Melanotan II dosing — research reference
Pre-clinical dose ranges and routes
Reviewed by the BestHealingPeptides Editorial Team ·
This page summarises the pre-clinical research dose ranges reported in the published literature for Melanotan II. The ranges shown are derived from rodent and other animal model studies and do not constitute a recommendation for human use. Melanotan II is not licensed as a medicine in the United Kingdom and may not be administered to humans outside an authorised clinical trial.
When interpreting the ranges below, three considerations dominate. First, dose conversion across species is not linear in either body weight or surface area for peptides; allometric scaling from rodent doses to human equivalents introduces substantial uncertainty. Second, route of administration materially affects pharmacokinetic exposure — subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, intramuscular, and oral routes have different bioavailability profiles for the same molecule. Third, batch-to-batch variability in research-chemical-grade peptide preparations means that nominal doses do not always correspond to actual delivered active peptide; Certificate of Analysis verification of HPLC purity and identity is essential before any in-vivo work.
For full mechanistic context, study summaries, and safety information, see the main Melanotan II research profile.
Reported routes of administration
- Subcutaneous injection (research and grey-market cosmetic standard route)
- Intranasal (grey-market variant; less consistent PK)
Reported half-life
Approximately 2-3 hours plasma half-life after subcutaneous administration. Pigmentation effects (via melanogenesis induction) develop over days-to-weeks of repeated dosing and persist for weeks after discontinuation as melanin turns over. Acute sexual-function effects, when they occur, emerge within 1-2 hours of administration and persist for 4-6 hours.
See the dedicated half-life reference page for fuller pharmacokinetic context.
Reported pre-clinical dose ranges
| Model | Route | Reported range | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grey-market cosmetic tanning protocols | Subcutaneous | 0.25-1 mg/day during initial 'loading' phase, then 0.5-1 mg 1-2 times weekly maintenance | Grey-market protocols; not evidence-based. Not recommended given MHRA warnings. |
| Pre-clinical rodent melanocortin research | Subcutaneous or intraperitoneal | 0.1-1 mg/kg | Standard pre-clinical dose range for pigmentation, appetite, and sexual-function endpoints. |
| Cell-culture melanogenesis assays | Direct addition to medium | 1-100 nM | Standard in-vitro concentration range for tyrosinase and melanin induction. |
Practical research considerations
Selecting a research dose for Melanotan II should account for the route used in the source publication, the species and strain of the animal model, the experimental endpoint timepoint, and any vehicle effects. A common methodological error is to apply a rodent intraperitoneal dose to a subcutaneous protocol without route-correction, which materially over- or under-estimates exposure. For new research programmes, pilot dose-ranging studies with serial endpoint sampling are advised before committing to a single dose tier.
Reconstitution vehicle is a recurring source of inter-study variability. Bacteriostatic water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol is the standard research vehicle; sterile water for injection is the alternative where benzyl alcohol interferes with downstream assays. See the reconstitution reference page and the reconstitution master guide for protocol-level detail.
For safety considerations, contraindications, and known formulation interactions, see the safety reference page.
Where to source Melanotan II for laboratory research
The following UK-based suppliers stock research-grade, lyophilised peptides for in-vitro and pre-clinical work. Purity and provenance vary; always request a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) and confirm cold-chain storage on arrival. None of the products linked below are approved for human use.
- PeptideAuthority.co.uk
UK-based research peptide supplier with batch certificates of analysis and >99% purity testing.
- PeptideBarn.co.uk
Wide catalogue of research-grade lyophilised peptides shipped from the UK, including bulk vials.