MT1

Melanotan I (MT1), also referenced as afamelanotide or NDP-alpha-MSH, is a synthetic linear tridecapeptide (13 amino acids) analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH). Two engineered substitutions (norleucine at position 4 and D-phenylalanine at position 7), plus acetyl and amide end-groups, make it far more resistant to enzymatic breakdown than the natural hormone. NOX supplies MT1 lyophilised for research use only; nothing here is guidance for human or animal use, and no medical or cosmetic outcome is described or implied.

Unlike non-selective analogues, MT1 preferentially activates the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R), the receptor that drives melanogenesis, with comparatively little activity at the MC3R, MC4R and MC5R subtypes. That selectivity is the main feature separating it from cyclic, non-selective analogues such as MT2, and it is the focus of much of the MC1R research literature. MT1 is supplied by NOX as a research reference material for research use only and is not a medicinal product.

In the literature MT1 is referenced in pigmentation biology and photoprotection research, for example how MC1R activation shifts melanin synthesis toward the darker, UV-absorbing eumelanin, always within laboratory or preclinical settings that characterise mechanism rather than any applied result. As a NOX research reference material, MT1 is intended strictly for research use only, and this information is provided for educational purposes.

Lyophilised MT1 is supplied as a sealed, freeze-dried powder and is generally kept frozen and away from light, typically stored at around -20°C for long-term stability, while for shorter periods it can be kept in the fridge at 2–8°C. Keeping the vial sealed limits moisture uptake and helps preserve the dry material. This describes general laboratory handling of lyophilised research compounds and is provided for research use only, not as guidance for any other use.

Bacteriostatic water is commonly used to reconstitute lyophilised research compounds because the small amount of benzyl alcohol it contains helps limit microbial growth in a multi-use vial. It simply dissolves the freeze-dried powder into a liquid so the material can be handled in the laboratory. Reconstitution is performed strictly within a research context; MT1 is supplied by NOX for research use only.

Once reconstituted, MT1 is in solution and generally less stable than the dry powder, so the liquid is typically kept in the fridge at 2–8°C and protected from light. Researchers usually prepare only what a study requires and record the reconstitution date. This reflects general laboratory handling of reconstituted research materials and is offered for research-use-only context, not as guidance for human or veterinary use.

MT1 is supplied as a lyophilised powder in 10 mg. The stated strength is the mass of compound sealed in the vial before reconstitution; the working concentration depends on the volume of solvent a researcher adds during preparation. All presentations are research reference materials supplied for research use only.

Yes. MT1 is supplied by NOX strictly as a research reference material for laboratory and analytical use. It is not a medicinal product, food, cosmetic or veterinary product, and nothing in these answers should be read as guidance for human or animal use. All information here is provided for educational and research context only.