Human studiesMelanocortin agonist (natural hormone)

Alpha-MSH

α-MSH, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, alpha-melanotropin, intermedine (INN), acetyl-ACTH(1–13) amide

Common dose: No established dose
Cycle: No set cycle
Vial sizes: Not established

A 13-amino-acid hormone made in the pituitary, brain and skin from the same precursor protein as ACTH. It darkens skin through the MC1 receptor on pigment cells and acts on brain receptors involved in appetite and sexual function.

Evidence. The body’s own tanning hormone, given to people only in small physiology studies: injections of purified alpha- and beta-MSH darkened volunteers’ skin in 1961, and single 2.5 mg IV doses raised LH, a reproductive hormone, in 15 healthy adults in the 1990s. A US phase 1 trial in acute kidney failure (1999–2003) has no published results. It is approved nowhere; afamelanotide, bremelanotide and setmelanotide are separate drugs built on it.

What it’s used for

None of these uses is approved. Uses tested in people come first, then claims that rest on animal studies or user reports.

Tanning and skin darkening: TrialOld evidence only: in 1961, injections of purified alpha- and beta-MSH darkened volunteers’ skin. Tanning products sold today are synthetic analogs, not alpha-MSH.
Acute kidney injury: AnimalUnproven in people: it protected kidneys after blocked blood flow in mice and rats; a 1999–2003 phase 1 trial has no published results, and an analog (ABT-719) failed in a 240-patient trial.
Inflammation: AnimalUnproven in people: in animal and cell studies it damps inflammatory signals; KPV, its last three amino acids, is studied for the same reason.
Sun damage and DNA repair: AnimalUnproven in people: in human skin cells, alpha-MSH acting on MC1 increased dark pigment and repair of UV damage to DNA.
Chronic beryllium disease: No studyUnproven: FDA gave it an orphan-drug designation for this lung disease in 2010, a development incentive, not evidence. No study of it in this disease was found.

Trial: tested in people, with the result. Animal: cell or animal studies only. No study: nothing published supports it.

Every compound’s uses, by body system: evidence map, and by condition: conditions A to Z.

Status

Approval: Not approved as a drug in the US, the EU or anywhere else. FDA granted orphan-drug designations, development incentives rather than approvals, for ischemic acute kidney failure (1997) and chronic beryllium disease (2010).
US compounding: Not nominated for compounding: it isn’t on FDA’s 503A (May 2026) or 503B (March 2025) nomination lists or the safety-risk page, so it has no compounding category.
European Union: No marketing authorization.
United Kingdom: No marketing authorization (MHRA).
Canada: No marketing authorization (Health Canada).
Australia: No product registered. It has no entry of its own; the Poisons Standard index (October 2026) points the name to Melanotan II, which is Schedule 4.
Sport (WADA 2026): Likely banned in sportNot named on WADA’s 2026 list. It shares its first 13 amino acids with ACTH, whose class (corticotrophins, S2.2.2) is banned, but it doesn’t act on the adrenal ACTH receptor; with no human approval anywhere, the S0 rule bans it at all times either way.

Category 2 is FDA’s list of bulk substances that may present significant safety risks in compounding. The 503A bulks list adds substances that pharmacies may compound with. Advisory committee votes are advice; FDA makes the final decision. Sport status follows the WADA Prohibited List in force since January 1, 2026; athletes should confirm with their anti-doping organization. Checked October 5, 2026. Status outside the US checked October 7, 2026 against EMA, MHRA, Health Canada and TGA records. By country: EU, UK, Canada, Australia. Status of every compound.

How it works

TrialMainly from studies in people.

Not known

No study has measured its half-life in people or given repeated doses. Its anti-inflammatory and kidney-protecting effects come from animal studies, and longer-lasting analogs behave differently, so their results don’t transfer.

Protocol

Trial

Limone 1994, 1997

A single 2.5 mg IV injection in hormone studies of 7 healthy men and 8 healthy women; LH rose within 15–30 minutes, while ACTH, cortisol and prolactin didn’t change.

