Quick answer: Melanotan 2 (MT-2) is a synthetic cyclic peptide that acts as a broad agonist of melanocortin receptors, the receptor family involved in pigmentation and several other pathways. It is not approved for any use by any regulator, a status worth stating up front. In research it is studied for melanocortin-receptor pharmacology and pigmentation biology. Velora supplies it as a research compound for in vitro, ex vivo, and in silico work only.
Research use only: what this article is, and what it isn’t
This is a compound-education reference on Melanotan 2 for researchers. It explains the peptide’s structure, its receptor targets, and its regulatory status. It is not medical advice, not a tanning or self-administration guide, and not a document about any human or veterinary use.
Melanotan 2 is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the European Medicines Agency, or any other regulator for any indication or use. Velora Research supplies it as research-grade material sold strictly for in vitro, ex vivo, and in silico laboratory research, not for human consumption, veterinary use, in vivo use in any species, or any personal, cosmetic, or tanning application. Every effect described below comes from published research and is reported here for research orientation only. Researchers are responsible for compliance with applicable law, including the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. § 331, § 355, § 360bbb-3), and institutional review requirements.
What Melanotan 2 is
Melanotan 2 is a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide analog of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), the natural melanocortin peptide. Its molecular weight is approximately 1024.18 g/mol, with the formula C50H69N15O9 and CAS number 121062-08-6. The cyclic structure is deliberate: it makes the peptide more resistant to breakdown and more potent at its receptors than the linear natural hormone, which is why it became a research tool in melanocortin pharmacology in the first place. Its development history, alongside the MC1R-selective Melanotan 1, is described by Hadley and colleagues (Hadley et al., *Pharmaceutical Biotechnology*, 1998).
How it works: melanocortin receptors
The melanocortin system is a family of five receptors, MC1R through MC5R, that sit in different tissues and govern different processes, from pigmentation (MC1R) to appetite and other central pathways (MC4R). The defining feature of Melanotan 2, and the one that separates it from Melanotan 1, is breadth: MT-2 is a non-selective agonist that activates melanocortin receptors broadly, whereas MT-1 (afamelanotide) is comparatively MC1R-selective. The melanocortin peptides and their receptor pharmacology are reviewed by Hadley and Dorr (Hadley & Dorr, *Peptides*, 2006).
That broad receptor activity is central to how MT-2 is studied and also to its reported side-effect profile in the literature, which is wider than a receptor-selective compound’s would be. As with all of this, the findings describe research and experimental systems, not outcomes anyone should expect, and MT-2’s unapproved status means it has not been through the safety evaluation an approved drug undergoes.
A note on Melanotan 1 and afamelanotide
The comparison to Melanotan 1 is where regulatory accuracy matters. Melanotan 1 is afamelanotide, which is FDA-approved under the brand name Scenesse for a specific rare condition (erythropoietic protoporphyria), a use established in published clinical research (Langendonk et al., *New England Journal of Medicine*, 2015). Melanotan 2 has no such approval. Velora’s research-grade Melanotan 1 is likewise not the approved drug. For the full side-by-side, see our Melanotan 1 vs Melanotan 2 comparison.
Reconstitution and concentration
The information here is general laboratory-handling context, not a use protocol. Follow your institution’s validated procedures and the product documentation for any specific step. Melanotan 2 ships as a lyophilized powder in a 10 mg vial. The table gives molar concentrations at common gravimetric concentrations, using the molecular weight of 1024.18 g/mol.
Reconstitute with bacteriostatic water using the standard slow-stream technique against the inner glass wall, swirling gently rather than shaking, and work in µL and molar units for receptor-binding assays. Confirm the molecular weight and purity against the batch Certificate of Analysis before finalizing any dilution.
Storage
Keep the lyophilized vial sealed at -20°C, protected from light, and let it equilibrate to room temperature before opening. Once reconstituted, refrigerate the working stock at 2 to 8°C, protect it from light, and aliquot into single-use portions to avoid freeze-thaw cycles. These are established peptide-chemistry conventions; the broader logic is in the peptide storage guide. Velora has not published a reconstituted stability window for this compound, so take the usable timeframe from your protocol and the batch COA.
“Melanotan 2 is a good example of why receptor selectivity belongs in the first paragraph of any compound summary. A broad melanocortin agonist behaves differently in an assay than an MC1R-selective one, so the first thing I confirm is that I have the molecule I think I have, by mass spectrometry, at the purity the label claims. And I keep the regulatory status front of mind: MT-2 is not approved, which is exactly why careful, well-documented research handling matters.”
Clark Jones, PhD, Velora Research
Working with verified material
Velora Research supplies Melanotan 2 as a 10 mg lyophilized vial with a batch-specific third-party Certificate of Analysis reporting identity by mass spectrometry and purity by HPLC, published through the Certificates of Analysis hub. The same release protocol applies across the research peptide catalog, and the quality and testing process is documented end to end. For melanocortin-receptor research, starting from verified, correctly identified material is what keeps a result interpretable.
Frequently asked questions
1. What is Melanotan 2?
Melanotan 2 (MT-2) is a synthetic cyclic peptide analog of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone that acts as a broad agonist of melanocortin receptors. Velora supplies it for in vitro, ex vivo, and in silico research use only.
2. How does Melanotan 2 work?
It activates melanocortin receptors (MC1R through MC5R) broadly, rather than selectively. That breadth distinguishes it from the more MC1R-selective Melanotan 1 and is central to how it is studied.
3. What is Melanotan 2’s molecular weight?
Approximately 1024.18 g/mol, formula C50H69N15O9, CAS 121062-08-6. Confirm the value on the batch COA before calculating molar concentrations.
4. Is Melanotan 2 FDA-approved?
No. Melanotan 2 is not approved by the FDA or any other regulator for any use. It is research-grade material for in vitro, ex vivo, and in silico laboratory use only, not for human or veterinary use.
How is Melanotan 2 different from Melanotan 1?
Melanotan 2 is a broad melanocortin-receptor agonist; Melanotan 1 (afamelanotide) is comparatively MC1R-selective and is FDA-approved as Scenesse for a specific rare condition. Velora’s research-grade materials are not the approved drug.
Sources and further reading
- Hadley ME, Hruby VJ, Blanchard J, et al. Discovery and development of novel melanogenic drugs. Melanotan-I and -II. Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. 1998;11:575-595. PubMed
- Hadley ME, Dorr RT. Melanocortin peptide therapeutics: historical milestones, clinical studies and commercialization. Peptides. 2006;27(4):921-930. PubMed
- Langendonk JG, Balwani M, Anderson KE, et al. Afamelanotide for erythropoietic protoporphyria. New England Journal of Medicine. 2015;373(1):48-59. PubMed
This article is provided for laboratory and scientific reference. Melanotan 2 is an unapproved research compound. Products sold by Velora Research are for in-vitro, ex-vivo, and in-silico research use only and are not intended for human use, veterinary use, or in vivo use in any species. Researchers are responsible for compliance with applicable laws and institutional protocols.
