The short version of cyclic heptapeptide fits in a sentence. The long version — which is the one that helps — is below.
This page was last updated on 2025-11-19 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.
Melanotan-2 appears on the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list within the peptide hormone class, and several national regulators treat it as an unapproved prescription substance. Some countries restrict importation or sale for personal use. Because the compound is widely traded as a research chemical, the practical legal picture differs between jurisdictions and shifts over time. Human safety data covering long periods are limited, and whether repeated pigmentation changes carry any lasting risk to melanocytes remains an open question.
Freeze-dried melanotan-2 is normally kept as a desiccated powder at minus twenty degrees Celsius or lower, shielded from light and moisture. Peptides of this size degrade through hydrolysis, oxidation and deamidation, and each pathway accelerates as temperature and water activity rise. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles promote aggregation and loss of material, so aliquoting a stock solution before freezing is standard laboratory practice. Once dissolved, the solution is markedly less stable than the powder. In laboratory work, solutions are generally refrigerated and used within days rather than kept for months.
Published pharmacokinetic information is limited and comes mainly from small studies rather than registrational trials. Plasma half-life is usually described as short, on the order of tens of minutes, followed by rapid tissue distribution and clearance of the intact peptide. Metabolites and low concentrations of parent compound have been reported in urine, a detail relevant to anti-doping and forensic testing. Whether repeated exposure changes receptor sensitivity or clearance over time remains an open question. Values differ noticeably between analytical assays, so published numbers should be read as approximate rather than definitive.
Melanotan II is a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide with the sequence Ac-Nle-cyclo[Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-NH2, corresponding to a molecular formula of C50H69N15O9 and a monoisotopic mass near 1024 daltons. It was designed as a structural analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, a peptide hormone produced by cleavage of proopiomelanocortin. A lactam bridge between the aspartate and lysine side chains closes the ring, and the C-terminal amide removes a free carboxyl group. Both modifications increase resistance to enzymatic degradation compared with the linear parent hormone. Four substitutions distinguish it from afamelanotide, the linear analogue studied under the name melanotan I.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Typical storage temperature | -20 °C or below | For the lyophilised powder, desiccated |
| Storage form | Sealed vial, protected from light | Amber glass or foil-wrapped containers |
| Reconstituted stability | Short, refrigerate | Degradation accelerates in solution |
| Typical analytical method | Reversed-phase HPLC with mass spectrometry | Purity assessment plus identity confirmation |
| Common synonyms | Melanotan II, MT-II | Also written melanotan-2 |
Regulatory treatment varies by country. In the United States the peptide is not approved as a medicine, and products offered for human use may be treated as unapproved new drugs; some states also restrict sale. Australia, the United Kingdom, and European Union member states apply comparable restrictions to unapproved peptide products. Border agencies have seized shipments labelled as research chemicals. Classification may change over time, and the legal position for personal importation is not clearly settled in most published guidance.
Lyophilised melanotan-2 is supplied as a solid, which is more stable than a solution. The material is hygroscopic, so weighing is done quickly, in low humidity, with the container kept sealed. Reconstitution usually uses water for injection or bacteriostatic water, added down the wall of the vial to limit foaming. A reconstituted solution is held at 2 to 8 °C and kept away from light. Repeated freezing and thawing of the same vial is avoided because ice crystal formation and concentration effects degrade the peptide.
Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography is the routine method for purity assessment. Peptides absorb near 214 nm because of the peptide bond, and a gradient of acetonitrile in water separates the intact peptide from deletion sequences, oxidised products, and earlier-eluting fragments at neutral pH. Electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry provides an orthogonal check: the measured mass must agree with the theoretical value. Amino acid analysis and peptide mapping confirm structure but are used less often. Reference standards remain scarce because the peptide is not described in any pharmacopoeia.
Structurally, Melanotan-2 retains the core recognition motif of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone while adding a lactam bridge that links two side chains and constrains the molecule into a ring. This modification lowers susceptibility to enzymatic degradation. The compound acts as an agonist at melanocortin receptors, particularly subtypes associated with melanin production. Because the same receptor family influences several physiological processes, researchers note that its activity is not confined to pigmentation alone. Receptor selectivity continues to be examined in published studies.
