What is melanotan-1, and what is it studied for?
Melanotan-1 is the synthetic alpha-MSH analogue [Nle4, D-Phe7]-alpha-MSH, thirteen residues, formula C78H111N21O19, mass 1646.8, known in pharmacology as afamelanotide. It is studied as a potent, long-acting agonist of the melanocortin-1 receptor in cell and animal models of pigmentation and receptor signalling. A pharmaceutical implant form was approved by the FDA in 2019 under the name Scenesse; the material here is for in-vitro research only.
What is the structure of Melanotan-1?
The thirteen residues of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone with two substitutions: norleucine for methionine at position 4, which removes the oxidation-prone sulfur, and D-phenylalanine for L-phenylalanine at position 7, which resists enzymatic cleavage. N-acetylated and C-amidated like the parent hormone. The D-residue is invisible to mass spectrometry; the certificate confirms the mass, not the configuration.
| Identifier | Value |
|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C78H111N21O19 |
| Molecular weight | 1646.8 g/mol |
| Residues | 13 |
| CAS number | 75921-69-6 |
| PubChem CID | 16197727 |
| Current lot | MT110-0318 |
How is Melanotan-1 thought to work?
Agonist at the melanocortin-1 receptor, a G-protein-coupled receptor on melanocytes, raising cAMP and driving eumelanin synthesis; it also has activity at other melanocortin receptors. Sawyer and colleagues showed in 1980 that the two substitutions produced a far more potent and longer-acting melanotropin than the natural hormone in frog-skin and cell assays.
Which research areas use Melanotan-1?
| Area | Typical models and endpoints |
|---|---|
| MC1R pharmacology | Binding and cAMP assays in cells expressing melanocortin receptors. |
| Melanogenesis | Melanocyte cultures with melanin and tyrosinase readouts. |
| Receptor selectivity | Comparisons across MC1R, MC3R, MC4R and MC5R with melanotan-2 and other analogues. |
| Peptide stability | A D-residue and a norleucine substitution as a case study in designed protease and oxidation resistance. |
What does the published literature show?
Sawyer et al. (PNAS, 1980) described the analogue and its potency in pigment-cell assays. Clinical development as afamelanotide led to approval in the European Union in 2014 and by the FDA in 2019 as a subcutaneous implant for adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria, on the basis of trials published by Langendonk et al. in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2015. Those trials describe a regulated pharmaceutical product; nothing about the material sold here is drawn from them.
How is Melanotan-1 handled in the laboratory?
Dissolves in water with gentle swirling; the norleucine substitution removes the methionine that would otherwise oxidise, but the tryptophan at position 9 is light-sensitive, so protect solutions from light. Store lyophilized at minus 20 °C and freeze aliquots. The concentration table covers volumes and syringe units; the storage guide covers stability by compound class.
What does the current certificate show?
Lot MT110-0318 tested at 99.8% purity by RP-HPLC (214 nm), identity confirmed by MALDI-MS, endotoxin ≤0.05 EU/mL. The certificate is in the COA library and the lot number on the vial matches it. Sold as 10 mg per vial at $55, for laboratory research only.
Certificate history for Melanotan-1
Every certificate the library holds for this compound, newest first. A replaced lot stays listed so the history can be read; the certificate dataset reads all 114 together.
| Lot | Issued | Size | Identity | Purity | Content | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MT110-0318 | Apr 3, 2026 | 10 mg | MALDI-MS | 99.8% | 10.78 mg | Current |
Frequently asked questions
How does melanotan-1 differ from melanotan-2?
Melanotan-1 is a linear 13-residue analogue of alpha-MSH, selective toward MC1R. Melanotan-2 is a cyclic 7-residue analogue with broad melanocortin receptor activity. Different sequences, masses and selectivity.
What does the current certificate show?
Lot MT110-0318: identity by MALDI-MS at 1646.8, purity 99.8% by RP-HPLC at 214 nm, content 10.78 mg, endotoxin below 0.05 EU/mL. Issued 3 April 2026.
Is this the approved drug?
No. Scenesse is a regulated implant product with its own manufacturing and approval. The material here is a research-grade peptide of the same sequence, sold for in-vitro research only.
References
- Sawyer TK, Sanfilippo PJ, Hruby VJ, et al. 4-Norleucine, 7-D-phenylalanine-alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone: a highly potent alpha-melanotropin with ultralong biological activity. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1980;77(10):5754-5758.
- Langendonk JG, Balwani M, Anderson KE, et al. Afamelanotide for erythropoietic protoporphyria. N Engl J Med. 2015;373(1):48-59.
- PubChem CID 16197727, Afamelanotide. National Library of Medicine. Read 2 October 2026.
Clinical results cited above describe regulated trials of pharmaceutical products and are given as context for research interest only. Nothing on this page describes or recommends use of the material sold here in humans or animals.
Melanotan-1 10 mg
$55 per vial
Lot MT110-0318 · 99.8% RP-HPLC (214 nm) · certificate published
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