- Also known as
- MT-II · MT2 · Melanotan 2 · MT-2
- Class
- Non-selective melanocortin receptor agonist (cyclic alpha-MSH analogue)
- Form
- Lyophilised powder in 10 mg vials and a ready-mixed nasal spray
- Sizes
- 10 mg
- Storage, dry
- −20 °C, dry and dark
- Storage, mixed
- 2–8 °C, use within 28 days of mixing (as generally reported for reconstituted peptides)
- BAC water per size
- 10 mg: 2 mL
- Molecular weight
- 1024.2 g/mol
What is Melanotan II?
The literature describes Melanotan II as non-selective melanocortin receptor agonist (cyclic alpha-MSH analogue). Its molecular weight is 1024.2 g/mol. Its sequence is recorded as Ac-Nle-cyclo[Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-NH2; a lactam bridge joins Asp and Lys. Published work on it is in rat, mouse, human and zebrafish. People have received it in 3 studies, none of them controlled, which means those results cannot separate the compound from everything else that changed. We hold it as lyophilised powder in 10 mg vials and a ready-mixed nasal spray; it is research material and nothing else. Nothing here is a medicine; it is not for human or veterinary use.
What the research shows
| Study | Model | Dose used | Duration | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dreyer BA et al.2019 · BMJ Case Rep · PMID 30796078 | Human, single case report | Not stated in the abstract (abdominal subcutaneous injection) | Single presentation; 4-week follow-up | A man presented with low-flow priapism after injecting melanotan. It was managed without surgical shunting, but erectile function had not recovered at 4 weeks. |
| Peters B et al.2020 · CEN Case Rep · PMID 31953620 | Human, case report with literature review | Not stated in the abstract | Not stated in the abstract | The authors report a renal infarction most likely attributed to Melanotan II and note earlier reports of rhabdomyolysis and renal failure. They suggest a thrombotic effect and possible direct kidney toxicity as mechanisms. |
| Gilhooley E et al.2021 · Dermatology · PMID 34464955 | Human, qualitative study of online forums (623 entries, 205 participants, UK and Ireland) | Not stated in the abstract | Forum data from January 2016 to October 2017 | Users sought a tan before holidays and fitness or bodybuilding competitions. The authors flagged risks to pigmented skin lesions, infection, contaminated products, polypharmacy and sunbed use. |
| Wessells H et al.2003 · Ann N Y Acad Sci · PMID 12851302 | Rat (awake males; anaesthetised rats for intracorporal pressure) | Graded doses i.c.v., intrathecal and i.v.; optimal erectile response at 1 microgram i.c.v. and intrathecal | Single dose, erections scored for 90 min | MT-II produced dose-dependent penile erections through brain and lumbosacral spinal melanocortin receptors, blocked by SHU-9119. Injected directly into the penis it did not raise intracorporal pressure, so the action is central, not in the penis. |
| Strader AD et al.2007 · J Pharmacol Exp Ther · PMID 17567964 | Mouse (diet-induced obese and low-fat fed), replicated in diet-induced obese rats | Not stated in the abstract (peripheral administration) | Not stated in the abstract | Obese mice given MT-II lost weight and body fat, with reductions in both visceral and subcutaneous fat; low-fat fed mice kept their body weight. Pair-fed controls lost similar weight but kept more fat. |
| Seeley RJ et al.2005 · Endocrinology · PMID 15932932 | Rat, diet-induced obesity (some pre-restricted to different body weights) | Various doses by osmotic minipump (values not stated in the abstract) | 28 days | Whatever the starting body fat, final body fat was set by the MT-II dose, and MT-II rats had less body fat than vehicle rats. Food-restricted rats given MT-II ate more than ad libitum rats given MT-II. |
| Wekwejt P et al.2023 · Biomed Pharmacother · PMID 37478579 | Zebrafish, short-term high-fat diet | Not stated in the abstract | About three weeks of high-fat diet | A high-fat diet impaired recognition memory, raised anxiety-like behaviour and reduced exploration. Fish on the high-fat diet given MT-II behaved like the control-diet group. |
| Bednarek MA et al.1999 · Peptides · PMID 10447101 | Cell/receptor assays (human MC3, MC4 and MC5 receptors) and NMR | Not applicable (in-vitro binding and activation) | Not applicable | Swapping His for Ala left potency similar to MT-II, Arg to Ala cut potency about 100-fold, and Phe or Trp to Ala gave inactive compounds. Retro, enantio and retro-enantio analogues lost much of their potency. |
What these studies don't show: The human work here is uncontrolled: pilot studies, case reports and retrospective reviews. No control arm means no way to attribute the change to the compound. Neither duration nor sample size supports a safety conclusion. A certificate of analysis answers what the material is, not what it does.
