Melanotan 2

Research summary

Melanotan II is a synthetic cyclic peptide analog of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone that activates multiple melanocortin receptors. Activating the skin-pigment receptor increases melanin production, while activation of central-nervous-system receptors was the basis for separate research into sexual arousal effects.

An early placebo-controlled study in three male volunteers given Melanotan II for pigmentation research noted unexpected erections after injection, prompting a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study in 10 men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction: 8 of 10 reported erections after Melanotan II versus none after saline. These are small, older studies; Melanotan II itself was never approved as a drug (a related, more selective compound was developed afterward and later approved —see PT-141).

Sources: Wessells, Levine, Hadley, Dorr, Hruby —International Journal of Impotence Research. Findings from published research —not a claim about this product, and not evidence of safety or effectiveness for human use.