Melanotan II (MT-2) Nasal Spray
The cyclic lactam alpha-MSH analogue as a sterile solution in bacteriostatic water, 10 mg per metered spray bottle. Filled from a peptide lot tested in the manufacturer’s own laboratory, with a certificate.
| Compound | Melanotan II (acetate) Ac-Nle-cyclo[Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-NH₂; supplied as the acetate salt, values quoted for the free peptide |
|---|---|
| CAS number | 121062-08-6 |
| Molecular formula | C50H69N15O9 |
| Theoretical mass | 1024.2 Da |
| Sequence / structure | Ac-Nle-cyclo[D-H-[D-Phe]-R-W-K]-NH₂ (7 residues; Asp–Lys side-chain lactam; N-acetyl; C-terminal amide) |
| Contents | Melanotan II (acetate): 10 mg per bottle (≤ 0.1% w/v) |
| Form | Sterile aqueous solution in bacteriostatic water (0.9% benzyl alcohol), supplied in a metered nasal spray bottle |
| Storage, sealed | Store at 2–8 °C, protected from light; do not freeze |
| Format | Solution in a metered nasal spray bottle |
Sizes and lots
- 10 mg · 1 bottle — $88.99
- 10 mg · Kit of 10 — $791.12
Melanotan II, the cyclic lactam analogue of alpha-MSH also sold as MT-2, comes here as a ready-made solution in bacteriostatic water. Each metered spray bottle contains 10 mg of melanotan II acetate. Studies of the peptide cover its potency, its partition and ionisation behaviour, two small early human studies and safety reports about unregulated products; none of the abstracts cited here describes a nasal formulation.
What is in the bottle
The solution is melanotan II acetate in bacteriostatic water, preserved with 0.9% benzyl alcohol. The safety data sheet records 10 mg of peptide per bottle at no more than 0.1% w/v, and the label on the bottle gives the concentration. The peptide is the same Ac-Nle-cyclo[Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-NH2 found in the MT-2 10 mg vial and the melanotan II pen. It carries no hazard classification on the SDS, whereas benzyl alcohol is listed as harmful if swallowed or inhaled, irritating to the eyes and able to cause skin sensitisation.
Store the bottle upright and capped at 2 to 8 °C, out of light, and do not let it freeze. Background on peptides in solution is in peptide storage and stability.
What the research covers
Melanotan II is a cyclic heptapeptide built from residues 4 to 10 of alpha-MSH, Ac-Nle-Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys-NH2, with a lactam bridge between the aspartate and lysine side chains1. It was designed for potency, and its first human study reported superpotent melanotropic activity in vitro1.
For a spray, the physical chemistry is the most relevant data in these references. Lan and colleagues measured an apparent octanol partition coefficient of 2.82 at pH 7.35, estimated dissociation constants for the histidine and arginine side chains, and observed a bioavailability of 4.6% in the rat2. Those figures describe the molecule, not absorption through the nose. None of the cited papers delivered melanotan II nasally, so its uptake by that route is not established here. The overview of peptide nasal sprays covers what is known about the route in general.
The human safety literature is dominated by case reports involving products bought online. A 2017 review collected reports of changing moles, new dysplastic naevi and four melanomas in people who had used melanotan I or II, and noted that conclusive evidence of a causal link was missing3. The rest of the literature, from the early human studies to the regulatory record, is in the melanotan 1 vs melanotan 2 guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is the spray the same peptide as the MT-2 vial?
Yes. Both hold melanotan II acetate, Ac-Nle-cyclo[Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-NH2, CAS 121062-08-6. The vial is freeze-dried powder kept at −20 °C; the spray is 10 mg already dissolved in bacteriostatic water, kept at 2 to 8 °C and never frozen.
Has melanotan II been studied as a nasal spray?
Not in any paper cited here. The 1996 human study used another route, and the only absorption figure, a 4.6% bioavailability in the rat, comes from preformulation work that did not involve the nose. There are no published results specific to this format to point to.
References
- Dorr RT, Lines R, Levine N, et al. Evaluation of melanotan-II, a superpotent cyclic melanotropic peptide in a pilot phase-I clinical study. Life Sci. 1996;58(20):1777-84. DOI · PubMed
- Lan EL, Ugwu SO, Blanchard J, et al. Preformulation studies with melanotan-II: a potential skin cancer chemopreventive peptide. J Pharm Sci. 1994;83(8):1081-4. DOI · PubMed
- Habbema L, Halk AB, Neumann M, et al. Risks of unregulated use of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone analogues: a review. Int J Dermatol. 2017;56(10):975-980. DOI · PubMed
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary consumption. Products have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.