Compare · Melanocortin
Melanotan II vs Setmelanotide
Both are melanocortin compounds. Here's how they line up on the evidence — graded the same way.
| Melanotan II | Setmelanotide | |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence | Preliminary human | Strong human |
| Class | Melanocortin | Melanocortin |
| Summary | A synthetic tanning peptide that does something, but is unapproved, unregulated, and tied to serious harms from priapism to melanoma case reports. | 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 → |
Melanotan II
Melanotan II is a synthetic peptide sold online to darken skin ("the tan jab"), suppress appetite, and boost libido. It is not approved as a drug anywhere, and the way people actually use it has never been tested in a controlled trial.
Setmelanotide
Setmelanotide, sold as Imcivree, is a prescription peptide for a handful of rare, well-defined forms of severe obesity. Within those narrow conditions the evidence is genuinely strong. Outside them — for general weight loss, fat loss, or "metabolism" boosting in people without these disorders —…