Community

No established dose. Tanning injections sold online are synthetic analogs such as Melanotan 1 and 2, not alpha-MSH itself.

Frequency: Single doses in research studies
Route: IV injection in human studies (research only)
Cycle: No established cycle; human studies gave single doses.
No set cycle, shown over 26 weeks

Common protocols

The ways Alpha-MSH is most often run, each tagged with where it comes from.

Hormone research (LH)

Trial

Dose: 2.5 mg
How often: Single IV injection
How long: One test session

7 healthy men and 8 healthy women in the luteal phase (Limone 1994, 1997). LH rose; ACTH, cortisol and prolactin didn’t change.

Skin darkening (1961)

Trial

Dose: Not in an available abstract
How often: Injections
How long: Not stated

Purified alpha- and beta-MSH darkened volunteers’ skin (Lerner and McGuire 1961). Synthetic analogs later replaced it in tanning research.

Taking it

Where it goes

Human studies injected it into a vein in a research setting. No product is made for self-injection.

If you miss a dose

No published guidance, and no established schedule to miss a dose from.

Missed doses for every compound

What to expect

15–30 minutes after a 2.5 mg IV dose
LH, the pituitary signal to the testes and ovaries, peaks, while ACTH and cortisol don’t change.
Trial
After injections
Skin darkened in volunteers given purified MSH in 1961; no modern study has measured how much, or for how long.
Trial
For inflammation or kidney injury
Nothing is known in people. Protection from kidney injury and inflammation comes from rodent and cell studies.
Animal

Side effects and what to do

Darker skin and moles

Expected from MC1 receptor activation; analogs that do this bring new or darker moles. A changing mole needs a skin check.

Raised LH (a reproductive hormone)

Seen after single IV doses in healthy adults; the effect of repeated doses is unknown.

Nausea, flushing or yawning

Common with melanocortin analogs; not described for alpha-MSH itself in the published studies.

Unknown with repeated use

No modern study has given more than single doses.

Stop and get medical help

A new, growing or changing mole needs a skin check. Hives, swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing after an injection needs emergency care.

Can it cause …?

The side effects people ask about most, answered one by one. Each answer says where it comes from.

Nausea or vomiting: PrecautionNot described in the published single-dose studies; nausea is common with melanocortin analogs such as Melanotan 2 and bremelanotide.
Trouble sleeping: No dataNo human data: sleep wasn’t measured.
Hair loss: No dataNo human data.
Acne, rash or skin changes: TrialDarkens skin: injections darkened volunteers’ skin in 1961, and analogs acting on the same receptor bring new or darker moles.
Anxiety, low mood or irritability: No dataNo human data: mood wasn’t measured in the published studies.
Low or high blood sugar: No dataNo human data: blood sugar wasn’t reported in the published studies.
Fast heartbeat or blood pressure changes: No dataNo human data for alpha-MSH. Bremelanotide, an approved analog, briefly raises blood pressure, its label says.
More hunger: No dataNo human data: appetite wasn’t measured in the published studies.
Liver strain: No dataNo human data: liver tests weren’t reported.
Kidney problems: AnimalNo human safety data; in mice and rats it protected kidneys after blocked blood flow.
Cancer risk: PrecautionNever tested. It stimulates pigment cells, and analogs acting the same way have case reports of melanoma, so a history of melanoma is a reason for caution.
TirednessHeadacheDiarrhea or constipationDizzinessWater retention or swellingJoint or muscle pain: No dataNo human safety data beyond single-dose hormone studies.

Trial: reported in human studies. Precaution: a concern that follows from how it works or from a related drug, not measured. Animal: seen only in animal studies. No data: no human safety data. A side effect that hasn’t been reported can still happen, especially with long or high-dose use. Any of these across every compound: the side-effect finder.

Who should avoid it

No product label covers alpha-MSH, so these come from human studies and from precautions based on how it works. Most important first.

