Name: Melanotan 2 (MT-2) 10mg (Research Peptide)
Brand: Verum Peptides
Price: 59 USD
Availability: InStock

Identification

Chemical name	Acetylated cyclic heptapeptide amide, closed by an aspartate-lysine lactam bridge
Common designations	Melanotan II; Melanotan-2; MT-2; MT-II; afamelanotide is a different compound and is not this material
Sequence	Ac-Nle-cyclo[Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-NH2
C-terminus	Amide. This is the single structural difference from PT-141; see section 03.
Molecular formula	C50H69N15O9
Molecular weight	1024.2 g/mol
Expected ions	[M+H]+ near 1025; [M+2H]2+ near 513; a sodium adduct near 1047
CAS number	121062-08-6
Receptor profile	Melanocortin receptor agonist. Described in the literature as broadly acting across subtypes rather than selective for any one of them.
Oxidation-sensitive residues	Tryptophan
Physical form	White lyophilized powder
Quantity supplied	10 mg nominal per unit
Country of manufacture	United States

Certificate of analysis - current lot

The interactive verification record is shown below, followed by the same information reproduced as text on this page and the full certificate as a document. The record does not depend on the embed loading.

Certificate of analysis - lot MT210-052026-7

Lot record

MT210-052026-7

Testing laboratory	Freedom Diagnostics, United States. Independent third party, not owned by or affiliated with Verum.
Sample received	12 May 2026
Results reported	14 May 2026
Accession reference	2605120121
Analytical methods	HPLC-UV coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Bacterial endotoxin by limulus amebocyte lysate assay in accordance with USP .

Results, this lot

Identity, LC-MS	Confirmed as Melanotan-II
Purity, HPLC-UV	99.81 %
Net peptide content	10.23 mg per unit
Appearance	White lyophilized powder
Bacterial endotoxin	Pass, duplicate replicates. Assay sensitivity ≤0.05 EU/mL
Mass confirmation	Ions at m/z 512.9 [M+2H]2+ and 1025.2 [M+H]+, with a sodium adduct near 1046. Consistent with the amide form at 1024.2 rather than the free acid.

Purity, content and endotoxin figures above are specific to lot MT210-052026-7 and are not specifications carried across other lots. Each lot is tested individually and reports its own results.

One terminal group from PT-141

These two compounds are far closer than their separate names suggest. Both are the same acetylated cyclic heptapeptide closed by the same lactam bridge. This one terminates in a carboxamide; PT-141 terminates in a free carboxylic acid. That single terminal difference is the whole structural distinction, and it is not arbitrary: PT-141 arises as a metabolite of this compound, which is how it was identified.

The consequence is a shift in receptor preference rather than a change of family. Both engage multiple melanocortin receptors. This amide form is described in the literature as the more promiscuous of the two, with relatively greater activity at the melanocortin-1 receptor found on melanocytes. The free acid is described as weighted more toward the melanocortin-4 receptor. Neither is subtype-selective, and an experimental design treating either as a single-receptor tool without controls for the other subtypes is assuming a cleanliness the pharmacology does not support.

Which means identity confirmation is not a formality here. An amide and a free acid differ in mass by approximately one dalton. The amide gives a protonated ion near 1025 and a doubly protonated ion near 513; the free acid sits one unit higher. One dalton is a small separation but a real one on a competent instrument, and it is not something a purity percentage or a retention time resolves. This is a case where publishing the mass confirmation does work that a percentage alone cannot. Read the ion series on the certificate above before anything else.

Testing scope

Panels differ between products and between lots. What follows is the scope of testing performed on this lot. Nothing is claimed unless it appears on the certificate for the lot supplied.

Performed

✓	Identity by LC-MS, distinguishing the amide from the free acid
✓	Purity by HPLC-UV
✓	Net peptide content
✓	Appearance by visual inspection
✓	Bacterial endotoxin, USP , duplicate

Not performed

-	Tryptophan oxidation products
-	Stereochemical verification of the D-phenylalanine
-	Sterility
-	Microbial enumeration
-	Elemental impurities
-	Residual solvents, counterion content

Mass spectrometry cannot distinguish a D-amino acid from its L counterpart, because they weigh the same. Confirming stereochemistry requires chiral analysis, which is not part of this panel or of any standard peptide panel. Where a parameter is material to intended laboratory work, purchasers should verify it independently.

Documented adverse events in the published record

This section exists because the published record on this compound includes serious documented harm, and omitting it from a product page would be a choice to withhold the most important information available about the material. Every entry below is cited and linked so it can be read at source. Nothing here is an outcome claim.

