Peptide Monographs

Bremelanotide and Melanotan II side by side

Bremelanotide and Melanotan II are both indexed under Melanocortin receptor peptides. Every cell below carries the record it came from, and an axis with no retrieved value reads Unknown rather than being filled by inference.

Summary

Both are melanocortin receptor peptides with closely similar molecular weights on the retrieved PubChem records. The retrieved literature for both covers sexual function endpoints, bremelanotide in randomised phase 3 trials reported in 2019 and melanotan II in a 2000 report of human studies with melanocortin receptor agonists.

[1, 2, 3, 4]

Side by side

Curated comparison axes for Bremelanotide and Melanotan II
AxisBremelanotideMelanotan II
Reported mechanismA melanocortin receptor agonist; the retrieved literature describes central nervous system mediated effects rather than peripheral ones.[7]A cyclic melanotropic peptide acting as a melanocortin receptor agonist; the retrieved literature describes it as non-selective across melanocortin receptor subtypes relative to the pigment-selective analogues.[3, 2, 15] (derived value: Derived: the cited 1996 Life Sciences and 2000 International Journal of Impotence Research titles establish melanotropic and melanocortin receptor agonist activity. The relative-selectivity clause is derived from the contrast between those reports and the pigmentary indication of the cited afamelanotide trial, not stated in any one retrieved title.)
Molecular formulaC50H68N14O10[5]C50H69N15O9[10]
Molecular weight1025.2 g/mol[5]1024.2 g/mol[10]
FDA application registerA query of the FDA Drugs@FDA application register on 2026-10-09 returned 1 application record(s) for this compound name (including NDA210557, marketed as VYLEESI (AUTOINJECTOR)). Material supplied as a research chemical is not the subject of those applications and is not an FDA-approved product.[6]A query of the FDA Drugs@FDA application register on 2026-10-09 returned no application records for this compound name. This compound is not approved by the FDA for human use.[11]

Where the two literatures diverge

The literature stage diverges: bremelanotide carries randomised phase 3 trial reports and a 2019 first-approval record, and the FDA application register returned a current application record for it, while melanotan II returned none and its retrieved clinical record stops at a pilot phase I study reported in 1996. Molecular formula differs between the two on the retrieved PubChem records despite near-identical molecular weight.

[1, 2, 3, 4]

Where this page sits

Full pages: Bremelanotide and Melanotan II.

Shared class: Melanocortin receptor peptides.

All side-by-side pages: index.

Sources

  1. Bremelanotide for the Treatment of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder: Two Randomized Phase 3 Trials. Obstet Gynecol (2019). pmid:31599840
  2. Melanocortin receptor agonists, penile erection, and sexual motivation: human studies with Melanotan II. Int J Impot Res (2000). pmid:11035391
  3. Evaluation of melanotan-II, a superpotent cyclic melanotropic peptide in a pilot phase-I clinical study. Life Sci (1996). pmid:8637402
  4. Bremelanotide: First Approval. Drugs (2019). pmid:31429064
  5. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 9941379, Bremelanotide. PubChem, National Library of Medicine (2026). pubchem:9941379
  6. Drugs@FDA application register query for this compound, 1 application(s) returned: NDA210557. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, openFDA drugsfda endpoint (2026). fda:bremelanotide
  7. Bremelanotide: an overview of preclinical CNS effects on female sexual function. J Sex Med (2007). pmid:17958619
  8. An effect on the subjective sexual response in premenopausal women with sexual arousal disorder by bremelanotide (PT-141), a melanocortin receptor agonist. J Sex Med (2006). pmid:16839319
  9. Bremelanotide for female sexual dysfunctions in premenopausal women: a randomized, placebo-controlled dose-finding trial. Womens Health (Lond) (2016). pmid:27181790
  10. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 92432, melanotan-II. PubChem, National Library of Medicine (2026). pubchem:92432
  11. Drugs@FDA application register query for this compound, no application records returned. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, openFDA drugsfda endpoint (2026). fda:melanotan-ii
  12. The melanocortin agonist Melanotan-II reduces the orexigenic and adipogenic effects of neuropeptide Y (NPY) but does not affect the NPY-driven suppressive effects on the gonadotropic and somatotropic axes in the male rat. J Neuroendocrinol (2003). pmid:12535159
  13. Unabated anorexic and enhanced thermogenic responses to melanotan II in diet-induced obese rats despite reduced melanocortin 3 and 4 receptor expression. J Endocrinol (2004). pmid:15225137
  14. Nanostructured porous silicon microparticles enable sustained peptide (Melanotan II) delivery. Eur J Pharm Biopharm (2011). pmid:20965250
  15. Afamelanotide for Erythropoietic Protoporphyria. N Engl J Med (2015). pmid:26132941

On each stated value was matched to the record cited for it. That is record matching, not an appraisal of the research. Compiled and checked by: Peptide Monographs editorial desk. No qualified clinical reviewer.

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