Melanotan 2 Dosage: Common Protocol, Study Dose and Calculator
Melanotan 2 dosage: the daily loading-dose common protocol, the 0.01-0.03 mg/kg doses small published trials used, and an injection calculator.
The short version
Melanotan II has no approved dose because it has no approved product. Dosing-guide and community sources report a daily loading dose of 100-1000 mcg by subcutaneous injection for 4-8 weeks, then 250-1000 mcg 1-3 times a week to maintain it. That is labelled common practice, not trial-established. Published human dosing data come from three small studies in men. A 1996 pilot in 3 men used 0.01-0.03 mg/kg on alternate days. Two erectile dysfunction trials (1998 and 2000) used 0.025 mg/kg. A 2012 case report of a 6 mg single injection shows what an overdose looks like.
- Dosing guides report a daily 100-1000 mcg loading dose for 4-8 weeks, then 250-1000 mcg 1-3 times a week. This is common practice, not an established dose.
- Human trial data come from three small studies in men: a 1996 Phase I pilot in 3 men and two erectile dysfunction trials of 10 men each. None is a treatment protocol.
- The 1996 pilot escalated from 0.01 mg/kg to 0.025-0.03 mg/kg subcutaneously, on alternate days (saline in between), about 5 doses over two weeks.
- A 2012 case report of a single 6 mg injection ended in rhabdomyolysis and intensive care.
Melanotan II has no approved dose, because it has no approved product. This page reports what three small published trials gave 23 male volunteers, and what a case report shows about an amount well above that. It is not a recommendation for what anyone should take. For the wider safety record and legal status, see the main Melanotan guide.
US legal status - Research use only
Melanotan II has no FDA-approved product and no approved dose. It was nominated to, then withdrawn from, FDA’s Category 2 bulk-substance safety-risk review, and is not eligible for lawful 503A compounding.
AU legal status - Not on the ARTG
Not on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, so the TGA has not assessed it for safety, quality or effectiveness. Goods that are not on the ARTG cannot lawfully be supplied or advertised in Australia except through a specific pathway - the Special Access Scheme, an Authorised Prescriber, a clinical trial, or personal importation.
Regulators reach their own conclusions on their own timelines. Where these two disagree, the difference is the point - not an error.
Melanotan 2 dosage: the common protocol
The protocol most often used is a daily loading dose of 100-1000 mcg by subcutaneous injection for 4-8 weeks to build pigmentation. After that comes 250-1000 mcg 1-3 times a week to maintain it, then a break. This is common practice, not a trial-established or FDA-approved dose.
Common protocol
What is commonly used, not a dose established in trials. No regulator has set a dose for Melanotan II.
- Dose per administration
- 100-1000 mcg
- How often
- daily loading dose of 100-1000 mcg for several weeks, then 250-1000 mcg 1-3 times a week for maintenance
- Route
- Subcutaneous injection
- Cycle length
- 4-8 weeks
- Break between cycles
- 4-6 weeks
Community and dosing-guide sources describe a two-phase pattern: a daily loading dose (starting around 100-250 mcg, rising toward 500-1000 mcg) for 4-8 weeks to build pigmentation, then 250-1000 mcg taken 1-3 times a week to maintain it, followed by a break of roughly 4-6 weeks before repeating. Source upgrade pass (2026-09-27): re-fetching Peptide Dosing Protocols this session found it now states a 100 mcg starting loading dose (previously read as 250 mcg), so the range floor widened to 100. Added Superpower, which accurately cites the real Phase-I human trials behind melanotan-II - Dorr et al. 1996 (3 subjects, subcutaneous dose-escalation from 0.01 mg/kg to 0.025-0.03 mg/kg on weekdays for 2 weeks) and Wessells et al. 2000 (20 men, 0.025 mg/kg SC, placebo-controlled crossover). Those trials dose by body weight, not the flat mcg amounts self-administration guides use, so they corroborate that real controlled human dosing data exists behind this compound without being merged into the flat mcg range here.