Melanotan-2 is a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide designed as an analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, a naturally occurring peptide involved in pigmentation signalling. Its sequence incorporates modified residues that increase potency and extend biological activity relative to the native hormone. The compound binds receptors of the melanocortin family and is examined mainly in laboratory research. It does not occur naturally and exists only as a manufactured chemical entity produced by solid-phase synthesis.
The peptide was developed during the 1980s by researchers investigating melanocortin signalling and skin pigmentation pathways. Early work focused on analogues of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone that would resist enzymatic breakdown more effectively than the parent molecule. Melanotan-2 emerged from that programme as a shortened, cyclised variant. Reports describing its synthesis and receptor activity later appeared in the scientific literature. Commercial availability grew through unregulated channels rather than through pharmaceutical approval.
Published research on the compound remains limited. Much of the human data comes from small, early-stage studies rather than large controlled trials, and several questions about effects and variability between individuals remain open. Investigators have examined receptor activity, pigment pathways, and related physiological responses in laboratory and animal models. Findings from those models do not automatically translate to human outcomes. Reviews frequently note the scarcity of rigorous clinical evidence and call for better-characterized study material.
Because the substance circulates mainly through informal markets, verification is a recurring theme in technical discussion. Independent analyses have found that labeled content and actual content can diverge, and that purity varies between samples. Analytical laboratories use reversed-phase chromatography to separate components and mass spectrometry to confirm identity. Isotope-labeled internal standards improve quantification in complex matrices. Such methods describe what a sample contains but say nothing about its sterility, lawful status, or suitability for any use. Open questions remain about how consistently testing is applied across the supply chain.
Regulatory treatment of this peptide varies by country. It holds no marketing authorization as a medicine in the United States, the European Union, or most other jurisdictions. Some countries classify products containing it as prescription-only or unlicensed medicines, which restricts lawful supply. Authorities have issued public notices warning that unregulated products may contain undeclared or incorrect ingredients. The molecule also appears on prohibited lists for competitive sport. These measures address supply oversight rather than any approved therapeutic role.
Melanotan-2 is a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide designed as an analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, the naturally occurring peptide involved in pigmentation signalling. Its sequence is conventionally written as Ac-Nle-cyclo[Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-NH2, with a lactam bridge joining the aspartate side chain to the lysine side chain. The empirical formula is C50H69N15O9 and the monoisotopic mass lies near 1023.5 daltons. N-terminal acetylation and the D-configured phenylalanine both increase resistance to enzymatic breakdown compared with the parent hormone.
Pharmacologically, melanotan-2 behaves as a non-selective agonist across the melanocortin receptor family. Binding at MC1R on dermal melanocytes promotes eumelanin synthesis, which underlies the tanning response described in early human work. Activity at the centrally expressed MC4R receptor is associated with reported effects on appetite and erectile function. Because the peptide does not discriminate strongly among receptor subtypes, attributing any single observed effect to one receptor pathway is generally not possible without selective antagonists or receptor knockout models.
== History == Methadone was developed in 1937 in Germany by scientists working for I.G. Farbenindustrie AG at the Farbwerke Hoechst who were looking for a synthetic opioid that could be created with readily available precursors, to solve Germany's opium and morphine shortage problem. On 11 September 1941 Bockmühl and Ehrhart filed an application for a patent for a synthetic substance they called Hoechst 10820 or Polamidon (a name still in regular use in Germany) and whose structure had little relation to morphine or other "true opiates" such as diamorphine (Heroin), desomorphine (Permonid), nicomorphine (Vilan), codeine, dihydrocodeine, oxymorphone (Opana), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Dicodid), and other closely related opium alkaloid derivatives and analogues. It was brought to market in 1943 and was widely used by the German army during WWII as a substitute for morphine. In the 1930s, pethidine (meperidine) went into production in Germany; however, the production of methadone, then being developed under the designation Hoechst 10820, was not carried forward because of side effects discovered in the early research. After the war, all German patents, trade names, and research records were requisitioned and expropriated by the Allies. The records on the research work of the I.G. Farbenkonzern at the Farbwerke Hoechst were confiscated by the U.S. Department of Commerce Intelligence, investigated by a Technical Industrial Committee of the U.S. Department of State and then brought to the US.
