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Updated October 11, 2026For research, development and manufacturing use only. Not for human or veterinary use.
Cosmetic & Skin · Source-reviewed dossier
Melanotan I
Source-Reviewed Research Dossier
Melanotan I is a research peptide often linked to afamelanotide, a synthetic version of the natural hormone α-MSH. In a small human study, repeated injections of such a peptide caused measurable skin darkening that lasted weeks, with subcutaneous delivery fully bioavailable versus intravenous, while oral dosing produced no detectable drug. That early work helped justify a controlled-release implant approved only for adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria, a condition causing painful sunlight reactions. Catalog Melanotan I powder is a research material, not that implant, and no published evidence supports treating it as interchangeable or as a safe tanning product.
Research use only
Lot documents on request
Compound overview
Shared values below are consolidated from the current catalog record. They are not independent verification or lot results; request the applicable product specification and ask which lot records are available before ordering.
Product identity
- Product type
- Peptide research compound
- Catalog family
- Melanotan I
- Research category
- Cosmetic & Skin
- Catalog CAS RN
- 75921-69-6
- Catalog molecular formula
- C78H111N21O19
- Catalog molecular weight
- 1646.85 g/mol
- Catalog sequence
- Ac-Ser-Tyr-Ser-Nle-Glu-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly-Lys-Pro-Val-NH2
- Identity boundary
- The name Melanotan I is used inconsistently; equivalence to licensed afamelanotide requires exact sequence, formulation and product documentation.
- Evidence status
- Human pigmentation pharmacology and one product-specific FDA approval; catalog material is not SCENESSE
- Intended use
- Research, development and manufacturing use only
Literature reference parameters
- Compound or material class
- Afamelanotide-related α-MSH analogueCatalog-family identity
- Evidence scope
- Human pigmentation pharmacology and one product-specific FDA approval; catalog material is not SCENESSEDo not generalize beyond the cited model
- Source review
- Primary or authoritative records linked belowChecked 2026-09-01
Identity safeguard Reference identifiers above describe the literature compound record. Confirm the supplied form, formula, molecular weight, purity and storage conditions against the applicable product specification and any available lot records.
How Melanotan I is studied
A target-to-pathway view grounded in the linked research records.
Reported research findings
What published studies report about Melanotan I
Reported outcomes are paired with their experimental model and evidence boundary.
Human pharmacology study
Pigmentation and pharmacokinetics were studied in volunteers
An early human study evaluated the synthetic melanotropin analogue now associated with afamelanotide.
Early experimental exposure does not establish safety for unapproved tanning formulations.
Read the primary studyFDA prescribing information
SCENESSE approval is formulation- and indication-specific
The label covers a 16 mg controlled-release implant for adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria.
It does not approve catalog Melanotan I, self-injection or cosmetic tanning.
Read the primary studyTranslation boundary: findings are limited to the evidence level stated on each card. Experimental protocol quantities are research details, not usage instructions.
Catalog options
Variant specifications
Pack-level catalog data; lot-level controls remain document-specific.
Catalog no.MT1
Pack size10 mg × 10 vials
Specification & documents for MT1
Product specification
Single-component peptide · 10 mg/vial nominal · 10-vial pack · supplied form and release limits controlled by lot specification.
Lot documentation
Document availability and scope must be confirmed for this variant and lot in the written quotation. A catalog description is not a lot-specific test result.
Quality documentation
A listed document is not proof of availability for this lot. Ask the team to confirm the current COA status and the scope of any other records before ordering.
Lot-specific Certificate of AnalysisAvailability and scope must be confirmed for the selected catalog variant and lot
COA availability unconfirmed
Ask about availability
Product Specification SheetAvailability and scope must be confirmed for the selected catalog variant and lot
Confirm before ordering
Request
Analytical Method SummaryAvailability and scope must be confirmed for the selected catalog variant and lot
Confirm before ordering
Request
Analytical interpretation
Interpret the documents, not just the headline number.
Use the source-reviewed guide to separate chromatographic area purity, quantitative assay, LC-MS identity, composition and stability evidence before comparing variants or requesting a lot record.
Open the Quality & Documentation HubHPLC area ≠ assayA dominant peak does not establish target mass fraction.
Intact mass ≠ full sequenceIdentity strength depends on resolution and orthogonal evidence.
Counterions affect contentWater, salt form and solvents change the as-is composition.
Storage needs a data basisShipping practice is not the same as stability evidence.
Evidence map
Research context
Published studies and regulatory records, not customer testimonials or usage guidance.
Pigmentation and pharmacokinetics were studied in volunteers
Early experimental exposure does not establish safety for unapproved tanning formulations.
View primary recordSCENESSE approval is formulation- and indication-specific
It does not approve catalog Melanotan I, self-injection or cosmetic tanning.
View primary recordEvidence boundary: each card states its evidence type. Human trials and regulatory records describe the studied or regulated intervention; preclinical records remain model-specific. None verifies the identity, quality, safety or efficacy of this catalog lot or provides usage instructions.
Curated references
Third-party publications selected for direct relevance.
-
01
Human pharmacology study
Human pigmentation and pharmacokinetics of a synthetic melanotropin
Human study. 1997. PMID 9113347.
-
02
FDA prescribing information
SCENESSE (afamelanotide) prescribing information
U.S. FDA label, revised 2024.
Melanotan I questions
Concise answers for researchers comparing identity, evidence and catalog variants.
What effects are studied for Melanotan I?
In a small pharmacokinetic trial, repeated subcutaneous or intravenous dosing produced measurable tanning of the forehead, arms and neck. The effect peaked about one week after dosing and was still detectable three weeks later. Subcutaneous dosing was fully bioavailable compared with intravenous, while oral dosing yielded no detectable drug. Side effects were minimal, but the small number of volunteers and short follow-up do not establish safety or effectiveness for unapproved tanning products.
How should the Melanotan I research findings be understood?
The approved product is a 16 mg controlled-release implant for adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria. Its formulation, release profile, indication and risk controls belong to that specific product, not to research powder sold as Melanotan I. A research material and a licensed implant share a related peptide sequence but are not the same material. Published implant outcomes cannot be assigned to unapproved formulations, self-injection or cosmetic tanning.
What evidence is available for Melanotan I?
Human pigmentation studies and a narrow product approval exist, but no general tanning approval follows.
Does the cited research validate this catalog material?
No. The cited records describe their own intervention, formulation, model and controls. They do not verify the identity, purity, sterility, safety or efficacy of a catalog lot.
Which quality documents can be requested?
A lot-specific COA, product specification sheet and analytical method summary can be requested where applicable.
How should Melanotan I be stored?
Store at -20 °C, protected from light and moisture. After reconstitution, aliquot and avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Confirm the applicable storage statement on the product-specific specification and lot documentation.
Knowledge center
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Knowledge tools
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Internal technical source review
Claims were checked against the linked primary publication, regulatory label or authoritative compound record. Published findings stay attached to their study model, formulation and route. Catalog identity and lot quality remain controlled by the applicable specification and lot-specific documents.
Technical procurement
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Selected: MT1 · 10 mg × 10 vials