Melanotan 2 (Pen)

Description

Melanotan 2 research pen — Canada

Researched & reviewed by the SPO Quality Team · Last reviewed: 30 September 2026

This listing is Melanotan 2 in pen format (10mg fill) — the same research material as our Melanotan 2 vials, supplied in a pre-formatted research pen for laboratories that prefer logged, repeatable handling over loose vials. Melanotan II (MT-II) is a synthetic, cyclic analogue of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH): the lactam-bridged heptapeptide Ac-Nle4-cyclo[Asp5-His6-D-Phe7-Arg8-Trp9-Lys10]-α-MSH(4-10)-NH2^[1]. The same development programme produced melanotan I^[2], and it binds several human melanocortin receptors without selectivity^[3]. It has no regulatory approval anywhere^[12]. Shop Peptides Online has no separate Melanotan research guide, so the science overview is on this page. Laboratory research only; the pen is a handling format, not an instruction.

Identity

Batch documentation: a batch-specific COA for the Melanotan 2 pen has not been posted yet — see the COA library. Reports for the vial listings, where posted, are on those pages.

Receptor pharmacology

Melanotan II is described as a potent but unselective agonist of human melanocortin receptors; medicinal chemists have used it as a starting scaffold, replacing its lactam ring with other linkers to obtain analogues with more selective receptor profiles^[3]. Its skin-pigmentation effect runs through the melanocortin 1 receptor^[11], while its effects on feeding in rats have been tied to central melanocortin-3/4 receptors^[5].

What has been studied, by model

Rat feeding and energy balance. Given centrally, MT-II inhibited feeding, blunted the appetite-stimulating action of neuropeptide Y and lowered basal insulin in rats; a 7-day central infusion study examined these interactions in more detail^[4]. Injected into the nucleus of the solitary tract, it produced a rapid and sustained drop in food intake, and the work pointed to MC4 receptors on central vagal afferent endings^[5].

Nerve injury in rats. In a sciatic nerve crush model, MT-II improved recovery of sensory function at one intermediate dose but not at a lower or a higher one, a bell-shaped response the authors reported alongside neuroprotective findings^[6].

Chronic stress in rats. Compared with the ACTH(4-10) analogue Semax in a chronic unpredictable stress model, MT-II likewise attenuated stress-induced anhedonia, adrenal enlargement and the fall in hippocampal BDNF, without changing forced-swim immobility^[7].

Human studies, stated plainly

Only a few small human studies were published, all in the 1990s and 2000. A 1996 pilot phase I study in three healthy men recorded nausea, somnolence and fatigue at the highest dose, a stretching-and-yawning complex with spontaneous erections, and increased skin pigmentation in two subjects^[1]. Two double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover studies, each with ten men with erectile dysfunction (one psychogenic, one with organic risk factors), measured erectile responses by RigiScan; nausea, stretching and yawning, and reduced appetite were reported more often than with placebo^{[8, 9]}. No larger trials followed, and none of these studies supports any use of this pen.

Study summary

What the evidence does not show

• No modern, adequately sized clinical trial of melanotan II exists; the human data are three small studies from 1996–2000.
• The harm reports are case reports and cannot establish how often problems occur or prove cause^[12].
• Rat feeding, nerve and stress results come from single laboratories and specific routes of delivery.
• No study of any SPO batch exists, and no batch COA for this strength is posted yet — the online-vial analysis above is a reminder of why that documentation matters.

Storage and handling

• Follow the label: keep the pen cool, dry and out of light, and do not subject it to repeated freeze–thaw.
• Log the batch number and dates of receipt and first use, as with any research material. No protocol or administration information is provided here.

Vial strength: MELANOTAN 2 10MG. Other pens are on the peptide pens page; the whole range is on our buy peptides online in Canada page. Canada Post from inside Canada (shipping policy).

Related reading: Melanotan II vs Afamelanotide: Two α-MSH Analogues Compared · Melanotan II vs Alpha-MSH: A Synthetic Ring and Its Parent Hormone

Frequently asked questions

What is the Melanotan 2 pen?

The same synthetic Melanotan 2 supplied in a pre-formatted research pen rather than a loose vial, for laboratories that want repeatable, logged handling. It is a research format only; no administration guidance of any kind is given.

Is there a batch report for the Melanotan 2 pen?

Not yet. No batch-specific report for the pen is posted in the COA library. The page will state the report when one exists.

What is the difference between Melanotan 1 and Melanotan 2?

