Melanotan-2

Melanotan-2 is a cyclic lactam analogue of alpha-MSH. Where the native hormone is short-lived and linear, cyclisation makes this considerably more stable, and it binds across the melanocortin receptor family rather than picking one. That breadth is the experimental point and the experimental problem: MC1R, MC3R, MC4R and MC5R responses arrive together and have to be separated by design.

Research context

• Melanocortin receptor subtype binding and selectivity
• Melanogenesis and tyrosinase activity in melanocytes
• MC4R-mediated appetite and energy balance signalling
• Comparative studies against selective analogues

Working notes

Non-selective across MC1R-MC5R. Where a single receptor is the target, a selective analogue will give a cleaner readout.

Allow the vial to reach room temperature before opening. Reconstitute with bacteriostatic water introduced slowly against the vial wall — do not inject directly onto the lyophilized cake and do not shake.

• Store lyophilized at −20 °C, protected from light.
• Store reconstituted solution at 2–8 °C and use within the study window.
• Avoid repeated freeze–thaw cycles.
• Handle under standard laboratory practice with appropriate PPE.

Orders are dispatched same-day when placed before 14:00 local time. Compounds ship lyophilized and are shelf-stable in transit; packaging is discreet and tamper-evident with tracking on every order.

A lot-specific Certificate of Analysis is issued for every batch and is available from the lab results library.