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Melanotan-1
Afamelanotide (Melanotan I) linear 13-amino-acid α-MSH analogue selectively activates MC1R eumelanogenesis via cAMP-MITF cascade. FDA/EMA-approved for EPP treatment.
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Research peptides at >99% HPLC-verified purity, third-party tested by Janoshik Analytical & Freedom Diagnostics, with Certificates of Analysis published per released batch. Supplied strictly for laboratory research use.
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Research use only - all claims made on this site are for testing and research use only. Purchasers must be 21 years of age or older.
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Melanotan-1
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What It's Researched For
In plain terms, Melanotan-1 (afamelanotide) is studied mainly for skin pigment and light protection. Here is what that looks like across the research.
Tanning & skin pigment
Research explores how it tells the skin to build its own dark pigment without needing sun exposure to trigger the response.
Light protection & sun sensitivity
In clinical research it is investigated for shielding very light-sensitive skin, and it is the approved compound (as Scenesse) for the rare light-pain condition EPP.
Sun-damage & skin defence
Studied for whether the extra pigment helps the skin cope better with UV exposure and supports the skin's own repair processes.
Fair-skin & low-pigment research
Investigated in people who naturally make little pigment, to see whether it can still build a protective tan in that group.
Overview
In short: Melanotan-1 (afamelanotide, Scenesse) is a selective MC1R agonist that drives UV-independent eumelanin production - the only melanocortin peptide currently FDA- and EMA-approved for human therapeutic use.
Key research facts
These points summarise lab themes, not human outcomes.
Melanotan-1 is a linear 13-amino-acid analogue of α-MSH with two non-natural substitutions (Nle4 and D-Phe7) that block enzymatic degradation and give it much higher affinity for the melanocortin 1 receptor than native α-MSH. Unlike its cyclic cousin Melanotan-2, MT-1 is relatively selective for MC1R, so its main pharmacological action is melanogenesis rather than appetite suppression or central arousal.
The practical consequence is UV-independent tanning. MT-1 tells melanocytes in the skin to start making eumelanin even without sun exposure, and the resulting pigment gives broad-spectrum UV absorption, free-radical scavenging, and enhanced DNA repair. That is exactly what you need if you have a condition like erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), where even brief light exposure causes painful skin reactions.
MT-1 is marketed as Scenesse and is EMA-approved (2014) and FDA-approved (2019) for EPP. More than 25 years of clinical follow-up have accumulated with no late effects reported. It is supplied here as sterile lyophilised powder.
Mechanism of Action
MT-1 selectively activates MC1R on melanocytes, turning on the cAMP/PKA/MITF cascade that drives eumelanin biosynthesis independently of UV exposure.
Barnetson et al. (Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2006) established the clinical pharmacology of MT-1 in humans, showing reliable pigmentation without the central effects of non-selective melanocortin analogs. The Nle4 substitution prevents methionine oxidation while D-Phe7 resists proteolysis, which together give the peptide enough circulating stability to drive meaningful receptor occupancy. The implant formulation (Scenesse) releases 16 mg over roughly 60 days, delivering sustained MC1R activation at low effective doses. Importantly, MT-1 is effective in individuals carrying MC1R loss-of-function variants (Val60Leu, Arg151Cys, Arg160Trp) who have weak endogenous pigmentation.
Common Questions People Are Asking
What is Melanotan-1?
Melanotan-1 (afamelanotide, MT-1) is a synthetic linear 13-amino-acid analogue of α-MSH ([Nle4,D-Phe7]-α-MSH, MW ~1647 Da) that selectively activates the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) to drive eumelanin synthesis. It is the molecule approved as Scenesse (a 16 mg implant) for erythropoietic protoporphyria. New-U supplies it as a research-grade lyophilised powder for laboratory research use only - not the approved drug.
How is Melanotan-1 different from Melanotan-2?
MT-1 is a linear 13-amino-acid peptide that is relatively selective for MC1R (pigmentation). MT-2 is a cyclic 7-amino-acid peptide that hits all four melanocortin receptors non-selectively, which is why research reports it producing appetite suppression, nausea, and central arousal effects that MT-1 largely avoids. MT-1 is also the only one of the two FDA/EMA-approved for any indication.
What does the research on Melanotan-1 actually show?
The strongest data is in erythropoietic protoporphyria: a randomised phase 3 trial (Langendonk et al., NEJM 2015) reported that afamelanotide increased pain-free time in sunlight for EPP patients, which supported its EMA and FDA approval as Scenesse. Mechanistically, studies describe reliable MC1R-driven eumelanin accumulation without the central effects of non-selective analogues. This is summarised published research, not a human-use claim.
Does MT-1 work in people with fair skin or MC1R variants?
In the research literature, yes. Afamelanotide's clinical trial program tested populations carrying MC1R variant alleles (such as Val60Leu, Arg151Cys, and Arg160Trp) associated with weak natural pigmentation, and reported a pigmentation response even in those genotypes - one reason it was approved for EPP. Reported for research context only.
What is the half-life of Melanotan-1 described in the literature?
Published pharmacology describes a short plasma half-life of roughly 30 minutes after subcutaneous administration, but the studied biological pigmentation effect persists for several days because MC1R activation and slow receptor recycling outlast the circulating peptide. The Nle4 substitution prevents methionine oxidation and D-Phe7 resists proteolysis, extending activity versus native α-MSH. This is descriptive research context - not human-use dosing guidance.