Plan a cycle in the protocol builder or work out injection volume in the dosage calculator.
The common Melanotan II dose is 100-1000 mcg, daily loading dose of 100-1000 mcg for several weeks, then 250-1000 mcg 1-3 times a week for maintenance. From a 10 mg vial mixed with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water, 550 mcg is 11 units (0.11 mL) on a U-100 insulin syringe.
Melanotan II 10 mg vial: units per dose
Full 10 mg vial page: mixing, doses per vial, how long it lasts →
| Water added | Concentration | 1 unit = | 100 mcg | 550 mcg | 1 mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mL | 10 mg/mL | 100 mcg | 1 unit | 5.5 units | 10 units |
| 2 mL | 5 mg/mL | 50 mcg | 2 units | 11 units | 20 units |
| 3 mL | 3.33 mg/mL | 33.33 mcg | 3 units | 16.5 units | 30 units |
All Melanotan II vial sizes: 10 mg
Units are on a standard U-100 insulin syringe (100 units = 1 mL), rounded to the nearest half unit - half-unit marks are on 0.3 mL syringes. Water volumes are examples: more water means more units per dose, not more doses per vial. For any other vial or dose, use the calculator below.
How many 10 mg vials a cycle takes
| Scenario | Dose | Doses a week | Weeks | Total | 10 mg vials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low end of the common protocol | 100 mcg | 1 | 4 | 0.4 mg | 1 |
| High end of the common protocol | 1 mg | 7 | 8 | 56 mg | 6 |
Whole vials, rounded up. Plan a cycle with your own numbers in the protocol builder. Keep mixed vials cold and use them within the window in how long reconstituted peptides last; where to inject: subcutaneous injection sites.
Melanotan 2 doses used in human studies
The entire published human dosing record is three small studies in men. One is a 1996 pilot Phase I trial Dorr 1996 - 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., in the references below. The other two are double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trials in men with erectile dysfunction Wessells 1998 - Wessells H, Fuciarelli K, Hansen J et al. Synthetic melanotropic peptide initiates erections in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction: double-blind, placebo controlled crossover study. J Urol. 1998;160(2):389-93., in the references below Wessells 2000 - Wessells H, Gralnek D, Dorr R et al. Effect of an alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone analog on penile erection and sexual desire in men with organic erectile dysfunction. Urology. 2000;56(4):641-6., in the references below.
In the 1996 pilot, 2 of the 3 subjects showed increased pigmentation in the face, upper body and buttock, measured a week after dosing ended. At 0.03 mg/kg, 1 of the 2 subjects had Grade II somnolence and fatigue. Mild nausea appeared at most dose levels. Spontaneous penile erections lasting 1-5 hours were reported at several dose levels.
The paper’s own conclusion is narrow. It recommends 0.025 mg/kg/day as the single dose to carry into future Phase I studies. It does not report on long-term use, repeated cycles, or any dose above 0.03 mg/kg.
The two erectile dysfunction trials used the 0.025 mg/kg dose. In the 1998 trial, 8 of 10 men had clinically apparent erections on Melanotan II Wessells 1998 - Wessells H, Fuciarelli K, Hansen J et al. Synthetic melanotropic peptide initiates erections in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction: double-blind, placebo controlled crossover study. J Urol. 1998;160(2):389-93., in the references below. In the 2000 trial, men reported erections after 12 of 19 Melanotan II injections against 1 of 21 placebo doses Wessells 2000 - Wessells H, Gralnek D, Dorr R et al. Effect of an alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone analog on penile erection and sexual desire in men with organic erectile dysfunction. Urology. 2000;56(4):641-6., in the references below. Nausea and stretching/yawning were more common than on placebo in both. In the 2000 trial, 4 of 19 injections were followed by severe nausea.
