Melanotan-1 10mg

Melanotan 1 (MT1), also known by its pharmaceutical name afamelanotide, is a synthetic linear tridecapeptide (13 amino acids) and structural analog of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) with the sequence Ac-Ser-Tyr-Ser-Nle-Glu-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly-Lys-Pro-Val-NH2. ^(1,2) Originally synthesized at the University of Arizona in the 1980s as a sunless tanning agent, Melanotan 1 selectively activates the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) on melanocytes, stimulating the production of eumelanin, the photoprotective brown/black pigment that provides genuine UV protection. ^(1,2,3) In October 2019, the FDA approved afamelanotide under the brand name Scenesse (16mg subcutaneous implant, manufactured by Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals) for increasing pain-free light exposure in adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), a rare genetic photosensitivity disorder. ^(2,4) The European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved Scenesse in December 2014. ⁽²⁾ MT1 differs from its structural counterpart Melanotan 2 (MT2) in two critical ways: it is a linear peptide (vs cyclic for MT2), and it is highly selective for MC1R (vs broad MC1R/MC3R/MC4R activation for MT2), resulting in a cleaner side effect profile with minimal sexual function or appetite effects.