← Shelf·Cyclic α-MSH analog (13-residue)·XXV.
Melanotan I.
A cyclic 13-amino-acid analog of α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH), developed at the University of Arizona (Hadley, Hruby, Sawyer group) in the 1980s. Corresponds to the INN afamelanotide, which is FDA-approved for a single specific clinical indication (erythropoietic protoporphyria) under a branded prescription formulation held by Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals.
α-MSH is a hormone your pituitary and skin cells produce, activating the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) that governs melanogenesis. Melanotan I is a synthetic analog with greater potency and metabolic stability than native α-MSH, more selective for MC1R than Melanotan II.
Marketed within the tanning-peptide market alongside Melanotan II — the two are distinct compounds with distinct regulatory statuses and distinct safety profiles. Consumer marketing frequently conflates them; the FDA-approved formulation of afamelanotide is not what any US affiliate site is selling.
Straight talk
Straight talk: afamelanotide has a real, narrow FDA approval for erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), granted 2019. Every consumer use outside that indication is off-label. Whether the research-grade compound in a given vial IS the same molecule as the FDA-approved drug of the same INN is exactly what a third-party COA is for. Buy on documentation, not on brand adjacency. Safety considerations: any α-MSH agonist stimulates melanogenesis, including in existing skin lesions of unknown character — a dermatologist read before any exposure is not optional. See our Melanotan II entry for the broader melanocortin safety literature that applies to this class.
What the research studies
The literature, not a summary of it.
Foundational analog work: Victor Hruby, Mac Hadley, Tomi Sawyer at Arizona. Clinical development: Clinuvel's afamelanotide program (Barbagallo, Lengweiler and colleagues). EPP-specific dermatology literature: Wensink, Beattie. Journals: N Engl J Med, Br J Dermatol, JAAD, Peptides. Read the research yourself:
Recommended vendor · Amino Club
≥ 99% by HPLC on the current lot — ILS Laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025).
$14.97 with Club pricing (was $29.95)
35% off applied automatically at checkout when you land through this link.
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