What does "UV-independent" pigmentation actually mean?
Normal tanning requires UV damage - skin darkens as a response to DNA damage from sun exposure. MT-1 activates the same downstream pigmentation pathway (MC1R / cAMP / MITF / tyrosinase) directly at the receptor level, so in research models pigment accumulates without the upstream DNA-damage signal. The protective pigment is the same; only the trigger differs. Reported for research context only.
Is Melanotan-1 legal and FDA-approved?
The finished pharmaceutical afamelanotide (Scenesse) is FDA- and EMA-approved for erythropoietic protoporphyria - that approval applies to the prescription implant, NOT to research-grade powder. New-U's Melanotan-1 is an unapproved research compound supplied strictly for laboratory research; buyers are responsible for compliance in their own jurisdiction.
How should MT-1 be stored and reconstituted?
Keep the lyophilised powder frozen at −20 °C. For research preparation it is dissolved in bacteriostatic water; the reconstituted vial is then refrigerated at 1-6 °C and protected from light. The linear structure is slightly more sensitive than cyclic MT-2, so prompt use after reconstitution is preferable. This is laboratory handling information only, not a human-use instruction.
Where can I buy Melanotan-1?
Right here - Melanotan-1 is supplied directly by New-U Research Compounds on this page. Every batch is independently third-party tested to >99% HPLC purity with a batch-linked Certificate of Analysis, supplied as lyophilised research-grade material, and shipped direct from source worldwide in discreet, tracked packaging.
How much does Melanotan-1 cost?
Melanotan-1 pricing is shown live on this page, per pack size - 10-vial research packs as standard, with single-vial sample options on selected compounds. Larger vial strengths lower the per-mg cost, every order includes the batch Certificate of Analysis, and shipping is free on orders over $350.
Is Melanotan-1 third-party tested?
Yes. Every Melanotan-1 batch is verified by independent laboratories (Janoshik Analytics and Freedom Diagnostics) for identity and purity, with a batch-linked Certificate of Analysis confirming >99% purity by HPLC. Every order ships with its COA, and current batch certificates are published on our COA page.
How do I buy Melanotan-1?
Add the Melanotan-1 pack size you need to your cart and check out: enter your shipping details, then choose your payment method - cryptocurrency or card - on the next step. Every order ships with its batch Certificate of Analysis (COA).
What payment methods can I use to buy Melanotan-1?
At checkout you can pay by card or crypto. New-U supports BTC and selected stablecoin and network-asset payments across Ethereum, Solana, TRON, Polygon, Base, BNB Chain and Linea. You choose your method after confirming your order.
How fast is shipping, and do you ship worldwide?
Yes - we ship worldwide in discreet, unmarked, temperature-stable, tracked packaging. Delivery typically takes 6–14 business days, and shipping is free on orders over $350.
Research use only - all claims made on this site are for testing and research use only.
Pharmacokinetics
Evidence Tier
Overall: Mixed (human + animal)
As afamelanotide (Scenesse), this molecule is EMA- (2014) and FDA-approved (2019) for erythropoietic protoporphyria on the strength of a phase 3 RCT - Tier 1 for that photoprotection indication. Its tanning/cosmetic use is unapproved and largely anecdotal, and the research-grade powder supplied here is NOT the finished drug (Scenesse) - it is unapproved laboratory material.
Tier 1 · Human clinical
Tier 3 · Anecdotal
Certificates, databases & peer-reviewed sources
Last reviewed: 16 June 2026 · New-U Research Compounds
Key Characteristics
Specifications
About Melanotan-1 (Afamelanotide / Scenesse): MC1R Tanning & Photoprotection Research Guide
Melanotan-1 (afamelanotide) is the melanocortin analogue that made it to market. Where Melanotan-2 remains a research-only compound, MT-1 was carried through full clinical trials as afamelanotide and approved as Scenesse for erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) - a rare genetic condition where even brief light exposure causes severe skin pain. EMA approval came in 2014 and FDA approval in 2019 (Langendonk et al., New England Journal of Medicine, 2015), with the safety follow-up now spanning more than 25 years in exposed patients and no late effects reported. Its defining feature is relative MC1R selectivity: as a linear 13-amino-acid peptide it drives pigmentation without the appetite, nausea and central-arousal profile of the non-selective cyclic MT-2.
The pharmacology behind Scenesse is elegant. In EPP, patients cannot make enough functional heme, and the excess protoporphyrin IX that accumulates in skin reacts with light to produce the pain reaction. Activating MC1R with MT-1 drives UV-independent eumelanin synthesis, giving a protective dark-pigment layer before sunlight exposure - the same pathway studied for tanning research, but here used as a photoshield. Its plasma half-life is short (roughly 30 minutes after subcutaneous administration), yet the studied pigmentation effect persists for days because melanocortin-1 receptor activation and slow receptor recycling outlast the circulating peptide.
New-U Research Compounds supplies Melanotan-1 (afamelanotide) as a research-grade lyophilised powder at >99% HPLC purity, verified by independent third-party labs. All material is strictly for in-vitro and preclinical laboratory research use and is not a substitute for prescribed Scenesse or any medically supervised treatment. Nothing on this page is medical advice.
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