MT-1
Also known as Afamelanotide, Melanotan I, [Nle4, D-Phe7]-α-MSH, CUV1647
A synthetic analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone that activates the melanocortin 1 receptor to increase skin eumelanin. It is approved in the EU and US for phototoxicity in erythropoietic protoporphyria.
Approved drug substance
Size
1 option- Catalog no.
- MT1
- Specification
- 10mg*10vials
- Per kit
- 10 vials
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or animal consumption. Buyers must be 21 or older.
Overview
Afamelanotide, first described in 1980 as [Nle4, D-Phe7]-α-MSH, is a 13-amino-acid linear analogue of α-MSH. Replacing methionine with norleucine and L-phenylalanine with D-phenylalanine made it resistant to serum enzymes and markedly more potent than the native hormone. Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals developed it as a photoprotective agent, and it was approved in the European Union in 2014 and by the US FDA in 2019 to increase pain-free light exposure in adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria. It has also been studied in vitiligo and other photodermatoses.
Class: Linear α-MSH analogue (MC1R agonist)
Mechanism of action
How the compound acts, as described in the literature.
Binds and activates the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) on melanocytes, raising cAMP and stimulating eumelanin synthesis, which darkens skin independently of UV exposure.
Its Nle4 and D-Phe7 substitutions conferred resistance to serum enzymes and about 26-fold greater potency than α-MSH in a melanoma adenylate cyclase assay (Sawyer 1980).
In erythropoietic protoporphyria, increased epidermal melanin is proposed to reduce light penetration and the phototoxic reactions driven by protoporphyrin accumulation in skin.
Published research
Selected studies, each linked to its PubMed record. Summaries describe what the studies reported.
1980
In vitro study
PMID 67777744-Norleucine, 7-D-phenylalanine-alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone: a highly potent alpha-melanotropin with ultralong biological activity.
Sawyer TK, et al. · Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
[Nle4, D-Phe7]-α-MSH resisted degradation by serum enzymes, showed prolonged activity in frog skin bioassays, and was 26 times as potent as α-MSH in a mouse melanoma adenylate cyclase assay.
2015
Two multicenter RCTs
PMID 26132941Afamelanotide for Erythropoietic Protoporphyria.
Langendonk JG, et al. · N Engl J Med
In placebo-controlled trials in the EU (74 patients) and US (94 patients), afamelanotide increased pain-free time in direct sunlight and improved quality of life in erythropoietic protoporphyria; adverse events were mostly mild.
2015
RCT
PMID 25230094Afamelanotide and narrowband UV-B phototherapy for the treatment of vitiligo: a randomized multicenter trial.
Lim HW, et al. · JAMA Dermatol
In 55 patients with nonsegmental vitiligo, afamelanotide combined with narrowband UV-B produced faster and greater repigmentation than narrowband UV-B alone, particularly on the face and upper extremities.
Evidence & safety
What the research does not show, and the adverse events and regulatory status it reports.
Pivotal trials were small, reflecting the rarity of erythropoietic protoporphyria, and approval covers that indication only. Commonly reported adverse reactions include headache and administration-site reactions, and because afamelanotide darkens skin and existing nevi, its labeling calls for regular skin examinations. Unregulated products sold as melanotan I have been linked in case reports to changes in existing moles and new dysplastic nevi.
Specifications
All sizes, exactly as catalogued.
| Catalog no. | Product | Specification | Vials per kit |
|---|---|---|---|
| MT1 | MT-1 | 10mg*10vials | 10 |
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or animal consumption. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Research summaries are provided for educational purposes and do not describe this product’s use.