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PeptideHormone

BremelanotidePT-141

An FDA-approved melanocortin agonist for hypoactive sexual desire.

Also known as Vyleesi.

AnalogClinicalBased on Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormoneCompare with α-MSH Compare lineage

Followed past appetite into desire — the melanocortin family surfacing somewhere nobody thought to look, and approved for it.

Identity

Class
Cyclic heptapeptide melanocortin agonist (α-MSH analog)
Source
Synthetic melanocortin-receptor agonist
Receptor
Melanocortin receptors (MC4R, with MC1R activity)

Key properties

Evidence floorClinicalREF1CLIN1
Molecular weight
~1,025.2 Da
REF
Half-life (native)
~2.5-3 h
CLIN
Model dosing

Approximate values for the native hormone; engineered analogs are often deliberately larger and far longer-acting. Each figure carries its own provenance tier, and the floor is the weakest of them - the Standard.

Mechanism

Bremelanotide is a cyclic analog of α-MSH that activates central melanocortin receptors — principally MC4R — to engage sexual-desire pathways in the brain, a mechanism distinct from the vascular route of PDE5 inhibitors. It is dosed on demand and was approved for premenopausal hypoactive sexual desire disorder.

Reference notes

  • FDA-approved (2019, as Vyleesi) for premenopausal hypoactive sexual desire disorder.
  • It acts centrally through MC4R rather than on vascular tissue — a different mechanism from erectile-focused PDE5 inhibitors.
  • It derives from the earlier melanotan II line, optimized away from that predecessor's pigmentation-heavy profile.

Common questions

What is Bremelanotide (PT-141)?
An FDA-approved melanocortin agonist for hypoactive sexual desire. Structurally it is Cyclic heptapeptide melanocortin agonist (α-MSH analog).
How does PT-141 work?
Bremelanotide is a cyclic analog of α-MSH that activates central melanocortin receptors — principally MC4R — to engage sexual-desire pathways in the brain, a mechanism distinct from the vascular route of PDE5 inhibitors. It is dosed on demand and was approved for premenopausal hypoactive sexual desire disorder.
How strong is the evidence for PT-141?
PeptideHormone grades PT-141 at the "Clinical" evidence tier — it is supported by human clinical trials, though still maturing or narrower in scope. It is catalogued as an engineered analog built on an endogenous hormone, and the tier is an editorial judgment about the public literature that can change as the science does.
What is the half-life of PT-141?
The reported circulating half-life of PT-141 is ~2.5-3 h.
Is Bremelanotide the same as Vyleesi?
Vyleesi is a brand name of Bremelanotide — the same molecule in different approved presentations. This page is the molecule reference, not a prescribing guide.

Selected literature

Curated peer-reviewed reviews, sourced from PubMed. Selected for relevance, not exhaustive — open any entry on PubMed for the full record and its primary citations.

  1. 1.Bremelanotide: First Approval · Drugs, 2019 · PMID 31429064
  2. 2.Bremelanotide for Treatment of Female Hypoactive Sexual Desire · Neurology international, 2022 · PMID 35076581
  3. 3.Bremelanotide: New Drug Approved for Treating Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder · The Annals of pharmacotherapy, 2020 · PMID 31893927

External references

PT-141 in the public knowledge graph — the same entity resolved across the authoritative chemistry and protein databases.