Every study links to its PubMed record. See all Melanotan II studies in the research library →
Melanotan II price in Canada: 10mg vial
Buy Melanotan II in Canada in a 10mg vial, plus a nasal spray and a starter kit. Prices are in Canadian dollars, you pay by Interac e-Transfer or bank transfer, and orders are shipped from Canadian stock.
| Size | Price | Per mg |
|---|---|---|
| 10 mg | $43.00 | $4.30/mg |
Other formats and kits
Is Melanotan II available in Canada?
No product containing Melanotan II holds a Drug Identification Number in Canada. That means Health Canada has not assessed it for safety, efficacy or quality. It is stocked here as laboratory research material and for no use in a person or an animal. How Health Canada treats research peptides →
Side effects reported in studies
Absence of a reported effect in a small study is not evidence of safety. Each statement is tied to the study that reported it. None of the cited abstracts states a tolerability finding for Melanotan II. Read more →
Doses used in studies
Melanotan II FAQ
What is Melanotan II?
Melanotan II is a non-selective melanocortin receptor agonist (cyclic alpha-MSH analogue), and that classification is where the published work starts. The published work on it is in rat, mouse, human and zebrafish. Borealis Peptides supplies it as lyophilised powder in 10 mg vials and a ready-mixed nasal spray for in-vitro laboratory research. It is not authorized as a medicine and is not for use in any living subject. Below, every cited paper is shown with the system it used and what it found.
Where can I buy Melanotan II in Canada?
It ships within Canada from stock we hold, in 10 mg vials. Nothing leaves without HPLC confirmation of identity and purity for that batch. Borealis Peptides accepts research orders only, and ships to research and business addresses. Testing is batch by batch, so the certificate matches the vial rather than the product line.
Is Melanotan II legal in Canada?
No product containing Melanotan II holds a Drug Identification Number in Canada. That means Health Canada has not assessed it for safety, efficacy or quality. It is stocked here as laboratory research material and for no use in a person or an animal. Health Canada has said that "Research Use Only" labelling does not make a product legal to use in a person, so we treat it as a description of what the material is supplied for rather than a permission.
How much Melanotan II should I use?
There is none to give. Nothing on this site is a protocol, a schedule or a reconstitution volume. The amounts in the cited studies belong to those studies and to the models they ran in, and they are listed so the evidence can be weighed rather than taken on trust.
What human evidence is there for Melanotan II?
There is human work, but none of it is controlled. 3 studies involved people, as pilots, case reports or retrospective reviews. Without a control group these cannot show that the compound caused what was observed, and the page says so beside the table.
How long does Melanotan II keep?
Storage for the sealed vial is −20 °C, away from light and moisture. Solutions are held at 2–8 °C. Ambient transit does not harm the dry powder, which should be refrigerated once received. Light and repeated warming do more damage than the journey.
Does Melanotan II need bacteriostatic water?
The nasal spray arrives as a finished solution in its own bottle, so nothing is added to it: no bacteriostatic water, no mixing, no transfer. Only the lyophilised vial is supplied dry, and that is the one format bacteriostatic water applies to. It is sold separately.
How is the purity of Melanotan II confirmed?
Identity and purity are confirmed by HPLC for each batch, not once per product. The certificate names the batch it belongs to, and that batch number is on the vial, so a result can be traced back to the exact material that produced it. Ask with your order number and we send it.
How does Melanotan II compare with PT-141 and Melanotan I?
They are different compounds with different published records, and this site does not rank them. PT-141 and Melanotan I have 8 cited studies and 8 cited studies on their page against 8 here. Reading both tables, with the models each used, is the comparison worth making.
Why is Melanotan II named in a Health Canada advisory?
Because it was among the peptides seized from sellers offering unauthorized injectable products online. The advisory concerns material sold for people to inject without authorization. Borealis Peptides supplies research material for laboratory use and sells nothing for injection or for any use in a person, which is the line that advisory draws.
Compare with
Related compounds
PT-141
Melanocortin receptor agonist (MC3R and MC4R; cyclic alpha-MSH analogue)
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Melanotan I
Melanocortin-1 receptor agonist (linear alpha-MSH analogue)
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KPV
Melanocortin-derived tripeptide (C-terminal fragment of α-MSH)
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GHK-Cu
Copper-binding tripeptide (Gly-His-Lys copper complex)
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