More sophisticated gut absorption model can be used. In those models, additional compartments describe the various sections of the gut lumen and tissue. Intestinal pH, transit times and presence of active transporters can be taken into account .
Hazard research is published: a study finds the likelihood of receiving a dementia diagnosis varies 2-fold based on place of residence in the U.S. after adjusting for underlying sociodemographic and population dementia risk factors, indicating there to be further regional risk factors or especially worse diagnostics (16 Aug.), and a study shows of the infant and toddler foods in 10 major grocery chains, 60% failed to meet the nutritional requirements of the WHO's nutrient and promotion profile model (NPPM) (21 Aug.).
In 1956, a factory in the city released methylmercury in the industrial wastewater resulting in thousands of deaths and many other health problems. This incident alerted the world to the phenomenon of bioaccumulation. While all mercury compounds are toxic, organomercury compounds are especially dangerous because they are readily absorbed from the skin and can cross the blood–brain barrier to cause irreversible brain damage. Methylmercury and related compounds are thought to bind to the sulfur of cysteinyl residues in proteins. Nickel causes a contact dermatitis in up to 20% of people as result of prolonged contact with coins or jewelry. Industrial processing with highly toxic nickel carbonyl can cause acute poisoning; inhalation of nickel and nickel compounds in these settings can cause respiratory tract cancer. Chromium, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead have a strong affinity for sulfur; in the human body they usually bind, via thiol groups (–SH), to enzymes responsible for controlling the speed of metabolic reactions. The resulting sulfur-metal bonds inhibit the proper functioning of the enzymes involved; human health deteriorates, sometimes fatally.
They bear much of the basic features provided by cell membranes. Proteinoid-based protocells enclosing RNA molecules could have been the first cellular life forms on Earth. Another possibility is that the shores of the ancient coastal waters may have been a suitable environment for the initial development of cells. Waves breaking on the shore create a delicate foam composed of bubbles. Shallow coastal waters also tend to be warmer, further concentrating the molecules through evaporation. While bubbles made mostly of water tend to burst quickly, oily bubbles are much more stable. The phospholipid, the primary material of cell membranes, is an example of a common oily compound prevalent in the prebiotic seas. Both of these options require the presence of massive amounts of chemicals and organic material in order to form cells. A large gathering of organic molecules most likely came from what scientists now call the prebiotic soup. The prebiotic soup refers to the collection of every organic compound that appeared on Earth after it was formed. This soup would have most likely contained the compounds necessary to form early cells. Phospholipids are composed of a hydrophilic head on one end and a hydrophobic tail on the other. They can come together to form a bilayer membrane. A lipid monolayer bubble can only contain oil and is not conducive to harboring water-soluble organic molecules. On the other hand, a lipid bilayer bubble can contain water and was a likely precursor to the modern cell membrane.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons). Nerves have historically been considered the basic units of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the electrochemical nerve impulses called action potentials that are transmitted along each of the axons to peripheral organs or, in the case of sensory nerves, from the periphery back to the central nervous system. Each axon is an extension of an individual neuron, along with other supportive cells such as some Schwann cells that coat the axons in myelin. Each axon is surrounded by a layer of connective tissue called the endoneurium. The axons are bundled together into groups called fascicles, and each fascicle is wrapped in a layer of connective tissue called the perineurium. The entire nerve is wrapped in a layer of connective tissue called the epineurium. Nerve cells (often called neurons) are further classified as either sensory or motor. In the central nervous system, the analogous structures are known as nerve tracts.