Both are synthetic α-MSH analogues developed by the same research programme (PMID 9760697). Melanotan II is the shorter, cyclic, lactam-bridged molecule and acts on several melanocortin receptors without selectivity (PMID 35188390). Shop Peptides Online lists only Melanotan 2.

Is the Melanotan 2 pen for human use?

No. The pen is supplied for laboratory research only and is not for human or animal use. No dosing, administration or protocol information is provided.

References

1. Dorr RT, Lines R, Levine N et al. (1996). Evaluation of melanotan-II, a superpotent cyclic melanotropic peptide in a pilot phase-I clinical study. Life sciences 58(20):1777-84. doi:10.1016/0024-3205(96)00160-9. PMID 8637402
2. Hadley ME, Hruby VJ, Blanchard J et al. (1998). Discovery and development of novel melanogenic drugs. Melanotan-I and -II. Pharmaceutical biotechnology 11:575-95. doi:10.1007/0-306-47384-4_25. PMID 9760697
3. Tomassi S, Dimmito MP, Cai M et al. (2022). CLIPSing Melanotan-II to Discover Multiple Functionally Selective hMCR Agonists. Journal of medicinal chemistry 65(5):4007-4017. doi:10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01848. PMID 35188390
4. Raposinho PD, White RB, Aubert ML (2003). The melanocortin agonist Melanotan-II reduces the orexigenic and adipogenic effects of neuropeptide Y (NPY) but does not affect the NPY-driven suppressive effects on the gonadotropic and somatotropic axes in the male rat. Journal of neuroendocrinology 15(2):173-81. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2826.2003.00962.x. PMID 12535159
5. Campos CA, Shiina H, Ritter RC (2014). Central vagal afferent endings mediate reduction of food intake by melanocortin-3/4 receptor agonist. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 34(38):12636-45. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1121-14.2014. PMID 25232103
6. Ter Laak MP, Brakkee JH, Adan RA et al. (2003). The potent melanocortin receptor agonist melanotan-II promotes peripheral nerve regeneration and has neuroprotective properties in the rat. European journal of pharmacology 462(1-3):179-83. doi:10.1016/s0014-2999(02)02945-x. PMID 12591111
7. Inozemtseva LS, Yatsenko KA, Glazova NY et al. (2024). Antidepressant-like and antistress effects of the ACTH(4-10) synthetic analogs Semax and Melanotan II on male rats in a model of chronic unpredictable stress. European journal of pharmacology 984:177068. doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.177068. PMID 39442746
8. Wessells H, Fuciarelli K, Hansen J et al. (1998). Synthetic melanotropic peptide initiates erections in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction: double-blind, placebo controlled crossover study. The Journal of urology 160(2):389-93. PMID 9679884
9. Wessells H, Gralnek D, Dorr R et al. (2000). Effect of an alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone analog on penile erection and sexual desire in men with organic erectile dysfunction. Urology 56(4):641-6. doi:10.1016/s0090-4295(00)00680-4. PMID 11018622
10. Breindahl T, Evans-Brown M, Hindersson P et al. (2015). Identification and characterization by LC-UV-MS/MS of melanotan II skin-tanning products sold illegally on the Internet. Drug testing and analysis 7(2):164-72. doi:10.1002/dta.1655. PMID 24771717
11. Gilhooley E, Daly S, McKenna D (2021). Melanotan II User Experience: A Qualitative Study of Online Discussion Forums. Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland) 237(6):995-999. doi:10.1159/000514492. PMID 34464955
12. Habbema L, Halk AB, Neumann M et al. (2017). Risks of unregulated use of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone analogues: a review. International journal of dermatology 56(10):975-980. doi:10.1111/ijd.13585. PMID 28266027
13. Hjuler KF, Lorentzen HF (2014). Melanoma associated with the use of melanotan-II. Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland) 228(1):34-6. doi:10.1159/000356389. PMID 24355990
14. Nelson ME, Bryant SM, Aks SE (2012). Melanotan II injection resulting in systemic toxicity and rhabdomyolysis. Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.) 50(10):1169-73. doi:10.3109/15563650.2012.740637. PMID 23121206
15. Mallory CW, Lopategui DM, Cordon BH (2021). Melanotan Tanning Injection: A Rare Cause of Priapism. Sexual medicine 9(1):100298. doi:10.1016/j.esxm.2020.100298. PMID 33460908
16. Peters B, Hadimeri H, Wahlberg R et al. (2020). Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report. CEN case reports 9(2):159-161. doi:10.1007/s13730-020-00447-z. PMID 31953620

For laboratory research use only. Not for human or animal consumption. No dosing, administration or protocol information is provided, and nothing here is a claim of efficacy or safety in humans.