Melanotan 1 vs Melanotan II

Name: Melanotan 1 vs Melanotan II
Published: 2026-10-24

Updated Oct 24, 202610 sources

Key differences

1MT1 is a linear 13-amino-acid peptide that prefers MC1R, the pigment receptor. MT2 is a cyclic 7-mer that also hits the brain receptors for arousal and appetite.
2MT1 is FDA approved as the Scenesse implant for EPP; MT2 is approved nowhere.
3Guides describe MT1 as the gentler, slower option: mild nausea in roughly 1 in 5 users against 80 to 90% on MT2 during loading, and few erections. One guide says MT1 vial doses run about double MT2's and that MT1 tans slowly without UV.
4MT1 (afamelanotide) is a linear 13-amino-acid peptide that prefers MC1R; MT-II is a cyclic 7-mer that hits several receptors.
5MT1 is FDA approved as the Scenesse implant for erythropoietic protoporphyria; MT-II is approved nowhere.
6Users and guides describe MT1 as slower and more UV-dependent, with less nausea, fewer erections and fewer new moles.

Facts from each record, in the same words as their own pages.

Melanotan 1 and Melanotan II side by side
	Melanotan 1	Melanotan II
Category	Skin & hair	Skin & hair, Sexual health
Evidence	Strong human trials	Limited human data
FDA status	FDA approved as ScenesseRegulatory	Not FDA approvedRegulatory
WADA	Not prohibited	Not confirmed
Half-life	0.8 to 1.7 hours (beta phase) after a plain subcutaneous injection, in 3 men; subcutaneous dosing was fully bioavailable.Clinical study About 15 hours apparent half-life from the Scenesse implant, with peak levels at a median 36 hours.Regulatory	About 33 minutes, per two guides. No primary human pharmacokinetic study was found.Competitor guide About 1 to 2 hours, per other guides; one says online 33-hour figures confuse the drug's half-life with how long its effects last.Competitor guide
Routes	Subcutaneous injection	Subcutaneous injection, Nasal
Forms	Other form, Vial (powder)	Vial (powder), Nasal spray
Reported doses	0.25 to 16 mg (subcutaneous injection) 0.08 to 0.21 mg/kg (subcutaneous injection) 250 to 1,000 mcg (subcutaneous injection)	0.01 to 0.03 mg/kg (subcutaneous injection) 50 to 1,000 mcg (subcutaneous injection) 0.1 to 1 mg (subcutaneous injection)
Most cited frequency	One implant every 2 months; in the EU 3 implants a year are recommended, 4 at most	Every other day, alternating with saline, Monday to Friday for 2 weeks
Vial sizes	10 mgCompetitor guide	10 mgCompetitor guide
Mixed vial keeps	Research vials after mixing: 2 to 8 C.Competitor guide	Keep the mixed vial at 2 to 8 C and out of light.Competitor guide
Protocols on file	8	12

Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.

10 sources, each checked by date. Record updated Oct 24, 2026. Numbers are restated in our own words and labelled by where they came from.