History of melanoma or atypical moles: PrecautionIt switches on pigment cells through MC1. Analogs that do this have case reports of new or changing moles and melanoma; alpha-MSH itself hasn’t been studied for this.
Reproductive or pituitary hormone disorders: TrialSingle IV doses raised LH in healthy men and women; effects in people with these conditions haven’t been studied.
Pregnancy or breastfeeding: PrecautionNo human safety data exist.
Anyone relying on product quality: PrecautionNo product made for injection exists. Laboratory and cosmetic-grade material has no standard for sterility or dose, and vials sold for tanning usually hold analogs instead.

Interactions

No interaction studies have been published, and no product label lists any. In hormone studies, alpha-MSH given during an infusion of CRH, a stress hormone, raised LH more than alpha-MSH alone, a research finding with no known practical use.

Trial: seen in human studies, or a group those studies left out. Precaution: follows from how it works or from a related drug, and hasn’t been tested. This isn’t a complete list: a pharmacist or doctor can check a specific medicine or condition. Every documented interaction, by medicine: drug interactions.

Special situations

What’s known about pregnancy, breastfeeding, kidney and liver problems, age and surgery. Where nothing has been studied, the row says so.

Pregnancy: PrecautionNo human safety data.
Breastfeeding: PrecautionNo human data; it isn’t known whether it passes into breast milk.
Kidney problems: PrecautionA 1999–2003 phase 1 trial gave it to people with acute kidney failure, but no results were published, so no safety data exist.
Liver problems: PrecautionNot studied in liver disease.
Older adults: PrecautionNot studied in older people.
Children and teens: PrecautionNot approved at any age; the published human studies were in adults.
Surgery and anesthesia: PrecautionNo data; tell the surgical team about any injected compound.

Precaution: not studied, so the caution follows from how it works or from a related drug. Ages are given as approved or studied; this site never gives doses for children. Across every compound: pregnancy, breastfeeding, kidney disease, liver disease, older adults and surgery.

Tracking and pairing

Worth tracking

Moles and skin pigment

Often paired with

Usually run on its own.

Human studies

3 key published human studies, with how many people took part. Animal studies aren’t listed here.

19948 people

LH rose to a peak within 15–30 minutes, and rose more when given during CRH; ACTH, cortisol and prolactin didn’t change.

Design
Placebo-controlled crossover hormone study in healthy women in the luteal phase (randomization not described)
Dose
2.5 mg IV bolus, alone or during a CRH infusion
Length
Single test sessions

Limone et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1994, PMID 8045978
19977 people

LH output was about twice that on placebo (area under the curve 32.9 vs 16.9); FSH didn’t rise with alpha-MSH alone.

Design
Placebo-controlled crossover hormone study in healthy men (randomization not described)
Dose
2.5 mg IV bolus, alone or with naloxone or GnRH
Length
Single test sessions

Limone et al., J Endocrinol Invest 1997, PMID 9211127
1961

The injections darkened the skin of the people who received them, the first evidence that MSH controls human pigment.

Design
Early human experiment; design not available in an abstract
Dose
Purified alpha- and beta-MSH by injection
Length
Not stated

Lerner and McGuire, Nature 1961, PMID 13761067

All human studies on Vial Guide

Trials under way

No ongoing trial of alpha-MSH is registered, and none has finished recently without publishing its results. Checked on ClinicalTrials.gov, October 7, 2026. Every compound: trials under way.

Limits of the evidence

Human data are a handful of small physiology studies: injections that darkened volunteers’ skin in 1961, and single 2.5 mg IV doses that raised LH in 7 men and 8 women in the 1990s. A US phase 1 trial in acute kidney failure ran 1999–2003 without published results. Its half-life in people, repeated doses, long-term safety and effects on moles are unknown, and protection from inflammation or kidney injury rests on animal studies.

How it’s supplied

No vial size or dose has been established for Alpha-MSH, so there’s no mixing math to show.

