Bremelanotide, also known as PT-141, is a synthetic analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH). It is a small peptide hormone that acts on melanocortin receptors in the brain and body.
The history of bremelanotide can be traced back to the early 1960s, when scientists discovered that α-MSH had arousing effects on rats. This led to a surge of interest in developing α-MSH analogues as potential treatments for sexual dysfunction.
In the 1980s, scientists at the University of Arizona began developing α-MSH analogues as potential sunless tanning agents. They synthesized and tested several analogues, including two peptides they subsequently named melanotan-I and melanotan-II.
Very early in the process, one of the scientists, Mac Hadley, who was conducting experiments on himself with the peptide melanotan II, injected himself with twice the dose he intended and experienced an eight-hour erection, along with nausea and vomiting.
This unexpected side effect led Hadley and his colleagues to investigate the effects of melanotan-II on sexual function in more detail. They found that melanotan-II significantly increased sexual desire and arousal in men and women.
In the 1990s, a company called Palatin Technologies acquired the rights to melanotan-II and began developing it as a drug for the treatment of sexual dysfunction. The company renamed the peptide bremelanotide and began clinical trials in humans.
Early clinical trials of bremelanotide were very promising, showing that the drug was safe and effective in increasing sexual desire and arousal in men and women. However, the drug also caused some side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, and flushing.
Palatin Technologies continued to develop bremelanotide, and in 2019, the FDA approved the drug for the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in premenopausal women. Bremelanotide is the first and only FDA-approved drug for the treatment of HSDD in women.
Bremelanotide has a long and fascinating history. It was originally developed as a sunless tanning agent, but it was later discovered to have arousing effects. Bremelanotide is now FDA-approved for the treatment of HSDD in women, and it is being investigated for the treatment of other sexual dysfunctions.
Bremelanotide is a promising new drug for the treatment of sexual dysfunction, but it is important to note that it is not a magic bullet. It will not work for everyone, and it is important to have realistic expectations.