Case report

2012

Melanotan II injection resulting in systemic toxicity and rhabdomyolysis

Nelson ME, Bryant SM, Aks SE · Clinical Toxicology 50(10):1169–1173

A 39-year-old man presented two hours after a single 6 mg exposure to material obtained over the internet, with tachycardia peaking at 146 bpm, diaphoresis, mydriasis, diffuse tremor, rhabdomyolysis and renal dysfunction. Creatine kinase peaked in the tens of thousands.

PubMed 23121206 →

Case report

2014

Melanoma associated with the use of melanotan-II

Hjuler KF, Lorentzen HF · Dermatology 228(1):34–36

Documents melanoma arising in a user of this compound. Relevant because melanocortin-1 receptor activity acts directly on melanocytes, the cell type from which melanoma arises, so a melanocytic association is mechanistically coherent rather than coincidental.

DOI 10.1159/000356389 →

Review &
case report

2020

Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction. Review of the literature and case report

Peters B, Hadimeri H, Wahlberg R, Afghahi H · CEN Case Reports 9(2):159–161

Reports renal infarction in a previously normotensive man following prolonged use, and surveys the wider literature. The review section enumerates adverse events attributed to non-selective melanocortin receptor binding: priapism, hypertension, melanoma, melanonychia, rhabdomyolysis, renal failure, renal infarction and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. Read this one if you read only one.

DOI 10.1007/s13730-020-00447-z →

Two structural points make that record worse rather than better, and both follow from the pharmacology set out in section 03. Activity at the melanocortin-1 receptor acts on melanocytes directly. And because this compound is broadly acting across receptor subtypes rather than selective, effects at receptors distributed well beyond the skin are expected rather than surprising.

Every case above involved material obtained outside a regulated supply chain. No completed phase 2 or phase 3 safety programme exists for this compound, so the incidence of these events is unknown rather than established as rare. Several national medicines regulators have issued public warnings about it. Nothing on this page should be read as suggesting the material supplied here is suitable for administration to any person or animal.

Storage and laboratory handling

Lyophilized powder, transit	Stable at ambient temperature during shipping and short-term handling. Cold-chain transport is not required.
Lyophilized powder, storage	−20 °C, protected from light, container tightly closed
Solubility	Sterile laboratory-grade water or a defined aqueous buffer appropriate to the assay
Solution, storage	2 °C to 8 °C, protected from light. Materially less stable than the dry powder.
Sequence-specific note	The tryptophan residue is the one real chemical liability in this molecule, vulnerable to both oxidation and photodegradation. Light protection matters more here than for many short peptides, and reconstituted material should not be left standing in clear labware. The cyclic lactam itself is comparatively robust.
Freeze-thaw	Avoid repeated cycles.
Personal protection	Handle under standard laboratory conditions with gloves, eye protection and a laboratory coat.

Preparation conditions are the responsibility of the receiving laboratory. Verum provides no protocol, no preparation instruction, and no guidance on use.

Regulatory status

United States	Not approved by the FDA for any indication. Not on the section 503A bulk drug substances list.
Advisory committee	This substance was not on the July 2026 Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee docket. It is among those scheduled for review at a second meeting announced for before the end of February 2027, so it has no committee recommendation either for or against.
A separate compound	Afamelanotide is a different molecule that holds marketing authorisation in some jurisdictions for a rare condition. It is frequently confused with this compound in secondary writing. This material is not that product.
Other jurisdictions	No marketing authorisation is held anywhere for this compound. Several national regulators have issued public warnings about it.
Status date	Accurate as of August 2026. Verify the current position independently.

Purchase eligibility

By placing an order you confirm each of the following:

✓	You are at least 21 years of age.
✓	You are a qualified researcher, or are purchasing on behalf of a research institution or commercial laboratory.
✓	The material will be used solely for in vitro laboratory research.
✓	The material will not be administered to humans or to animals, and will not be resold or transferred for any such purpose.
✓	You have read section 05 of this page and understand that serious adverse events are documented in the published record for this compound.
✓	You are responsible for compliance with all federal, state and local law governing receipt, handling, storage and use.

Confirmation is recorded at checkout against your order. Verum reserves the right to decline or cancel any order.

Supply

Orders placed before the daily cutoff are dispatched the same day from our United States warehouse. Domestic orders typically arrive within two business days. A tracking reference is issued by email once the consignment leaves the facility. Each unit carries a scannable code linking to the certificate for its own lot.

Not for human or veterinary use. Not for use in diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. This product is a laboratory reagent. Nothing on this page constitutes medical advice, a recommendation for personal use, or a representation that this material is safe or effective for any purpose. No statement here has been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.