence tier than a trial.
04Reported Dosing & Delivery
No high-authority dosing exists.
Users self-inject powders illicitly. Dosing errors are frequent, and one such error appears in panel 7.
Not approved for human use.
05Pharmacokinetics & Timing
No source characterizes the pharmacokinetics well.
06Interactions & Combinations
No source formally documents an interaction.
Compare with Melanotan I (Afamelanotide), which is an approved medicine with trial data.
07Safety & Contraindications
Indexed case reports document these harms:
- Priapism.
- Rhabdomyolysis.
- Renal dysfunction.
- Renal infarction.
- Posterior reversible encephalopathy.
- Melanoma.
- Darkening of nevi (moles).
One documented case. A 39-year-old man injected 6 mg subcutaneously. That was six times the reported starting dose. Within 2 hours his heart rate peaked at 146 beats per minute. His creatine phosphokinase rose to 17,773 IU/L, which indicates rhabdomyolysis. He developed acute kidney injury and spent 3 days in intensive care (Nelson et al., Clinical Toxicology 2012).
08Monitoring & Biomarkers
- Skin checks and mole checks.
- Renal function.
- Creatine kinase.
- Blood pressure.
09Regulatory Status
No country approves Melanotan II. Several national health agencies published warnings about it.
It is a non-approved substance, so WADA prohibits it under S0. See the WADA prohibited list status.
10Works Cited
- 01Nelson ME, et al. Clinical Toxicology, 2012;50(10):1169–73. View source →
- 02Cordon B, et al. Urology Case Reports, 2020 (priapism). View source →
- 03Case reviews of melanoma and renal infarction after Melanotan II exposure.
More in Melanocortin & Skin
Open the Melanocortin category →Research use only. This is not medical advice.
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