What melanotan 1 is
Melanotan 1 is another name for afamelanotide. The summary of a 2026 paper on the peptide opens with the words "Afamelanotide, also known as melanotan-1". The older spelling is in the published record too. The summary of a paper from 2000 on skin tanning says the peptide it studied, [Nle4-D-Phe7]alpha-MSH, is "also called Melanotan-I (MT-I)".
Afamelanotide is the drug in Scenesse, an FDA-approved implant. The Scenesse label says its active ingredient, afamelanotide acetate, is a synthetic peptide containing 13 amino acids, and calls afamelanotide a structural analog of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone. It gives the molecular weight of afamelanotide as 1646.85 for the anhydrous free base.
The label describes the raw ingredient as a white to off-white powder, freely soluble in water. That's the ingredient before it's made into an implant. The label says the implant's core is the drug substance admixed with a bioresorbable copolymer.
Where it stands with the FDA
The FDA first approved afamelanotide in 2019, as Scenesse, an implant from Clinuvel Inc. A search of DailyMed, the National Library of Medicine's collection of drug labels, for afamelanotide in October 2026 returned one label, and it's the Scenesse implant.
Scenesse isn't a vial of powder to mix. The label describes a solid, bioresorbable rod, approximately 1.7 cm in length and 1.45 mm in diameter, and calls it a controlled-release dosage form. It comes in a glass vial, one implant to a vial, and the label's instructions have it lifted out with forceps and placed under the skin through a cannula. The label has no step for dissolving afamelanotide or diluting it with water.
So this calculator has nothing to do with Scenesse. It only does the arithmetic for a vial of melanotan 1 powder, and a vial of powder isn't the product that label covers.
The label counts milligrams two ways. It says each implant contains 16 mg of afamelanotide, equivalent to 18 mg of afamelanotide acetate. This calculator can't tell which way the milligrams on a vial were counted. It works from the number you type in.
Melanotan 1 isn't on the FDA's list of substances nominated for compounding, updated May 14, 2026, under that name or as afamelanotide.
What the label says
The Scenesse label says the implant is "indicated to increase pain free light exposure in adult patients with a history of phototoxic reactions from erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP)". It says patients should maintain sun and light protection measures during treatment.
The label says a single implant, containing 16 mg of afamelanotide, is inserted every 2 months. It says Scenesse "should be administered by a health care professional", one who is proficient in the implantation procedure and has completed the maker's training.
That 16 mg isn't an amount for an injection. It sits in a controlled-release rod that the label calls bioresorbable. In the label's study of 12 healthy adults given one implant, for most subjects (9 out of 12) the last measurable afamelanotide concentration was at 96 hours. The label gives no dose for afamelanotide powder mixed with water, and this page doesn't either.
The label says serious hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, have been reported with postmarket use of Scenesse, and that patients who have symptoms of one should seek immediate medical attention. It also says Scenesse "may lead to generalized increased skin pigmentation and darkening of pre-existing nevi and ephelides", which are moles and freckles, and that a full body skin examination twice yearly is recommended.
The most common adverse reactions the label lists, each in more than 2% of trial subjects, are "implant site reaction, nausea, oropharyngeal pain, cough, fatigue, dizziness, skin hyperpigmentation, somnolence, melanocytic nevus, respiratory tract infection, non-acute porphyria, and skin irritation".
The label also says what isn't known. Safety and effectiveness "have not been established in pediatric patients", there are "no data on SCENESSE use in pregnant women", and carcinogenicity studies "have not been conducted with SCENESSE".
Storing melanotan 1
The Scenesse label says to store the implant in a refrigerator at 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F) and to protect it from light. It has no storage instructions for a powder or for a solution.
The 2026 paper put afamelanotide under deliberate stress in the lab. Its summary says the peptide broke down under every condition applied: acidic, basic, neutral and oxidative stress, UV light, and heat at 60°C. The summary doesn't say how fast.
The Scenesse label has no mixing step, so it doesn't say how long a vial of melanotan 1 mixed with water keeps. Neither do the other documents this page rests on.
Melanotan 1 dosage calculator questions
How do I turn a melanotan 1 dose into syringe units?
Divide the dose by the concentration to get millilitres, then multiply by 100. A 5 mg vial mixed with 2 mL is 2.5 mg/mL, so one unit on an insulin syringe holds 25 mcg and ten units hold 250 mcg.
How much bacteriostatic water goes in a 5 mg vial of melanotan 1?
There's no single right amount. The water only sets the concentration, and the amount of melanotan 1 in the vial stays the same. With 5 mg, 1 mL makes 5 mg/mL, 2 mL makes 2.5 mg/mL and 3 mL makes 1.667 mg/mL. Choose the amount that puts your dose somewhere between about 10 and 40 units, where it's easiest to read.
Is melanotan 1 approved by the FDA?
Not as a powder to mix. Afamelanotide, also known as melanotan 1, is the drug in Scenesse, which the FDA first approved in 2019. Scenesse is a solid implant that a healthcare professional places under the skin. A vial of melanotan 1 powder isn't that product.
Does this page tell me how much melanotan 1 to take?
No. The FDA-approved afamelanotide product is an implant, and its label gives no dose for a powder mixed with water. The dose box starts empty for that reason, and the chart only converts.
Is melanotan 1 the same thing as afamelanotide?
They're two names for one peptide. The summary of a 2026 paper says "Afamelanotide, also known as melanotan-1". That's about the molecule. It doesn't make a vial labeled melanotan 1 the same product as Scenesse, the approved implant.
Can I use this calculator for Scenesse?
No. Scenesse is a solid, controlled-release implant. It isn't mixed with water or drawn into a syringe, so there's nothing to convert.
More peptide calculators by name
The same instrument, set up one peptide at a time. For any other vial, use the peptide reconstitution calculator.