Melanotan 2
Tanning, libido and pigmentation peptide
Also known as Melanotan 2, MT-2
- Evidence grade
- DNo completed human trialsScale
- Half-life
- Not well characterized in humans
- Schedule
- Daily while loading, then a few times weekly
- Maintenance amount
- 500 mcg
- Vial sizes sold
- 10 mg
- Cost per dose
- $1.95
Where a value is not established in people, this table says so rather than filling the box.
A synthetic melanocortin agonist studied in pigmentation research. It is not an approved product.
Melanotan 2 is a broader melanocortin agonist than Melanotan 1. Beyond boosting skin pigment through the melanocortin 1 receptor, it also hits receptors tied to appetite and sexual function, which is why it is linked to reduced appetite and to arousal effects in a related compound. It is not an approved product.
No approval and no controlled trials; human evidence is case reports and small pharmacology studies.
- Studied for skin tanning through melanocortin receptor activation.
- May increase erectile response and libido via central melanocortin pathways.
- Explored in early research for appetite and body-weight effects.
- Related molecules informed the approved drug bremelanotide for sexual dysfunction.
- Nausea, flushing and spontaneous erections are frequently reported.
- Darkening of moles and new pigmented lesions, with melanoma reported in case reports.
- Blood-pressure and heart-rate changes described.
- Unregulated products carry contamination and dosing risks.
A summary of the research, not medical advice. Individual benefits and risks vary, and for some of these compounds the human evidence is still early.
Melanotan 2 is broadly reported as producing more nausea and flushing than Melanotan 1, since it is less selective. Reports describe nausea concentrated in the first doses, easing over one to two weeks, with a tanning response building over one to three weeks with UV exposure.
Read the full timeline →Drawn from published trial data and how the research community commonly describes this stretch. Not a fixed schedule and not medical advice.
Goal of the protocol. Studied for pigmentation and tanning, with research interest in appetite and libido.
Daily while loading, then a few times weekly. For research reference only, not medical advice.
| Phase | Amount |
|---|---|
| Loading | about 250 mcg daily |
| Maintenance | 0.5–1 mg, 2–3× weekly |
No approved dosing exists; this reflects common research reference practice only.
A rough shopping estimate at the maintenance amount. Your real needs shift with your dose and titration.
| Item | 12-week plan | 18-week plan | 24-week plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peptide vials (10 mg) | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Insulin syringes (U-100) | 48 | 72 | 96 |
| Bacteriostatic water (10 mL) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Alcohol swabs (100-count box) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
What a course of Melanotan 2 actually costs, worked from list price and the amount in the schedule above, plus the whole vials a 12-week run would take.
| Supplier | Vial | Price | Per mg | Per dose | 12 weeks | Independent test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BioEdge Research Labs | 10 mg | $39 | $3.90 | $1.95 | $117 (3 vials) | None on file |
| Quartz Peptides | 10 mg | $43 | $4.30 | $2.15 | $129 (3 vials) | None on file |
List prices, checked September 4, 2026. Sale pricing is ignored on purpose so the table does not swing week to week. Verify before ordering.
Suppliers are listed alphabetically. We do not rank them by price, because the cheapest vial and the one worth buying are rarely the same thing. The column that matters is the last one, and today most of it reads "none on file", including for Quartz Peptides, which is owned by this site’s editor. See the disclosure and the COA guide.
Lyophilized: Keep the sealed powder cool and dark, near -20 °C where possible, dry and out of light.
Reconstituted: Refrigerate the mixed vial at 2 to 8 °C, use within a few weeks and avoid freeze and thaw.
Let a cold vial reach room temperature before you open it, so it takes on less condensation.
How strong is the evidence for Melanotan 2?
We grade it D on a four-point scale. No approval and no controlled trials. Human evidence is case reports and small pharmacology studies.
What is the half-life of Melanotan 2?
It is not well characterized in humans. Published pharmacokinetic data for Melanotan 2 is thin, so any specific figure you see quoted should be treated with caution.
What amount of Melanotan 2 is used in the research?
Loading: about 250 mcg daily. Maintenance: 0.5–1 mg, 2–3× weekly. No approved dosing exists; this reflects common research reference practice only.
How much does Melanotan 2 cost?
A 10 mg vial lists at $39 from BioEdge Research Labs, which works out to $3.90 per mg and about $1.95 per dose at the amount used in research. Prices checked September 4, 2026. Price is not a quality signal, so check the certificate of analysis before ordering from anyone.
How is Melanotan 2 stored once reconstituted?
Refrigerate the mixed vial at 2 to 8 °C, use within a few weeks and avoid freeze and thaw.
