PeptideHormone

BremelanotidePT-141

An FDA-approved melanocortin agonist for hypoactive sexual desire.

AnalogClinicalBased on Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormoneCompare lineage

Identity

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

Key properties

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

Approximate values for the native hormone. Engineered analogs are often deliberately larger and far longer-acting.

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.

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