Melanotan I[Afamelanotide; MT-1; the active peptide in Scenesse]
Compound snapshot
Class
Alpha-MSH analogue (afamelanotide)
FDA approved
Afamelanotide (Scenesse) is approved for erythropoietic protoporphyria; unregulated 'Melanotan' products are not
Clinical development
Approved
Last reviewed
September 2026
Research areas
Skin / Collagen / Wound healing
Regulatory status
Afamelanotide implant is FDA-approved for EPP; tanning products are not approved
Internet attention
High
Registry query
Melanotan I
A 13-amino-acid analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. Afamelanotide is the regulated medicine name for this molecule; its approved implant is distinct from unregulated Melanotan I powder sold online for tanning.
Reality check — what we actually know
Supported by human evidence
- No adequately powered randomised human trials establish the outcomes this compound is marketed for.
Animal research only
- Increased pain-free light exposure in adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria in controlled trials
- Improved quality of life for people with the approved rare phototoxic disorder
- Studied for vitiligo and other light-sensitive conditions, but those uses are not FDA-approved
Mechanistically plausible
- Activates melanocortin-1 receptors on melanocytes, increasing production of protective eumelanin. This can improve light tolerance without relying solely on ultraviolet exposure to trigger pigmentation.
Common internet claims
- Online discussion frequently presents Melanotan I as a proven treatment rather than a research compound.
Not established
- Human efficacy for the outcomes commonly claimed
- Optimal route, quantity and duration in humans
- Long-term human safety
Evidence distribution
Each band is a live PubMed search for Melanotan I, filtered to that kind of study. Top is the strongest evidence; the base is reasoning, not proof. A band with no records means that kind of study has not been published for this compound yet.
Mechanism and reported findings
Activates melanocortin-1 receptors on melanocytes, increasing production of protective eumelanin. This can improve light tolerance without relying solely on ultraviolet exposure to trigger pigmentation.
- Increased pain-free light exposure in adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria in controlled trials
- Improved quality of life for people with the approved rare phototoxic disorder
- Studied for vitiligo and other light-sensitive conditions, but those uses are not FDA-approved
- Cosmetic tanning is not an approved medical benefit
Strength of the evidence: Strong regulatory evidence supports the prescription afamelanotide implant for adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria. That evidence does not validate online injectable or nasal tanning products.
Safety and known cautions
The approved implant requires trained administration and regular full-body skin examinations because freckles and moles can darken. Unregulated tanning products may be contaminated or mislabeled and have unknown systemic safety; they are not equivalent to Scenesse.
Evidence at a glance
No single score, on purpose. The line beside each bar shows how much reported outcomes vary between studies.
Development stage
- Discovery
- Preclinical
- Phase 1
- Phase 2
- Phase 3
- Regulatory review
- ApprovedCurrent