=== Ch–Che === Michael Chamberlin (1937–2025). American molecular biologist at UC Berkeley, with research focussed on gene expression in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Member Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. Britton Chance (1913–2010). American biochemist at the University of Pennsylvania. He studied enzyme structure and function, and invented the stopped-flow spectrophotometer for studying fast reactions. Member Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. Christopher Chang (b. 1974). American bioinorganic chemist at UC Berkeley. His research includes molecular imaging sensors for the study of redox biology. Jean-Pierre Changeux (b. 1936). French biochemist and neuroscientist at the Collège de France and Institut Pasteur. Originator of the allosteric model of cooperativity, but now known mainly for work in neuroscience. Emmett Chappelle (1925–2019). American biochemist at NASA, known for using bioluminescence to develop a method of detecting ATP. Erwin Chargaff (1905–2002). Austrian-American biochemist at Columbia, known for Chargaff's rules, according to the first of which the number of guanine units in DNA is equal to the number of cytosine units, and the number of adenine units is equal to the number of thymine units. Emmanuelle Charpentier (b. 1968). French microbiologist, geneticist and biochemist. She (with Jennifer Doudna) discovered genome editing with CRISPR. Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2020. Foreign Associate Natl. Acad. Sci. USA Martha Chase (1927–2003).
There have been numerous proposals and usage of decimal time, most of which were based on the day as the base unit. In dynastic China, the kè was a unit that represented 1⁄100 of a day (since redefined to 1⁄96 of a day, or 15 minutes). In France, a decimal time system in place from 1793 to 1805 divided the day into 10 hours, each divided into 100 minutes, in turn divided into 100 seconds; the French Republican calendar further extended this by assembling days into ten-day weeks. Ordinal dates and Julian days, the latter of which has seen use in astronomy as it is not subject to leap year complications, allow for the expression of a decimal portion of the day. Decimal time is frequently found in fiction, often in futuristic works. The Swatch Internet Time system is based on decimal time. Many mechanical stopwatches are of the 'decimal minute' type. These split one minute into 100 units of 0.6 s each. This makes addition and subtraction of times easier than using regular seconds.
== Function == Amino acid catabolism results in waste ammonia. All animals need a way to excrete this product. Most aquatic organisms, or ammonotelic organisms, excrete ammonia without converting it. Organisms that cannot easily and safely remove nitrogen as ammonia convert it to a less toxic substance, such as urea, via the urea cycle, which occurs mainly in the liver. Urea produced by the liver is then released into the bloodstream, where it travels to the kidneys and is ultimately excreted in urine. The urea cycle is essential to these organisms, because if the nitrogen or ammonia is not eliminated from the organism it can be very detrimental. In species including birds and most insects, the ammonia is converted into uric acid or its urate salt, which is excreted in solid form. Further, the urea cycle consumes acidic waste carbon dioxide by combining it with the basic ammonia, helping to maintain a neutral pH.
== Clinical relevance == Using MFAP4-deficient mouse models, studies have shown roles for MFAP4 in neointima formation and asthma. Moreover, it has recently been shown that the glycosylation of MFAP4 is raised in the aortic extracellular matrix of Marfan syndrome patients using proteomics and gene expression levels of MFAP4 correlate with alterations in extracellular matrix genes within human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Protective tissues == Within motor nerves, each axon is wrapped by the endoneurium, which is a layer of connective tissue that surrounds the myelin sheath. Bundles of axons are called fascicles, which are wrapped in perineurium. All of the fascicles wrapped in the perineurium are wound together and wrapped by a final layer of connective tissue known as the epineurium. These protective tissues defend nerves from injury, pathogens and help to maintain nerve function. Layers of connective tissue maintain the rate at which nerves conduct action potentials.
=== Acute chest syndrome === Acute chest syndrome is caused by vaso-occlusion occurring in the lungs. As with a VOC, treatment includes pain control and hydration. Antibiotics are required because there is a severe risk of pulmonary infection, and oxygen supplementation for hypoxia. Blood transfusion may also be required, or exchange transfusion in severe cases.
