A synthetic alpha-MSH analog with a split identity: an FDA-approved implant for a rare light-sensitivity disorder, and a separate unapproved gray-market tanning peptide.
Reviewed for accuracy · Last reviewed July 8, 2026Melanotan-1 is the gray-market name for afamelanotide, a synthetic analog of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) that acts on the melanocortin-1 receptor to raise eumelanin in the skin. Its regulatory status is unusual and worth stating plainly. As the branded implant SCENESSE (Clinuvel), afamelanotide is FDA-approved (2019) and EMA-approved to increase pain-free light exposure in adults with a history of phototoxic reactions from erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), a rare and painful light-sensitivity disorder.
Separately, the same molecule is sold through unregulated "research" channels as an injectable tanning peptide. That tanning use is not approved by any regulator, and the figures circulated for it are anecdotal rather than label-based. Note also that Melanotan-1 is not the same as Melanotan II, a different and more potent melanocortin analog. This page describes what the approved product does and flags where tanning use departs from any evidence base.
The only regulated dosing is the approved SCENESSE implant: a single 16 mg afamelanotide implant placed subcutaneously by a clinician every 2 months. Injectable dosing for tanning is unregulated and anecdotal.
Read the full Melanotan-1 dosage guide →In the EPP trials and label, common effects included implant-site reactions, nausea, headache, and skin darkening. Melanocortin agents can also darken moles, so skin monitoring is advised.
Read the full Melanotan-1 side effects guide →The approved implant is stored and handled by the administering clinic, not the patient. For any unregulated injectable product, storage claims are unverified. See the full storage & safety guide for general handling and disposal basics.
This page is an independent educational reference and is not medical advice. The approval described applies only to the SCENESSE implant for erythropoietic protoporphyria, not to tanning use. Talk to a doctor before starting any compound.