Peptide reference
Melanotan II
Melanotan-II ·MT-II ·MT2
What cited sources report about Melanotan II
Melanotan II is a cyclic synthetic heptapeptide analog of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) developed at the University of Arizona in the 1980s as a research tool for melanocortin-receptor pharmacology. The peptide is currently slated for FDA Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (PCAC) review at a meeting in February 2027 (exact date pending). As of the cited literature, Melanotan II has no FDA-approved indication and no marketing authorization in any major jurisdiction. Its 4-residue analog afamelanotide (Scenesse®) is FDA-approved for erythropoietic protoporphyria, but afamelanotide is a distinct molecule and not the same compound as Melanotan II. The summaries below report what individual cited sources state; this page does not assert claims beyond what those sources report.
Bonchev (2026) — Life (Basel)
A case report from the Faculty of Dental Medicine at the Medical University of Sofia documented a patient who self-administered Melanotan II injections for 64 days. On intraoral examination, the author observed brown pigmentation on attached gingiva in both arches and on bilateral buccal mucosa; at three-month follow-up after discontinuation, gingival pigmentation persisted with reduced intensity. The author explicitly described Melanotan II as unlicensed and unregulated, and characterized its mechanism as melanocortin-1-receptor activation.
Melanotan II is an unlicensed synthetic peptide analog belonging to the melanocortin hormone family. It acts primarily by activating melanocortin 1 receptors on melanocytes, stimulating eumelanin production and resulting in skin pigmentation independent of sun exposure. Despite its popularity, particularly through promotion on social media, Melanotan II remains unregulated, and its use is associated with a range of potential adverse effects.
Janvier et al. (2018) — Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis
A review from Sciensano (the Belgian government public-health institute) and Ghent University surveyed falsified biotechnology drugs, including Melanotan II, and described the analytical workflows used to identify these products in regulatory seizures. The authors observed that unauthorized polypeptides have been found in seizures alongside polypeptides that have failed clinical trials, and that end-users of falsified preparations have no guarantee of safety or efficacy.
Next to the traditional doping related substances and image-enhancing polypeptides (e.g., human growth hormone, melanotan II) also essential medicines such as insulin, oxytocin and monoclonal antibodies have been falsified.
Hsieh et al. (2021) — Biomedicines
Researchers at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and National Taiwan Ocean University used genetically engineered α-MSH-mutant zebrafish to study melanocortin signalling, with Melanotan II employed as a research-tool melanocortin-receptor agonist for rescue experiments. The authors observed that hindbrain ventricle injection of Melanotan II completely rescued the orexigenic and weight-gain phenotype seen in α-MSH-depleted zebrafish.
The orexigenic actions of α-MSH mutants are rescued completely after hindbrain ventricle injection with a synthetic analog of α-MSH and a melanocortin receptor agonist, Melanotan II.
PubChem CID 92432 — National Center for Biotechnology Information
The PubChem compound record for Melanotan II catalogues the cyclic α-MSH analog and aggregates synonym sets (including MT-II), molecular descriptors, and links to underlying chemical and biological literature.
Coverage notes
The cited literature documents that Melanotan II is widely encountered in regulatory seizures of falsified biotechnology drugs (Janvier 2018) and is associated with case-report dermatologic and oral-mucosal findings (Bonchev 2026). Melanotan II should not be confused with afamelanotide (Scenesse®), an FDA-approved 13-amino-acid α-MSH analog distinct from Melanotan II. No FDA-approved indication exists for Melanotan II. This page will be updated when the February 2027 PCAC briefing materials are released.