(1933), first African-American basketball player to be selected as All-American Alfred Skrobisch (1933), Olympic fencer Cliff Montgomery (1934), led the Columbia Lions football team to victory in the Rose Bowl John O'Brien (1938), basketball player for the Akron Wingfoots Ben Johnson (1938), sprinter who rivaled Jesse Owens Sid Luckman (1939), NFL Hall of Fame Chicago Bears quarterback Ken Germann (1943), football coach, athletic director of Columbia University, and former Southern Conference commissioner Paul Governali (1943), football player for the Boston Yanks and New York Giants Walt Budko (1948), basketball player for Baltimore Bullets and Philadelphia Warriors Bruce Gehrke (1948), football player for New York Giants Bill Swiacki (1948), player for New York Giants, member of the College Football Hall of Fame Lou Kusserow (1949), football player for Hamilton Tiger-Cats and New York Yanks John Azary (1951), basketball player, recipient of the Haggerty Award Jack Molinas (1953), NBA player for the Fort Wayne Pistons Jack Rohan (1953), head coach of the Columbia Lions men's basketball team 1961–1974, and 1990–1995 George Shaw (1953), Olympic triple jumper Richard Ballantine* (1967), cyclist and cycling advocate; son of Ian Ballantine '38 of Ballantine Books James Margolis (1958), Olympic fencer James Melcher (1961), Olympian fencer, president of Fencers Club and hedge fund manager Robert Contiguglia (1963), soccer player, former president of the United States Soccer Federation Peter Salzberg (1964), head coach of Vermont Catamounts men's basketball 1972–1981 Archie Roberts (1965), former football player for the Miami Dolphins and cardiac surgeon Jim McMillian (1968), NBA player for the Los Angeles Lakers, Buffalo Braves, New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers Dave Newmark (1968), NBA player for the Chicago Bulls; also played for Israeli team Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C. Marty Domres (1969), football player for San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Colts Heyward Dotson (1970), basketball player George Starke (1971), offensive lineman for the Washington Redskins Henry Bunis (1975), two-time All-American tennis player, runner-up in 1977 Chilean Open Rick Fagel (1975), professional tennis player Vitas Gerulaitis* (1975), champion tennis player Thomas Losonczy (1975), Olympic fencer, winner of the Congressional Gold Medal Alton Byrd (1979), basketball player Eric Fromm (1980), tennis player John Witkowski (1983), football player for Detroit Lions and Houston Oilers Gene Larkin (1984), member of the Minnesota Twins 1987 and 1991 World Series championship teams Amr Aly (1985), soccer player who won the Hermann Trophy as the top college player of the year 1984; member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Soccer Team and indoor soccer team Los Angeles Lazers Stephen Trevor (1986), Olympic fencer Kyra Tirana Barry (1987), team leader for U.S. women's national wrestling team Caitlin Bilodeaux (1987), Olympic fencer Howard Endelman (1987), tennis player Phil Williamson (1987), tennis player for Antigua and Barbuda Bob Cottingham (1988), Olympic fencer Jon Normile (1989), Olympic fencer Frank Seminara (1989), Major League Baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets Tom Auth (1990), Olympic rower Christine Vardaros (1991), professional cyclist Ann Marsh (1994), Olympic fencer Ríkharður Daðason (1996), Icelandic soccer player Marcellus Wiley (1997), football player for the Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys Dan Kellner (1998), fencer Pellegrino Matarazzo (1999), head coach of VfB Stuttgart Matt Napoleon (1999), Olympic soccer goalkeeper Cristina Teuscher (2000), Olympic gold medalist swimmer Jedediah Dupree (2001), NCAA Champion fencer Veljko Urošević (2003), Serbian Olympic rower Fernando Perez (2004), outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays Jeremiah Boswell (2005), professional basketball player for BC Sliven, KK Strumica, and KK Torus Delilah DiCrescenzo (2005), long-distance runner, inspiration and subject of the Grammy-nominated song Hey There Delilah Michael Quarshie (2005), Finnish American football player who played for the Oakland Raiders and Frankfurt Galaxy Lisa Nemec (2006), Croatian long-distance runner Miloš Tomić (2006), Serbian Olympic rower Erison Hurtault (2007), Dominican sprinter James Leighman Williams (2007), fencer who won silver in the 2008 Summer Olympics Emily Jacobson (2008), fencer İhsan Emre Vural (2008), Turkish rower for