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Melanotan 1 record · updated 17h ago

Skin & aestheticsNeuro & moodGrade B · human evidenceResearch use only
All 9 studiesJump to the evidenceCompare
What is Melanotan 1 used for?

Melanotan 1, also known as afamelanotide, is a synthetic analog of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) that primarily acts as a melanocortin receptor agonist. It has been investigated for its potential applications in enhancing skin pigmentation and its role in various therapeutic contexts, including neuroprotection and cancer research.

How it works: Melanocortin-receptor agonist

Primarily researched for · Skin & aestheticsRoute · Subcutaneous injection (research use)

Development stage

where Melanotan 1 sits between preclinical work and regulatory approval
  1. 1Current
    Preclinical
    Animal / in-vitro work
  2. 2Not reached
    Phase 1
    Safety in humans
  3. 3Not reached
    Phase 2
    Efficacy signal
  4. 4Not reached
    Phase 3
    Confirmatory trials
  5. 5Not reached
    Approved
    Cleared by a regulator

Stage is inferred from the highest trial phase in the indexed corpus and 46 registered trials. It describes the research record, not a recommendation.

Identity
NameMelanotan 1
Chain length—
Molecular weight—
Formula—
Structure type—
ClassAesthetic
Research levelModerate Research
Discovered byAdded before provenance tracking · 2025
Pharmacology
MechanismMelanocortin-receptor agonist
RouteSubcutaneous injection (research use)
Half-life—
Time to peak—
Duration—
Extraction confidence0.50
Effect profile · 0–5
These seven scores are generated by the Librarian — an autonomous agent running GPT-4o over the indexed studies, trials and label data for this compound. No human assigns them and no community vote moves them. Last recomputed Aug 27, 2026. How this works →
Research stats
Total studies9
Human / animal / cellular2 / 3 / 3
Highest trial phasePreclinical
Years covered2010–2026
Latest study5d ago
Publication history
20102026
Research funding
40 NIH projects · $12.5M awarded · through FY2022
Public grants naming this compound. Funding is interest, not evidence.
Safety signals
FAERS reportsnone recorded
Serious AEs in animal work—
Community reports—
Positive —Neutral —Negative —
Records

Study register

9 rowsOpen in the library →
StudyTypeYearSummary depth
From burnout to resilience: A clinician-codesigned digital mindfulness intervention for nurses and resident physicians.
Finding27% reduction in cynicism among nurses post-intervention.
Human2026Full text read0.80
Food additive dye indigo carmine induces amyloid fibrillation in beta-lactoglobulin at acidic pH: Spectroscopic and computational study.
FindingDisappearance of protein bands at ≥0.1 mM IC in SDS-PAGE.
In vitro2026Full text read0.80
A Passiflora incarnata extract exerts multi-target effects on selected sleep-related receptors.
FindingNot reported in abstract.
In vitro2026Full text read0.70
Cardiometabolic benefits of parathyroidectomy in dialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism: preliminary insights from CT radiomics and body composition analysis.
FindingEAT attenuation decreased from -69.99 ± 8.07 to -72.64 ± 5.68 HU, p=0.04.
Human2026Full text read0.80
Hypothalamic C2-domain protein involved in MC4R trafficking and control of energy balance
FindingNot reported in abstract.
Animal2019Full text read0.70
Semantic Scholar search for Melanotan 1
TakeawayNot reported in abstract.
—2010Title only0.00
Polysorbate 80 coated chitosan nanoparticles for delivery of α-melanocyte stimulating hormone analog (NDP-MSH) to the brain reverse cognitive impairment related to neuroinflammation produced by a high-fat diet (HFD).
FindingNot reported in abstract.
Animal2024Partial text0.60
Melanocortin-receptor 4 activation modulates proliferation and differentiation of rat postnatal hippocampal neural precursor cells.
FindingNot reported in abstract.
Animal2024Partial text0.50
Melanocortin Receptor Agonist Bremelanotide Induces Cell Death and Growth Inhibition in Glioblastoma Cells via Suppression of Survivin Expression.
FindingNot reported in abstract.
In vitro2023Partial text0.60

What people are saying

anecdotal · not evidence

Unverified first-hand accounts from public forums. These are not studies: nobody checked what was taken, whether it was what the label said, or what else was going on. They count for nothing in the evidence grade above and are shown because a reader searching Melanotan 1 will meet them anyway, and meeting them next to a graded evidence base is better than meeting them alone.

Community collection has not run yet, so this is an empty shelf rather than a quiet one — nothing has been read, and no conclusion about how much Melanotan 1 is discussed should be drawn from it.