Melanotan I (afamelanotide)
Approved as Scenesse, a clinician-placed implant, for a rare light-sensitivity disorder only.
At a glance. The more selective of the two melanotans, with a genuine approval for a narrow medical use that is very different from how it is usually sold.
We do not sell Melanotan to anyone who has a large number of moles, or any personal history of melanoma or skin cancer. Melanotan darkens existing moles, which makes changes in them harder to spot, and spotting those changes early is how skin cancer is caught.
Written and maintained by the AVERON Research Desk · Last reviewed September 2026
What it is
Melanotan I is a synthetic analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. As a drug it is called afamelanotide. Unlike Melanotan II, it acts mainly on the melanocortin 1 receptor, the one responsible for skin pigment, which is why it largely lacks Melanotan II's effects on libido and appetite.
What researchers study it for
Its approved use is erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), a rare inherited disorder in which exposure to light causes severe pain in the skin. By increasing skin pigmentation, afamelanotide helps protect people with EPP from light. It has also been studied in vitiligo and other light-related skin conditions.
What the research shows
A phase 3 trial led by Janneke Langendonk, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2015, found that in adults with EPP, afamelanotide increased the time participants could spend in direct sunlight without pain and improved their quality of life compared with placebo.
It was approved in the European Union in 2014 and by the US FDA on 8 October 2019, as Scenesse.
The approved product is not an injection. It is a 16 mg implant placed under the skin by a trained healthcare professional, releasing the drug slowly over about two months.
What it does not do, and what is not known
- Its approval covers EPP only. It is not approved for cosmetic tanning.
- The approved form is a clinician-placed implant. Research-grade material is not Scenesse and not an implant.
- There is no validated protocol for self-injected afamelanotide. The implant's slow release is not replicated by an injection.
- It does not tan skin without ultraviolet light.
- It does not protect against skin cancer.
Adverse effects reported in research
In clinical trials, reported effects included reactions at the implant site, nausea, headache, and darkening of the skin, moles and freckles.
Regulatory and anti-doping status
Regulatory: Approved as Scenesse by the European Medicines Agency in 2014 and by the US FDA in 2019, for adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria, as a clinician-placed implant.
Anti-doping: As a substance with a current approval, it does not fall under WADA's category S0, and it is not named elsewhere on the Prohibited List. Athletes should confirm with their anti-doping organisation.
At AVERON
Melanotan I is not yet in stock. When it arrives, it will be listed in the shop, and its independent lab report will be published on our verify page before it is sold. The restriction at the top of this page will apply.
Frequently asked questions
Doses mentioned on this page are the arms of published studies or the terms of an approved product, given to describe the evidence. They are not guidance.