Melanotan II

What is melanotan II?

Melanotan II is an unlicensed and largely untested form of alpha alphamelanocytestimulating hormone, which causes pigmentation (tan) of human skin. Melanotan II is a variant of melanotan I (afamelanotide), a drug used in the treatment of erythropoietic protoporphyria.

Melanotan II is not currently approved for the treatment of any medical conditions. It has been reported to cause a wide range of potentially serious side effects. Warnings against its use have been issued from the United States, the United Kingdom, and several other countries.

How does melanotan II work?

Melanotan II non-selectively mimics the action of melanocortin peptides. These are natural hormones involved with pigmentation, energy. homeostasis, sexual functioning, the immune system, inflammation, and the cardiovascular system. Like melanotan I (afamelanotide), melanotan II stimulates the production of eumelanin, which causes the skin to darken (tan).

Melanotan II is usually given as a liquid injection under the skin, commonly every other day. Trials have shown that the tanning effect can occur in 5 doses.

Melanotan II Side Effects

Short-term side effects after administration include:

• redness of the face
• Decreased appetite, nausea and vomiting.
• In men, spontaneous erections 1 to 5 hours after administration (priapism), associated with yawning and stretching complexes.

In the long term, there is concern that melanotan II may increase the risk of:

• Melanoma – a potentially serious form of skin Cancer
• Deepening of the color of moles, new moles and atypical melanocytic naevi
• Melanonychia – brown to black discoloration of one or more nail
• Rhabdomyolysis – potentially fatal destruction of muscle cells
• encephalopathy syndrome

There is also concern about possible side effects due to contamination or lack of sterility if melanotan II is incorrectly prepared or needles are shared.

Sexual dysfunction

During clinical testing for use as a tanning agent, melanotan II was found to be a potent stimulator of male erections. A new drug based on melanotan II, bremelanotide, was developed to take advantage of this property. It has been observed in several studies to increase male erection rigidity and duration, as well as male sexual desire. It has also been shown to increase female sexual desire in patients with sexual arousal disorder.

Pharmacological interactions with melanotan II

No specific drug interactions with melanotan II have been identified.

Security measures

Melanotan II has not been fully tested, and due to possible side effects, it is not recommended that anyone use this medication.

There is no evidence on the use of melatonin II in pregnancy or lactation, but it is recommended to avoid it.