Galatasaray S.K. Sherif Farrag (2009), Egyptian-American Olympic fencer Nicholas la Cava (2009), Olympic rower Jeff Spear (2010), Olympic fencer Daria Schneider (2010), fencer Jeff Adams (2011), Houston Texans offensive tackle Nicole Ross (2011), Olympic fencer Isadora Cerullo (2013), Brazilian-American Olympic rugby player Katie Meili (2013), Olympic swimmer, Pan American Games and 2016 Summer Olympics gold medalist Josh Martin (2013), Kansas City Chiefs linebacker John Gregorek Jr. (2014), middle-distance runner David Najem (2014), American soccer player for New Mexico United and the Afghanistan national football team Nadia Eke (2015), Ghanaian triple jumper, African Championships gold medalist in 2016 Kristine Musademba (2015), figure skater Max Schnur (2015), tennis player playing on the ATP Challenger Tour Nzingha Prescod (2015), Olympic fencer Ramit Tandon (2015), professional squash player Jakub Buczek (2016), Canadian Olympic rower Sasha DiGiulian (2016), world champion climber Jacqueline Dubrovich (2016), Olympic fencer Maodo Lô (2016), German basketball player for Brose Bamberg Robb Paller (2016), American-Israeli Olympic baseball player Jeff Coby (2017), American basketball player for Xuventude Baloncesto Cameron Nizialek (2017), football player for Atlanta Falcons Akua Obeng-Akrofi (2018), Ghanaian sprinter Charlotte Buck (2018), Olympic rower Osama Khalifa (2018), #1 ranked college squash player in the U.S. for the 2016–17 season Camille Zimmerman (2018), American basketball player for Norrköping Dolphins Yasmeen Al-Dabbagh (2019), Saudi Arabian sprinter Jessica Antiles (2019), swimmer who won silver and bronze medals in the 2017 Maccabiah Games Dylan Castanheira (2019), soccer player, goalkeeper for Fort Lauderdale CF Sophie Whitehouse (2019), goalkeeper for Republic of Ireland women's national football team Mike Smith (2020), basketball player Anthony Jackie Tang (2020), Hong Kong tennis player John Tanguay (2020), rower who won a silver medal in the 2020 Summer Paralympics Dylan Geick* (2021), wrestler and internet personality Velavan Senthilkumar (2021), British Junior Open Squash champion and Asian Junior Squash champion Nastasya Generalova (2023), gymnast and model Olivia Giaccio (2024), Olympic freestyle skier Evita Griskenas (2024), rhythmic gymnast Camden Pulkinen (2024), figure skater Abbey Hsu (2024), basketball player
=== Sjögren syndrome === Sjögren syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune rheumatic disease of the exocrine glands. Increased incidence of SS after childbirth suggests a relationship between SS and pregnancy, and this led to the hypothesis that fetal microchimerism may be involved in SS pathogenesis. Studies showed the presence of Y-chromosome-positive fetal cells in minor salivary glands in 11 of 20 women with SS but in only one of eight normal controls. Fetal cells in salivary glands suggest that they may be involved in the development of SS.
=== Structure === Unlike traditionally prepared food, the variety of food that can be manufactured using 3D printing is limited by the physical characteristics of the materials. Food materials are generally much softer than the weakest plastic used in 3D printing, making the printed structures very fragile. So far, most studies use trial and error as an approach to overcoming this challenge, but scientists are working on developing new methods that are able to predict the behavior of different materials during the printing process. These methods are developed by analyzing the rheological properties of the materials and their relation to the printing stability.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
The lyophilised solid is best kept cold, dry and dark, typically at minus twenty degrees Celsius. Moisture and repeated warming cycles are the main causes of degradation. Solutions prepared from the powder are less stable and are normally used quickly.
Reversed-phase liquid chromatography assesses purity, while mass spectrometry confirms molecular mass and detects sequence errors. Amino acid analysis and peptide mapping add structural detail. These techniques are complementary rather than interchangeable.
It is listed as a prohibited peptide hormone by the World Anti-Doping Agency. No medicines regulator has approved it for human use. Import and sale rules vary by country.
No. It is a synthetic analogue carrying four amino acid changes, a lactam ring and an amidated C-terminus. The natural hormone is a linear thirteen-amino-acid peptide processed from proopiomelanocortin.