What an amount above that range looks like
A published case report Nelson 2012 - Nelson ME, Bryant SM, Aks SE. Melanotan II injection resulting in systemic toxicity and rhabdomyolysis. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2012;50(10):1169-73., in the references below describes a 39-year-old man who injected 6 mg of Melanotan II subcutaneously in a single dose. He reported it as six times his own usual starting dose.
- Within two hours he had tachycardia (peaking at 146 bpm), tremors, sweating and anxiety.
- His creatine kinase, a marker of muscle breakdown, rose to 17,773 IU/L over the following 12 hours. This is rhabdomyolysis, and acute kidney injury came with it.
- He was admitted to intensive care and needed three days of IV fluids and bicarbonate before his labs improved enough for discharge.
What is not established
- No approved dose exists, for any population, indication, route or duration, because no product has completed FDA review.
- No repeated, multi-cycle human dosing schedule has been studied and published. The trials were short courses in 23 men in total. Nothing like the ongoing or recurring cycles in vendor and forum protocols has been studied.
- No human half-life is established for Melanotan II, so there is no evidence-based basis for any dosing interval.
- The common protocol above is not a trial protocol. It reflects what dosing-guide and community sources describe as typical practice.
Reconstitution and injection volume: use the calculator
Turning a target amount into an injection volume depends on how a specific vial was reconstituted: how much diluent, and what resulting concentration. This page cannot know that for your vial. The dosage calculator walks through vial strength, diluent volume and target amount. It does the math but does not tell you what dose to use.
Who should not use it
No FDA-reviewed contraindication list exists, because Melanotan II has never gone through that review. The published trials studied only men, 23 in all, over short courses. There are no published human data on use in women, adolescents, pregnancy, breastfeeding, or alongside other medications or diagnosed conditions. An unapproved compound with no FDA-reviewed label and no long-term safety record is not something to self-direct in any of those situations.
Melanotan 2 side effects and risks
Published case literature associates Melanotan use with priapism Dreyer 2019 - Dreyer BA, Amer T, Fraser M. Melanotan-induced priapism: a hard-earned tan. BMJ Case Rep. 2019;12(2)., in the references below and with discussion of renal infarction Peters 2020 - Peters B, Hadimeri H, Wahlberg R et al. Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report. CEN Case Rep. 2020;9(2):159-161., in the references below. The toxicity case above shows a single overdose causing rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury. Material sold as a research chemical also has no regulator-verified purity, identity or concentration, so even the trials’ low doses do not describe what is in an unverified vial.
Related
- Melanotan: what the published cases show
- Melanotan 1 (afamelanotide)
- Dosage calculator
- Peptide side effects
- Are peptides safe?
- Research peptides and the law
Reconstitution arithmetic: Melanotan 2 dosage calculator. If you have taken more than intended: Melanotan 2 overdose.
Melanotan II dosage calculator
Preset to a 5 mg vial and 100 mcg, the low end of the common protocol. Enter your own vial size, water and dose to get the syringe units to draw.
Your vial
Printed on the vial. There is no standard size - enter what yours says.
This changes how much you draw - never how many doses the vial holds.
100 units per mL. 1 unit = 0.01 mL. This is what almost every insulin syringe sold is, in every barrel size.
Capacity only. A 1 mL U-100 syringe holds 100 units - the scale decides that, not the barrel.
Draw this much
= 0.04 mL on a 1 mL U-100 syringe
- Concentration
- 2,500 mcg/mL
- Exact volume
- 0.04 mL
- Dose you actually get
- 100 mcg
- Doses per vial(unaffected by water volume)
- 50
Where to buy Melanotan II for research
Each vendor is checked against my vendor checklist.
1.Next Level PharmFeatured
10 mg vial
- No FDA warning letter found
- Names its testing lab
- Batch COAs published
- Takes card payment
2.BioEdge Research Labs
10 mg vial
- No FDA warning letter found
- Names its testing lab
- Batch COAs published
Common questions
What is the usual Melanotan 2 dose?
