Where to buy Melanotan 1 (afamelanotide, NDP-MSH) in the UK: the sellers with a verifiable COA
The newest verifiable Melanotan 1 certificate on any UK seller's website is on Peptology Labs (peptologylabs.uk), analysed 4 Sep 2026 (task #229664 on Janoshik's site); 6 verified sellers hold one covering Melanotan 1, listed newest first below. Of the 450 active UK sellers we audit, 38 (8%) publish their own verifiable Janoshik certificate of analysis, and this page lists which of them hold one covering Melanotan 1, newest certificate first. It is a record of paperwork, not a recommendation: The Peptide Watch sells nothing, takes no money from sellers and links to none of them. Melanotan 1 is the same molecule as the licensed medicine afamelanotide, sold as an unlicensed powder for injection. The MHRA treats unlicensed melanotan injections as illegal to supply, which makes a verifiable certificate the only checkable fact about a UK vial, not a reason to buy one. Purity and identity cannot be judged by eye, so an independent certificate you can check is the only real proof of what is in the vial.
The one test that matters for Melanotan 1
Ignore the marketing. The question is simple: does the seller publish a verifiable Janoshik certificate that names the seller itself as the client? If it does, you can confirm an independent lab tested that batch. If it shows an in-house document, a borrowed certificate, or "COA on request", you cannot. Learn the two-minute check in how to verify a Janoshik COA.
Which UK sellers publish a verifiable COA
Of the 450 active UK research-peptide sellers we audit, only 38 (8%) publish their own verifiable Janoshik certificate. Any of them is where you can actually verify testing, for Melanotan 1 or any compound. A few: Lab77Peptides · Peptology Labs · Biovanta · Camo Chem · Biohackpeptides · Zenic Labs. See the full independently-tested list, or check a specific shop's certificate with the free COA Checker.
Verified UK vendors with a confirmed Melanotan 1 Janoshik certificate (6)
- Peptology Labs peptologylabs.uk · newest Melanotan 1 report 4 Sep 2026 · task #229664
- Pureline Biolabs purelinebiolabs.co.uk · newest Melanotan 1 report 22 Jul 2026 · task #209939
- BioVanta Research biovantaresearch.com · newest Melanotan 1 report 25 May 2026 · task #153916
- Ascendpeptidesuk ascendpeptidesuk.com · newest Melanotan 1 report 7 Apr 2026 · task #125390
- Imperialpeptides imperialpeptides.co.uk · newest Melanotan 1 report 5 Mar 2026 · task #113086
- Xlpeptides xlpeptides.com · newest Melanotan 1 report 11 Feb 2026 · task #107393
Audit findings, not recommendations. Every entry is a report covering Melanotan 1 that we opened on Janoshik's own site and that names the seller itself as the client; the date is the analysis date printed on the report where we have read it, otherwise the date the laboratory received the sample. The table below is the same ledger in full, so the two always agree. Not exhaustive: a vendor whose Melanotan 1 report we have not yet read is not listed.
The 10 verifiable Melanotan 1 certificates we have read, newest first
Each row was opened on Janoshik's own site by a real page load and transcribed. The client column is the name the laboratory printed; a certificate counts as a seller's own only when that name is the seller. The report date is the analysis date printed on the report where we have read it, otherwise the date the laboratory received the sample. The verify link opens the laboratory, never the shop. Audit findings, not recommendations.
| Seller | Task | Client on the report | Report date | Result | Batch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peptology Labs | #229664 | PEPTOLOGY LABS LTD | 4 Sep 2026 | Melanotan 1 · 9.36 mg · 99.428% | M12502 | verify |
| Peptology Labs | #229665 | PEPTOLOGY LABS LTD | 4 Sep 2026 | Endotoxin · 4.988 EU/vial | M12502 | verify |
| Peptology Labs | #229666 | PEPTOLOGY LABS LTD | 4 Sep 2026 | As · not detected Cd · not detected Pb · not detected | M12502 | verify |
| Pureline Biolabs | #209939 | Pureline Biolabs Ltd | 22 Jul 2026 | Melanotan 1 · 8.13 mg · 99.805% | PLB-005 | verify |
| BioVanta Research | #153916 | Biovanta Research | 25 May 2026 | Melanotan 1 · 9.60 mg · 99.829% | MEL-165JS | verify |
| Ascendpeptidesuk | #125390 | Ascend Peptides UK | 7 Apr 2026 | Melanotan 1 · 9.24 mg · 99.492% | 20260114 | verify |
| Imperialpeptides | #113086 | Imperial Peptides UK | www.imperialpeptides.co.uk | 5 Mar 2026 | Melanotan 1 · 10.09 mg · 99.433% | MLT10-01/28 | verify |
| Imperialpeptides | #113087 | Imperial Peptides UK | www.imperialpeptides.co.uk | 5 Mar 2026 | Endotoxin · 1.559 EU/vial | MLT10-01/28 | verify |
| Imperialpeptides | #113088 | Imperial Peptides UK | www.imperialpeptides.co.uk | 5 Mar 2026 | As · not detected Cd · not detected Pb · not detected | MLT10-01/28 | verify |
| Xlpeptides | #107393 | XL Peptides | 11 Feb 2026 | Melanotan 1 · 9.73 mg · 99.096% | 250MT1 | verify |
What the 10 Melanotan 1 certificates show
We have read 10 Janoshik reports covering Melanotan 1, published by 6 UK sellers. Each was opened on Janoshik's own website. All 10 name the seller itself as the client. 6 of the 10 are dated within the last six months. The newest is dated 4 Sep 2026 and the oldest 11 Feb 2026.