Alpha-MSH is supplied as a laboratory reagent, not as a product made for injection, so Vial Guide gives no mixing or dose figures. Vials sold for tanning contain analogs (Melanotan 1 or 2), which have their own pages.

Datasheet

Half-life: No reliable value has been published.
Type: Peptide, 13 amino acids
Molecular weight: 1,664.9 g/mol
Formula: C₇₇H₁₀₉N₂₁O₁₉S
Sequence: Ac-SYSMEHFRWGKPV-NH2
Storage before use: No medicine exists. Laboratory alpha-MSH is stored frozen (−20 °C), dry.
After mixing or opening: Researchers use it soon after dissolving; no stability data exist outside the laboratory.

Molecule: FDA GSRS UNII OVF025LA77 (intermedine, INN 4214), formula C77H109N21O19S; PubChem CID 16132144; the same as the first 13 amino acids of ACTH, with an acetyl cap and amide end
Storage: Community Common laboratory practice; no approved label exists for this peptide

Every compound side by side: the half-life chart and the storage chart.

Identifiers

CAS number: 581-05-5
UNII (FDA): OVF025LA77
PubChem CID: 16132144
ATC code: None assigned
Development codes: Intermedine (INN 4214); also alpha-melanotropin, acetyl-ACTH(1–13) amide
Brand names: None; no product is approved anywhere
First described: Its amino-acid sequence was reported in 1957 by Harris and Lerner.

Every compound’s numbers: the identifiers table.

Product form and quality

Supplied only as a laboratory reagent or cosmetic ingredient; no product made for injection exists. Vials sold for tanning contain analogs such as Melanotan 1 or 2, which differ in structure, strength and duration.

Cautions

Never approved anywhere, and the human data are a few single-dose studies; repeated use has never been studied.
It acts on pigment cells. Analogs that do the same have case reports of new or changing moles and melanoma; alpha-MSH itself has never been checked for this.
Single IV doses raised LH, the pituitary signal that drives the testes and ovaries, in healthy men and women.
Afamelanotide (Scenesse), bremelanotide (Vyleesi) and setmelanotide (Imcivree) are approved drugs built on alpha-MSH, but they are different molecules, and their labels don’t apply to it.

Questions

What is alpha-MSH?

How does alpha-MSH work?

Alpha-MSH is a 13-amino-acid hormone cut from POMC, the same precursor protein that gives ACTH; the pituitary, brain and skin all make it. It activates melanocortin receptors: MC1 on pigment cells, raising dark eumelanin; MC3 and MC4 in the brain, involved in appetite, energy use and sexual function; and MC5 in glands. It doesn’t activate MC2, the adrenal ACTH receptor. In people, injections darkened skin and IV doses raised LH. No study has measured its half-life in people or given repeated doses. Its anti-inflammatory and kidney-protecting effects come from animal studies, and longer-lasting analogs behave differently, so their results don’t transfer.

Is alpha-MSH FDA-approved?

Not approved as a drug in the US, the EU or anywhere else. FDA granted orphan-drug designations, development incentives rather than approvals, for ischemic acute kidney failure (1997) and chronic beryllium disease (2010). Not nominated for compounding: it isn’t on FDA’s 503A (May 2026) or 503B (March 2025) nomination lists or the safety-risk page, so it has no compounding category.

What is the usual alpha-MSH dose?

From human studies (Limone 1994, 1997): A single 2.5 mg IV injection in hormone studies of 7 healthy men and 8 healthy women; LH rose within 15–30 minutes, while ACTH, cortisol and prolactin didn’t change. From community reports, not established: No established dose. Tanning injections sold online are synthetic analogs such as Melanotan 1 and 2, not alpha-MSH itself. These are the amounts sources reference, not recommendations.

Who should avoid alpha-MSH?

