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Independent evidence before payment.
Melanocortin receptor agonist
Melanotan II carries an Evidence Grade of C (Medium confidence). The strongest published evidence catalogued is human (other).
Grade C rule: At least one other human study.
The grade reflects the strength of the published evidence, not safety or efficacy. “Confidence” means how settled that grade is given the record — not how likely the compound is to work.
Human-use stop
This compound is investigational, warned or not approved for human use. A seller calling it “research only,” showing testimonials, registering a company or publishing a COA does not create an approved consumer medicine. Seller links below are market-surveillance records, not recommendations.
Melanotan II is a melanocortin agonist associated with pigmentation effects. Regulators in several countries have issued specific safety warnings about unlicensed products.
Animal and in-vitro results are shown separately and must never be read as established human outcomes.
In plain terms: there are 2 human studies, but no randomised trial — the strongest test has not been done. Effects seen in smaller studies often do not hold up.
Strongest: randomised or pooled human trials.
none catalogued
Observational, open-label or small human studies.
Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report. CEN case reports, 2020.
A glimpse into the underground market of melanotan. Dermatology online journal, 2018.
Preclinical animal models — not a human outcome.
Melanotan II, a melanocortin agonist, partially rescues the impaired thermogenic capacity of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide deficient mice. Experimental physiology, 2021.
Melanotan-II reverses autistic features in a maternal immune activation mouse model of autism. PloS one, 2019.
Melanotan-II: Investigation of the inducer and facilitator effects on penile erection in anaesthetized rat. Neuroscience, 2006.
Cell / tissue studies — not a human outcome.
none catalogued
Proposed mechanism — hypothesis, not evidence of effect.
Melanotan-II reverses memory impairment induced by a short-term HF diet. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie, 2023.
Melanocortin receptor agonist melanotan-II microinjected in the nucleus accumbens decreases appetitive and consumptive responding for food. Neuropeptides, 2022.
CLIPSing Melanotan-II to Discover Multiple Functionally Selective hMCR Agonists. Journal of medicinal chemistry, 2022.
Melanotan II User Experience: A Qualitative Study of Online Discussion Forums. Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland), 2021.
Melanoma associated with the use of melanotan-II. Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland), 2014.
Melanotan II overdose associated with priapism. Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.), 2013.
Melanotan II injection resulting in systemic toxicity and rhabdomyolysis. Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.), 2012.
On “cited by N”: citation counts (Crossref) reflect how often a paper has been referenced — a measure of academic attention, not of validity, safety, or whether a compound works. They do not affect the Evidence Grade, which is set purely by the strength of the evidence tier.
Sold without authorisation in many markets; regulator warnings exist. Human safety data is limited and concerning in places.
Regulators have warned the public against buying unlicensed versions of this substance. Treat consumer sale as high-risk.
PepCred flags any vendor selling this compound to the public as a consumer-protection concern. Status reflects regulator records; see the regulatory detail below.
Registered studies:
No FDA-approved (US) drug labelling found for this compound. A search of openFDA returned no approved product containing it as an active ingredient.
This reflects US FDA approval only — other regulators (e.g. MHRA, EMA) may differ; see the note below. Absence of an approved label is not, by itself, a safety finding, and a “research use only” label does not establish safety, legality or correct identity.
PepCred note: Subject to regulator safety warnings; not approved.
MHRA warns the public against buying unlicensed Melanotan II products.
These unranked records show where the name was detected. For an investigational, warned or unapproved compound, no seller, company registration, review score or COA creates an approved human-use route.
None of these is verified for human use.