6 of the reports give a purity figure for Melanotan 1. The figures run from 99.096% to 99.829%, and all 6 are at 99% or above. 4 reports test for heavy metals or endotoxins instead. A purity figure describes the sample the laboratory received, not every vial from that batch.
Read directly from the newest reports: Peptology Labs: task #229664, sample received 4 Sep 2026, 9.36 mg recovered at 99.428%, client PEPTOLOGY LABS LTD; Pureline Biolabs: task #209939, sample received 22 Jul 2026, 8.13 mg recovered at 99.805%, client Pureline Biolabs Ltd; BioVanta Research: task #153916, analysed 25 May 2026, 9.60 mg recovered at 99.829%, client Biovanta Research.
A certificate is a batch document. The lines that matter are the compound (it must say Melanotan 1, not only a batch code), the client (the shop, not its supplier) and the analysis date. A new batch is untested until a new report appears.
Questions people ask
Which UK sellers publish a verifiable Janoshik certificate naming Melanotan 1?
As of 4 October 2026, 6: Peptology Labs, Pureline Biolabs, BioVanta Research, Ascendpeptidesuk, Imperialpeptides, Xlpeptides. Each has a report on Janoshik's own website that names the seller as the client and lists Melanotan 1. That is a statement about paperwork, not a recommendation; The Peptide Watch does not recommend anywhere to buy Melanotan 1.
How recent is the newest Melanotan 1 certificate from a UK seller?
The newest we have read is Janoshik task #229664, sample received 4 Sep 2026. It is published by Peptology Labs and names it as the client. A certificate covers one batch, so an old one says little about stock on sale today.
How do I check that a certificate for Melanotan 1 is genuine?
Four things: an independent laboratory is named; the client field names the seller you are buying from, not a supplier; the compound line says Melanotan 1; and the report's task number and key open the same report on the laboratory's own website (verify.janoshik.com). A branded PDF with no laboratory name and no verification code fails on the first check, however professional it looks. The free COA Checker on this site runs the checks for you.
Is Melanotan 1 a licensed medicine in the UK?
Scenesse holds a UK marketing authorisation under exceptional circumstances, but NICE did not recommend it for the NHS (HST27, 26 July 2023). The powder sold as Melanotan 1 is an unlicensed medicine that the MHRA says is illegal to supply. Licensed, as afamelanotide, for erythropoietic protoporphyria: EU December 2014 under exceptional circumstances, FDA October 2019, and a UK marketing authorisation under exceptional circumstances. The Peptide Watch does not give legal or medical advice.
Why does The Peptide Watch not say where to buy Melanotan 1?
Because the site records paperwork, not recommendations. A verifiable certificate proves that a sample of one batch was tested. It does not prove the vial you receive matches it, and it says nothing about whether anyone should use Melanotan 1. Listing which sellers publish a certificate you can check, and which publish nothing, is as far as the evidence goes.
Melanotan 1 in the UK at a glance
| Active UK sellers listing Melanotan 1 | 12 |
|---|---|
| Of which publish a verifiable own-name certificate | 6 |
| Of which name no laboratory at all | 5 |
| Paying for Google Ads on it | 0 |
| Sellers of it that have closed or vanished | 0 |
Counted from the vendor ledger at build time: a seller is included when its audit records Melanotan 1 in its certificates or its catalogue notes. Audit findings, not recommendations.
The other 6 sellers: what they publish instead
- No named lab, nothing to verify: 5
- Shows a supplier's certificate, not its own: 1
Each pattern is explained on the seller's own audit page, with what we saw and the date. The A-Z directory lists every seller.
The market for Melanotan 1 in the UK
Companies. 8 of the 12 can be matched to a Companies House record; the median company is 9 months old and 5 were incorporated within the last year. A seller with no traceable company is not necessarily dishonest, but there is nobody to hold to its certificate.
Reviews. 3 of the 12 have a Trustpilot profile with a score; the median is 4.4, 1 sit at 4.5 or above and 0 below 3.0. A review score says who collects reviews, not who tests, which is why it sits next to a certificate and never instead of one.
Changes among Melanotan 1 sellers
- 2026-09-15 Ascendpeptidesuk (ascendpeptidesuk.com) published a newer own-name certificate (now Apr 2026).
- 2026-09-15 Xlpeptides (xlpeptides.com) published a newer own-name certificate (now Apr 2026).
- 2026-09-15 Imperialpeptides (imperialpeptides.co.uk) published a newer own-name certificate (now Aug 2026).
