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Check the sources

Melanotan 2 References for Every Numbered Claim

You can check small studies in people, tests in animals, doctors' reports, and broad reviews.

Return to the studiesReview the dangers

What each kind of source can tell you

Each number in the text matches one source below. Human studies ranged from three people to twenty. They mainly looked at darker skin and erections. A small study may find an effect while missing a rare harm.

Many safety sources are doctors' reports about one patient. Such a report shows that the harm happened to that person, but doesn't show how common the harm is. Reviews bring several papers together. Lab checks tell you what sellers put in online vials. Knowing the source helps you decide how much trust to place in a claim.

  1. Dorr RT, Lines R, Levine N, Brooks C, Xiang L, Hruby VJ, Hadley ME. Evaluation of melanotan-II, a superpotent cyclic melanotropic peptide in a pilot phase-I clinical study. Life Sci. 1996;58(20):1777-1784. ↗
  2. Wessells H, Fuciarelli K, Hansen J, Hadley ME, Hruby VJ, Dorr R, Levine N. Synthetic melanotropic peptide initiates erections in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction: double-blind, placebo controlled crossover study. J Urol. 1998;160(2):389-393. ↗
  3. Hadley ME, Dorr RT. Melanocortin peptide therapeutics: historical milestones, clinical studies and commercialization. Peptides. 2006;27(4):921-930. ↗
  4. Cardones AR, Grichnik JM, et al. Dermoscopic changes in melanocytic nevi during use of melanotan II. Hautarzt. 2012;63(11):880-884. ↗
  5. Nelson ME, Bryant SM, Aks SE. Melanotan II injection resulting in systemic toxicity and rhabdomyolysis. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2012;50(10):1169-1173. ↗
  6. Peters B, Hadimeri H, Wahlberg R, Afghahi H. Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report. CEN Case Rep. 2020;9(2):159-161. ↗
  7. Habbema L, et al. Melanotan-induced priapism: a hard-earned tan. BMJ Case Rep. 2019;12(2):e227644. (See also references 16-18 on priapism and 19 on PRES.) ↗
  8. [alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone-induced eruptive nevi.] 2009. ↗
  9. Eruptive melanocytic naevi following melanotan injection. 2009. ↗
  10. Eruptive naevi and darkening of pre-existing naevi 24 h after a single mono-dose injection of melanotan II. 2014. ↗
  11. Hueso-Gabriel L, Mahiques Santos L, Terradez Mas L, Santonja Lopez N. Eruptive dysplastic nevi following melanotan use. Actas Dermosifiliogr. 2012;103(4):329-331. ↗
  12. Melanoma associated with the use of melanotan-II. 2014. ↗
  13. Melanotan-associated melanoma. 2011. ↗
  14. Melanotan-associated melanoma in situ. 2012. ↗
  15. Changes of melanocytic lesions induced by Melanotan injections and sun bed use in a teenage patient with FAMMM syndrome. 2012. ↗
  16. Devlin JJ, Hung YM, et al. Melanotan II overdose associated with priapism. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2013;51(4):383. ↗
  17. Tonseth KA, et al. Melanotan Tanning Injection: A Rare Cause of Priapism. Sex Med. 2021;9(1):100298. ↗
  18. Habbema L, et al. Melanotan-induced priapism: a hard-earned tan. BMJ Case Rep. 2019;12(2):e227644. ↗
  19. Melanotan and the posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. 2013. ↗
  20. Hemodynamic actions and mechanisms of systemically administered alpha-MSH analogs in mice. 2012. ↗
  21. Systemic but not central nervous system nitric oxide synthase inhibition exacerbates the hypertensive effects of chronic melanocortin-3/4 receptor activation. 2011. ↗
  22. Assessment of the aversive consequences of acute and chronic administration of the melanocortin agonist, MTII. 2003. ↗
  23. Identification and characterization by LC-UV-MS/MS of melanotan II skin-tanning products sold illegally on the Internet. 2015. ↗
  24. LC-HRMS characterization of the skin pigmentation and sexual enhancers melanotan II and bremelanotide sold on the black market of performance and image enhancing drugs. 2021. ↗
  25. Eliason NL, Martin L, Low MJ, Sharpe AL. Melanocortin receptor agonist melanotan-II microinjected in the nucleus accumbens decreases appetitive and consumptive responding for food. Neuropeptides. 2022;96:102289. ↗
  26. Operation resistance: A snapshot of falsified antibiotics and biopharmaceutical injectables in Europe. 2016. ↗
  27. Risks of unregulated use of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone analogues: a review. 2017. ↗
  28. Melanotropic peptides: more than just 'Barbie drugs' and 'sun-tan jabs'? 2010. ↗
  29. The unregulated use of melanotan-II is of public health interest to Australian dermatologists. 2017. ↗
  30. The 'Barbie Drug' - marketing and perceptions of melanotan on social media. 2025. ↗
  31. Bonchev A. Changes in Oral Mucosa Associated with Melanotan II Injections: A Case Report. Life (Basel). 2026;16(2):265. ↗
  32. PT-141: a melanocortin agonist for the treatment of sexual dysfunction. 2003. ↗
  33. Biolcati G, Marchesini E, Sorge F, Barbieri L, Schneider-Yin X, Minder EI. Long-term observational study of afamelanotide in 115 patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria. Br J Dermatol. 2015;172(6):1601-1612. ↗