Melanotan 2: Melanocortin Analogue Research Guide (2026)
Last updated
Introduction (research-only scope)
Melanotan 2 is a synthetic cyclic analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, developed in the 1980s at the University of Arizona in a programme originally aimed at photoprotection. It is widely discussed outside laboratories, which makes an accurate, evidence-anchored page more useful than usual. This guide covers the receptor pharmacology, the published safety literature and how to verify research-grade material.
Research use only. The material described here is a laboratory reagent for in-vitro research by qualified professionals. It is not a medicine, supplement, cosmetic ingredient or veterinary product, is not for human or animal use, and nothing on this page is medical advice or a claim of effect in any person.
What is Melanotan 2?
Melanotan 2 (molecular mass 1023.55, CAS 121062-08-6) is a cyclic heptapeptide that binds several melanocortin receptors with little selectivity, including MC1R, MC3R, MC4R and MC5R. That non-selectivity is the key difference from PT-141, which came out of the same research line but is comparatively MC3/MC4-selective. Peptra Labs supplies it as a lyophilised research reagent, 10 mg per vial.
How the reported mechanism works
Non-selective melanocortin agonism
MC1R activation on melanocytes is the pathway associated with pigmentation in the original photoprotection rationale, while MC3R and MC4R activity in the central nervous system is what links this compound family to appetite and behavioural studies.
Why selectivity matters in study design
Because the compound engages several receptors at once, effects observed in a model cannot be attributed to a single receptor without controls; researchers typically pair it with selective agonists or antagonists for that reason.
What the published evidence covers
Unlike most compounds here, part of the informative literature on melanotan 2 is safety case reporting from unregulated use outside laboratories, including a 2020 case report and literature review describing renal infarction. Those reports are not evidence about laboratory reagents, and they are also not something a supplier should hide: they are the clearest published reason why this compound is studied under controlled conditions and never used in people. Controlled human efficacy trials of melanotan 2 itself were not completed.
How to verify a Melanotan 2 research peptide is real and pure
Two tests answer two different questions: mass spectrometry confirms identity (expected molecular mass 1023.55), HPLC quantifies purity. Our specification is at least 98%. The published report for batch QYA038 reported 99.92% purity and can be checked on the testing laboratory’s own platform: third-party verification. Match the batch number printed on your vial against the lab reports archive rather than relying on a certificate image; what a valid certificate must contain is explained in how to read a certificate of analysis.
Storage and reconstitution
Store the lyophilised material sealed, dry and protected from light at 2 to 8 °C for routine laboratory use, colder for long-term archiving. After reconstitution with bacteriostatic water, keep refrigerated and use within the window your protocol defines; repeated freeze-thaw cycles degrade peptides. General handling for all our reagents is in the peptide storage protocol.
Regulatory status
Melanotan 2 is not an authorised medicine in the European Union, the United Kingdom or the United States, and several national agencies have issued public warnings about unlicensed injectable products sold under this name. The reagent supplied here is a laboratory material only. It is not named individually on the WADA Prohibited List, but section S0 covers substances without approval for human therapeutic use. Research-grade material supplied here is not a medicine and is for in-vitro laboratory use only. The wider framework, including anti-doping status, is described in the peptide risk profile.
Why labs choose our Melanotan 2
Batch-numbered vials, published reports where a batch has been tested, shipping from an EU warehouse with tracking (no customs inside the EU) and prices shown with VAT included. Product page: Melanotan 2 10 mg. Country-by-country sourcing questions are covered in the buyer guide Buy Melanotan 2 in Europe.
References
- Nakayama Y et al. Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report. CEN Case Rep. 2020. PubMed 31953620
- Pfaus JG et al. Selective facilitation of sexual solicitation in the female rat by a melanocortin receptor agonist. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004. PubMed 15226502