Compare · Melanocortin
Afamelanotide vs Setmelanotide
Both are melanocortin compounds. Here's how they line up on the evidence — graded the same way.
| Afamelanotide | Setmelanotide | |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence | 9/10 | 10/10 |
| Class | Melanocortin | Melanocortin |
| Summary | Afamelanotide is an FDA- and EMA-approved implant for a rare light-sensitivity disease. The trial evidence is real but modest, and it is not the gray-market tanning drug. | An FDA-approved peptide for a handful of rare genetic and acquired forms of severe obesity, with no credible evidence for general weight loss. |
| Full profile → | Full profile → |
Afamelanotide
Afamelanotide stands out in the "melanotan" family because it is an actual approved medicine, not a gray-market product. Sold under the brand name Scenesse, it is a drug that a doctor implants under the skin to treat a rare inherited disease that makes people extremely sensitive to light. That…
Setmelanotide
Setmelanotide, sold as Imcivree, is a prescription peptide used to treat a small number of rare, clearly defined forms of severe obesity. For those specific conditions, the evidence is genuinely strong. But step outside them — to general weight loss, fat loss, or "speeding up your metabolism" in…