Dosing-guide and community sources describe a daily loading dose of 100-1000 mcg by subcutaneous injection for 4-8 weeks to build pigmentation. Then comes 250-1000 mcg 1-3 times a week to maintain it, followed by a break of roughly 4-6 weeks. That is common practice reported outside any trial. No regulator or published study has established it as safe or effective.
What dose of Melanotan 2 was used in human studies?
A 1996 pilot Phase I trial gave 3 healthy men subcutaneous Melanotan-II, starting at 0.01 mg/kg and escalating in 0.005 mg/kg steps to 0.025-0.03 mg/kg. Injections went in every weekday for two consecutive weeks, alternating saline and Melanotan-II. Each man got the drug on alternate days, about 5 doses in all. Two later double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trials in men with erectile dysfunction (10 men each, published in 1998 and 2000) used injections of 0.025 mg/kg. These three small studies are the entire published human dosing record.
Is there an FDA-approved Melanotan 2 dose?
No. Melanotan II has no FDA-approved product, no approved indication, and no dose that any regulator has established as safe or effective. It was also nominated to, then withdrawn from, FDA review for compounding.
What happens if someone takes too much?
A published case report describes a 39-year-old man who injected 6 mg at once, roughly six times his own usual starting dose. He developed sympathomimetic toxicity and rhabdomyolysis, with muscle-enzyme levels rising into the tens of thousands over the following hours. He needed three days of ICU-level care.
How do I work out reconstitution and injection volume?
That is arithmetic about a specific vial and diluent, not a dosing decision, and this page cannot know your vial. Use the dosage calculator to work out concentration and draw volume for any amount. It does the math but does not tell you what dose to use.
Who should not use Melanotan 2?
No FDA-reviewed contraindication list exists, because Melanotan II has never gone through that review. The published trials studied only 23 men over short courses. There are no published data on women, pregnancy, breastfeeding, adolescents, or use alongside other medications or diagnosed conditions.
What are the main risks?
Published case literature associates Melanotan II with priapism and with discussion of renal infarction. A separate case report describes rhabdomyolysis and systemic toxicity after a single injection. Material sold as a research chemical also has no regulator-verified purity, identity or concentration.
When should I stop and get medical care?
Get emergency care (call 911 in the US) for an erection lasting more than 4 hours, severe muscle pain, dark urine, chest pain, or any symptom that feels dangerous. Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 if you have taken an unknown or excessive amount of anything sold as Melanotan 2 or Melanotan II. None of this replaces a clinician who knows your history.
References (7 sources)
Bibliographic detail is fetched from PubMed, not written by me - so a citation here cannot drift from the paper it names. Study design comes from PubMed's own tags rather than my judgement.
- 1.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.Clinical trialPMID 8637402
- 2.Nelson ME, Bryant SM, Aks SE. Melanotan II injection resulting in systemic toxicity and rhabdomyolysis. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2012;50(10):1169-73.Case reportPMID 23121206
- 3.Wessells H, Fuciarelli K, Hansen J et al. Synthetic melanotropic peptide initiates erections in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction: double-blind, placebo controlled crossover study. J Urol. 1998;160(2):389-93.Clinical trialPMID 9679884
- 4.Wessells H, Gralnek D, Dorr R et al. Effect of an alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone analog on penile erection and sexual desire in men with organic erectile dysfunction. Urology. 2000;56(4):641-6.Randomised trialPMID 11018622
- 5.Dreyer BA, Amer T, Fraser M. Melanotan-induced priapism: a hard-earned tan. BMJ Case Rep. 2019;12(2).ReviewPMID 30796078full text
- 6.Peters B, Hadimeri H, Wahlberg R et al. Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report. CEN Case Rep. 2020;9(2):159-161.ReviewPMID 31953620full text
- 7.FDA - Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding That May Present Significant Safety Risks (Category 2 list and the withdrawn-nominations table, which includes Melanotan II).- US Food and Drug Administrationregulatory