Melanotan I protocol
Melanotan I / afamelanotide (alpha-MSH analog). Dosing on this page comes from a published human trial or an approved product label, cited below.
How Melanotan I works
A linear analog of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone that acts principally at MC1 receptors, driving eumelanin production. The approved product is a slow-release implant rather than an injection.
Melanotan I dosing schedule
From the approved label. Afamelanotide is approved as Scenesse for prevention of phototoxicity in adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria — a rare light-sensitivity disorder. The route matters enormously here: the approved product is a controlled-release implant placed by a trained clinician, not the injectable powder sold as a research chemical.
| Phase | Amount | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approved use | 16 mg implant | Every 2 months, subcutaneous implant | Placed by a healthcare professional. Not comparable to self-administered injection of reconstituted powder. |
Study length: Implants placed every two months during periods of sun exposure.
Reconstitution and measurement
This part is arithmetic and does not depend on the evidence level. Concentration is vial size divided by the bacteriostatic water you add. Draw volume is your target amount divided by that concentration. Units are draw volume times 100, because a U-100 syringe reads 100 units per millilitre. Common vials for Melanotan I: 10 mg.
- Wipe the stoppers of both vials with an alcohol swab and let them dry.
- Draw the bacteriostatic water with a sterile syringe and inject it slowly down the inside wall of the peptide vial — never straight onto the powder.
- Swirl gently until the solution is clear. Do not shake; foaming and agitation damage peptides.
- Label the vial with the date and concentration, and refrigerate at 2–8 °C protected from light.
Worked example at the calculator defaults: 10 mg + 2 mL of bacteriostatic water = 5 mg/mL, so on a U-100 insulin syringe 1 unit = 50 mcg of Melanotan I. Change either input and the calculator redoes this for you.
Storage and stability
Supplies math
Whatever amounts your research uses, the planning arithmetic is the same. The calculator runs all of this per compound.
Subcutaneous technique and practical notes
General best practice from clinical injection guidance — the same fundamentals nurses are taught, none of it specific to any compound.
Reported effects
- Label-reported effects include nausea, headache and injection-site reactions.
- Generalised skin darkening is the expected pharmacological effect, not an adverse one.
- Because melanocortin agonists can affect existing naevi, the label calls for skin monitoring — relevant to any melanocortin use.
Sourcing Melanotan I
Whatever you are working with, the documentation matters more than the price. Ask for a batch certificate of analysis whose lot number matches the vial you actually receive — a COA for a different batch tells you nothing about yours.
Melanotan I at Summit Research Supply → Grade a COA first
Summit is the supplier we feature and an affiliate link. Our COA checklist applies the same way to any vendor.