No product label covers alpha-MSH, so these come from human studies and from precautions based on how it works. History of melanoma or atypical moles: It switches on pigment cells through MC1. Analogs that do this have case reports of new or changing moles and melanoma; alpha-MSH itself hasn’t been studied for this. Reproductive or pituitary hormone disorders: Single IV doses raised LH in healthy men and women; effects in people with these conditions haven’t been studied. Pregnancy or breastfeeding: No human safety data exist. The “Who should avoid it” section lists 1 more group.

How should alpha-MSH be stored?

Before mixing: No medicine exists. Laboratory alpha-MSH is stored frozen (−20 °C), dry. Researchers use it soon after dissolving; no stability data exist outside the laboratory. This is common practice; no product label covers it.

Is alpha-MSH banned in sport?

Probably. Not named on WADA’s 2026 list. It shares its first 13 amino acids with ACTH, whose class (corticotrophins, S2.2.2) is banned, but it doesn’t act on the adrenal ACTH receptor; with no human approval anywhere, the S0 rule bans it at all times either way.

Has alpha-MSH been studied in people?

Yes. The human studies section lists 3 published studies. Among them, from 1994: LH rose to a peak within 15–30 minutes, and rose more when given during CRH; ACTH, cortisol and prolactin didn’t change.

How long has alpha-MSH been studied in people?

Trial Single IV doses in 1990s hormone studies; the 1961 skin study’s length isn’t in an available abstract. No study has tested weeks of use.

Does alpha-MSH come in other forms, like a pill or nasal spray?

Trial Only injections, including into a vein, have been given to people, in old research studies. No nasal, oral or skin product exists; the afamelanotide implant is a separate drug.

Can you drink alcohol while taking alpha-MSH?

No study No data. No study has looked at alpha-MSH and alcohol together.

Can alpha-MSH be taken with semaglutide or tirzepatide?

No study No study has combined them. Setmelanotide, which acts on the brain’s MC4 receptor, is a separate weight drug; alpha-MSH’s effect on appetite in people is unknown.

What happens if you take too much alpha-MSH?

No study No overdose data or reports exist for alpha-MSH. Call Poison Help (1-800-222-1222), or emergency services for severe symptoms.

Sources

Lerner and McGuire, alpha- and beta-MSH injections and human skin color (Nature 1961) PMID 13761067
Limone et al., alpha-MSH raises LH in women in the luteal phase (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1994) PMID 8045978
Limone et al., alpha-MSH and opioids in LH control in men (J Endocrinol Invest 1997) PMID 9211127
Swope and Abdel-Malek, MC1R and melanocyte protection from sun damage, review (Front Genet 2016) PMID 27582758
Phase 1 trial of alpha-MSH in acute renal failure, University of Texas, 1999–2003, no results posted NCT00004496
FDA Orphan Drug Designations database: alpha-MSH for ischemic acute renal failure (1997) and chronic beryllium disease (2010)
WADA 2026 Prohibited List, sections S0 and S2.2.2

For the protocol details

Chiao et al., alpha-MSH protects against kidney injury after ischemia in mice and rats (J Clin Invest 1997) PMID 9077523
Catania et al., melanocortin receptors and inflammation, review (Pharmacol Rev 2004) PMID 15001661

For how it works, who should avoid it and the limits of the evidence

Habbema et al., risks of unregulated use of alpha-MSH analogues, review (Int J Dermatol 2017) PMID 28266027

For uses, the side-effect questions, special situations, trials, identifiers and status outside the US

McCullough et al., ABT-719 (an alpha-MSH analog) for kidney injury after cardiac surgery, phase 2b (J Am Heart Assoc 2016) PMID 27543797
Harris and Lerner, amino-acid sequence of alpha-MSH (Nature 1957) PMID 13451616
FDA Orphan Drug Designations database: alpha-MSH (1997, acute renal failure; 2010, chronic beryllium disease)
FDA GSRS UNII OVF025LA77 (intermedine); Australian Poisons Standard, October 2026, index

Doses tagged Community come from public dosing guides and user reports, checked against at least two of them. Those sites aren’t named here because many of them sell peptides or earn commissions on them.

By Vial Guide editorsLast reviewed October 7, 2026

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