Melanotan II Linked to Skin Cancer in 2 Studies, Doctor Warns

3 articles · Updated · Futurism · Jul 4

Anthony Rossi, a dermatologic surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering, said the unregulated tanning peptide Melanotan II can change users’ moles and in some cases lead to skin cancer.
Rossi told Axios he has removed cancerous moles from at least 1 Melanotan II user and sees no medical benefit in the injectable product, which requires repeated shots to maintain its effect.
Evidence cited in the report includes a 2012 case study in which a 16-year-old user developed intensified changes in more than 50 moles after using Melanotan II with a tanning bed.
A 2014 clinical study also linked the drug to melanoma in a 20-year-old after a 4-week injection regimen, adding to scrutiny of gray-market peptides promoted through the “looksmaxxing” trend.