We use essential cookies (authentication, your saved goals/stack) by default. With your permission we’ll also enable privacy-respecting analytics (Vercel Web Analytics, anonymous load-time metrics) and error-replay diagnostics (Sentry — DOM snapshots only when an error fires) so we can fix bugs faster. Learn more about cookies
Mt22.0
Melanotan-2 Research
Mostly mechanism / observational
12 peer-reviewed studies
What the evidence says
Mostly mechanism / observational
Most Melanotan-2 studies are mechanism or observational rather than RCTs that measure a clinical effect — keep findings provisional.
Most evidence is from mixed-quality randomised trials published 1996–2026 with a typical study size of 1 participants.
Based on 12 studies · 2 RCTs · 18 total participants
Confidence
Low confidence
By outcome
Safety & serious harms
Mostly mechanism / observational9 studies
Skin tanning & pigmentation
Mostly mechanism / observational8 studies
Erectile & sexual arousalCentral MC4R agonism drives sexual arousal and erections (the mechanism behind the approved analog bremelanotide); grey-market melanotan-2 is non-selective with a serious harm cluster. · Acute (hours)
In plain English: Unregulated melanotan I and II use has caused serious adverse effects, including rhabdomyolysis, renal infarction, and priapism.
Resnick G, Khajeh-Afzaly M, Yousefian F, Raza A, Issa NT. · J Clin Aesthet Dermatol (2026)
PRISMA systematic review of self-tanning agents (68 studies), covering DHA, melanotan, forskolin and carotenoids
Unregulated melanotan I/II use has caused serious adverse effects including rhabdomyolysis, renal infarction and priapism
Frames melanotan as one of the dominant sunless-tanning agents in current use but emphasises its lack of regulation and long-term safety data
3Review2019
In plain English: The suspected causes were skin and other diseases (50%); immunosuppressive agents, chemotherapy or melanotan (41%)... Five cases of associated melanoma were reported.
Burian EA, Jemec GBE. · Am J Clin Dermatol (2019)
Systematic review of 179 patients with eruptive melanocytic nevi (sudden onset of new moles)
Drugs including melanotan were among the leading suspected triggers (41% with immunosuppressants/chemotherapy/melanotan)
16% of cases had at least one histologically confirmed dysplastic nevus; five associated melanomas were reported
Double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study in 10 men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction
Clinically apparent erections in 8 of 10 men; mean tip rigidity >80% lasted 38.0 min vs 3.0 min for placebo
Transient nausea, stretching/yawning and decreased appetite more frequent with melanotan-II
5In Vitro2015
In plain English: Users of these drugs may be exposed to a range of potential harms... given that these products are manufactured, distributed and supplied from an illicit market.
Breindahl T, Evans-Brown M, Hindersson P, McVeigh J, Bellis M, Stensballe A, Kimergård A. · Drug Test Anal (2015)
Analytical study of melanotan-II vials purchased from three illegal online shops
Vials from two shops contained unknown impurities (4.1-5.9%)
Actual melanotan-II content ranged 4.32-8.84 mg despite all shops claiming 10 mg per vial (under-dosing)
In plain English: Clinicians should be aware not only of the potential risks in relation to pigmented skin lesions, but also... transmission of infectious diseases, use of potentially contaminated products, polypharmacy, and sunbed exposure.
Gilhooley E, Daly S, McKenna D. · Dermatology (2021)
Qualitative thematic analysis of 623 entries from 205 participants on UK/Ireland online forums
Motivations were a tanned appearance (sun holidays, fitness/bodybuilding competitions) using an unregulated product
Themes included misinformation, self-administration, dosing regimens, sunbed use and concerning practices
In plain English: We present a review of Melanotan II and the possible effects of this drug on the kidneys by including a case of a renal infarction most likely attributed to Melanotan II.
Peters B, Hadimeri H, Wahlberg R, Afghahi H. · CEN Case Rep (2020)
Case report plus literature review implicating melanotan-II in renal infarction
Proposes thrombotic pharmacological influence and possible direct renal toxicity as mechanisms
Notes melanotan-II is a non-selective melanocortin agonist used grey-market for pigmentation and sexual stimulation
In plain English: These results demonstrate that MT-II has tanning activity in humans given only 5 low doses every other day by subcutaneous injection.
Dorr RT, Lines R, Levine N, Brooks C, Xiang L, Hruby VJ, Hadley ME. · Life Sci (1996)
Original phase-I pilot: single-blind, placebo-controlled trial in just 3 normal male volunteers
Subcutaneous melanotan-II produced increased facial, upper-body and buttock pigmentation after only five low doses
Spontaneous penile erections (1-5 h) and a stretching/yawning complex were observed; mild nausea was common, with somnolence/fatigue at higher dose
In plain English: This case study presents a patient... with acute priapism after abdominal subcutaneous injection of melanotan... Acute priapism is an unreported side effect of melanocortin analogue use.
Dreyer BA, Amer T, Fraser M. · BMJ Case Rep (2019)
Case report: acute low-flow priapism after subcutaneous melanotan injection for artificial tanning
Managed with cavernosal aspiration, irrigation and intracavernosal phenylephrine; surgical shunting avoided
Patient had not recovered erectile function at 4-week follow-up
In plain English: We present a case where the melanocyte stimulation of MT-II in combination with the use of sun tanning beds coincided with cutaneous melanoma.
Hjuler KF, Lorentzen HF. · Dermatology (2014)
Case report: a 20-year-old woman developed cutaneous melanoma after a 3-4 week course of self-injected melanotan-II to augment sunbed tanning
Skin was universally intensely pigmented; a suspicious black gluteal lesion was excised and histology confirmed melanoma
Authors warn the drug is unlicensed and incompletely tested, so the extent and types of adverse effects are unknown