- 2026-09-14 The Peptide Store (thepeptidestore.uk) added to the audit on the watch list.
- 2026-09-11 BioVanta Research (biovantaresearch.com) added to the audit on the verified list.
- 2026-09-11 Alpha Labs UK (alphalabsuk.co.uk) added to the audit on the watch list.
From the site changelog, which also runs as a JSON feed.
What the research shows for Melanotan 1, and what it does not
| Papers on PubMed | 298 |
|---|---|
| Indexed as rat or mouse studies | 97 |
| Indexed as clinical trials | 13 |
| Published since 2020 | 98 |
| Trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov | 23 |
The licensed medicine afamelanotide, sold under its old research name. Melanotan 1 is the same molecule as Clinuvel's Scenesse, a 16 mg implant authorised by the European Commission in December 2014 under exceptional circumstances, approved by the FDA on 8 October 2019, and holding a UK marketing authorisation under exceptional circumstances, all for adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria, a rare light-sensitivity disease. In July 2023 NICE decided not to recommend it for NHS use in England. PubMed indexes 298 papers and 13 clinical-trial reports, including the pivotal 2015 trial in the New England Journal of Medicine; all 23 registered trials are Clinuvel's.
The evidence is for an implant in a rare disease, not for tanning. Every trial tested the implant in protoporphyria or in other dermatological conditions under specialist care. Nothing in the record supports injecting the powder for skin darkening, which is how it is sold.
In the UK the powder is illegal to sell. The MHRA has said since 2008 that unlicensed melanotan injections and nasal sprays are illegal to supply and has had more than 100 websites suspended. A verifiable certificate says what a vial contains; it does not change that.
Who owns Melanotan 1, and where it stands
| Originator | Mac Hadley, Victor Hruby and colleagues, University of Arizona, as melanotan-I (NDP-MSH). |
|---|---|
| Rights | Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals, which markets it as Scenesse. |
| Development status | Licensed medicine. Licensed, as afamelanotide, for erythropoietic protoporphyria: EU December 2014 under exceptional circumstances, FDA October 2019, and a UK marketing authorisation under exceptional circumstances. |
| Clinical trials | 23 registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (lead sponsors: Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Limited, Clinuvel Europe Limited, Clinuvel, Inc.) |
| In the UK | Scenesse holds a UK marketing authorisation under exceptional circumstances, but NICE did not recommend it for the NHS (HST27, 26 July 2023). The powder sold as Melanotan 1 is an unlicensed medicine that the MHRA says is illegal to supply. |
Counts are from PubMed on 15 September 2026 using the queries recorded in our evidence file; "clinical trial" is PubMed's own publication-type index. This is a description of the published record, not medical advice and not an argument for or against use.
Sources (10)
- A feasibility and safety study of afamelanotide in acute stroke patients - an open label, proof of concept, phase iia clinical trial. (BMC Neurol, 2023, PMID 37496004)
- Afamelanotide implants and narrow-band ultraviolet B phototherapy for the treatment of nonsegmental vitiligo in Asians. (J Am Acad Dermatol, 2020, PMID 31987791)
- Afamelanotide for Erythropoietic Protoporphyria. (N Engl J Med, 2015, PMID 26132941)
- Evaluation of the immunogenicity of the synthetic α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) analogue afamelanotide ([Nle4-D-Phe7]-α-MSH, Scenesse®) in erythropoietic protoporphyria patients by ELISA detecting both anti-afamelanotide and anti-α-MSH antibodies. (Skin Pharmacol Physiol, 2015, PMID 25402764)
- Vitiligo: Pathogenesis and New and Emerging Treatments. (Int J Mol Sci, 2023, PMID 38139134)
- Vitiligo, from Pathogenesis to Therapeutic Advances: State of the Art. (Int J Mol Sci, 2023, PMID 36902341)
- Clinuvel announcement, EMA approval of year-round Scenesse treatment (September 2025)
- NICE, HST27: afamelanotide for treating erythropoietic protoporphyria (not recommended, 26 July 2023)
- Health Research Authority, SCENESSE PASS-001 (UK post-authorisation study)
- Cancer Research UK, 2009, MHRA: melanotan injections are sold illegally
The Peptide Watch's position on Melanotan 1
Scenesse holds a UK marketing authorisation under exceptional circumstances, but NICE did not recommend it for the NHS (HST27, 26 July 2023). The powder sold as Melanotan 1 is an unlicensed medicine that the MHRA says is illegal to supply. The Peptide Watch reads the certificates UK sellers publish and does not recommend anywhere to buy Melanotan 1. Sellers on this page are listed by the date of their newest Melanotan 1 certificate and by nothing else. If you can verify a seller's testing, you can at least judge its evidence; if you cannot, you are taking the seller's word for what is in the vial. See how UK testing compares across every seller in the market statistics.
An honest note: a verifiable certificate proves a sample of a batch was tested, not that the specific vial you receive matches it, see what this can and can't tell you. The Peptide Watch sells no Melanotan 1 and links to no shop; this is research-use-only information, not medical or dosing advice.
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