Helping Melanotan Peptide Users Be Safer

[Melanotan]

Greetings,

You folks do a commendable service here without being judgmental but just wanting people to be safe. The public is indebted to your services.

I operate a forum about the Melanotan peptides which up until recently has been frequented by generally serious individuals who were willing to do the work necessary to inform themselves properly about these rather interesting peptides prior to ever using them. Now however since the BBC report about the melanotan peptides (even before if we want to be honest) and the casual attitude displayed by Stacey Boardman et al, the forum is being frequented more and more by folks who are too casual about them. This goes against the ethic of the forum as given the unlicensed status of the peptides one should never be casual if thinking about using them. There have literally been hundreds if not thousands of users who've shared their experiences in our forums for a number of years which has given the peptides an aire of safety (which is probably one of the reasons they've caught on as they have). When the forums began the initial users of the peptides didn't jump in and start using them blindly but actually reviewed the clinical histories for each prior in order to establish their knowledge of the reported efficacy and safety of each. Of the two, Melanotan 1 has quite an extensive history of human clinical trials for both safety and efficacy both in men and women in Arizona and Australia with the longest term one having been conducted in 2003 by Ross Barnetson in Australia. In this 2003 trial test subjects were administered the peptide via injection daily over three months. A full PDF copy of this trial can be downloaded here. While Melanotan II hasn't had as extensive a history of clinical trials it has had a few FDA approved ones in Arizona. The well cited Wikipedia Melanotan article covers the majority of these trials with clickable links directly to them. The point of my explaining this is that while it is true that there are many unknowns about these peptides those who've been the trail blazers haven't been blindly exposing themselves to them. So with this new influx the concern is that people will possibly be supplying themselves with either contaminated or adulterated peptides which leads to my question: Where can individuals be sent to for a safer supply of these peptides? As most if not all of you are aware, a large part of the current market for these peptides is being fulfilled by Chinese labs which given the history of human consumables coming out of China is disconcerting. Are there any safer alternatives? Also what public domain material is available in terms of instructions on safe practices relative to injections?

Looking forward to your responses.

Thank you,

Scott Stevenson
Melanotan.org - afamelanotide Founder/Admin

[adammackridge]

Where can individuals be sent to for a safer supply of these peptides? As most if not all of you are aware, a large part of the current market for these peptides is being fulfilled by Chinese labs which given the history of human consumables coming out of China is disconcerting. Are there any safer alternatives?

In short, there is unfortunately nowhere that users could be sent for safer supplies. The fact that the product is not licensed in the UK, Europe or the USA means that there are no suppliers producing the product under GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice). As such, there are no 'official' supplies (save for a small quantity used in clinical trials - if these companies suddenly sold a lot which wasn't accounted for in their trial data, they would be in some difficulties!).

As such, the only supplies that are currently available are manufactured in illegal/unregulated labs by people who's first priority is to make money. There is some comfort in the fact that they are unlikely to want to kill their customers so they will try to make the best product they can, but they won't have quality as their top priority.

Essentially, the best way for users to obtain safer supplies is for the product to become licensed in a western company and for a black market to develop - how long this will be is anyone's guess.

From what I have heard, I would guess that the vast majority of the MT-I/MT-II available is relatively pure and uncontaminated so far. In my opinion, the manner of reconstitution and administration is much more likely to lead to difficulties. Reconstituting with water for injection or bacteriostatic water and keeping in a fridge with foodstuffs for up to a fortnight is exceptionally risky behaviour. The potential for bacterial and fungal contamination is huge (in the BBC video, the interviewee picked up a syringe from the fridge that was sat next to a half eaten packet of meat). This could lead to tissue damage at the injection site and/or more serious systemic (blood) infections with potential to cause anything from blindness to death.

Another risk is the sharing of needles. Anyone who shares a needle with someone else substantially increases their risk of Hepatitis C and/or HIV. Admittedly, the vast majority of users of this product are unlikely to be Hep C positive so the risk is lower than among injecting opiate users. However, I would anticipate a major outbreak among users before long if they continue to share in the ways that I have heard so far. Some needle exchanges will provide needles and/or advice to people who are currently using MT or are contemplating using it.

I am sure there are plenty of good leaflets on subcutaneous injection techniques available from the needle echanges.

Kind regards

Adam

[Melanotan]

Adam,
Thank you for your response.

In one of the original trials the peptides were premixed with saline bacteriostatic water and then stored frozen and thawed out just prior to administration. Wouldn't such a storage plan for folks using them at home be safer as well?
As far as the BBC video, it was very wrong when we saw Boardman retrieve the syringe stored next to the food as it was. I don't know if it was the case but to be perfectly honest it appeared as though the shot was setup like that. I'm not sure what the reporter's idea was in portraying the usage of the melanotan peptide so casually. Perhaps it was to shock people. Unfortunately it had the effect of making it seem like it wasn't a big deal to use the peptides. That's obviously not the case.

Scott

[adammackridge]

In one of the original trials the peptides were premixed with saline bacteriostatic water and then stored frozen and thawed out just prior to administration. Wouldn't such a storage plan for folks using them at home be safer as well?

Freezing/thawing might be a safer option in terms of bacterial/fungal contamination; however, there is still a risk associated with using multiple use vials (each injection can introduce infection to the bottle) and the packs available (as i understand it) are for a full course (i.e. sufficient for the two weeks). freezing/thawing also introduces risks associated with precipitation - as the solution cools, the peptides (or impurities) may come out of solution as solid particles. They might not fully return to solution when thawed and thus the particles would be injected - causing local irritation and tissue damage at the injection site.

Most of this is just educated guessing as we've not really got any idea what is being injected (as you originally said) and how it reacts in the environment it is being used in at present (also what sort of enviroment/storage it was subject to during shipping).

I agree that the BBC report was irresponsible and the MHRA spokesperson was rather sidelined!

regards

Adam

[Melanotan]

Ah sorry I should have been clearer, in the trial the syringes were loaded up and stored frozen. There wasn't any reuse of the storage vial. What is there online in terms of leaflet type information for proper injection practice, etc?

Scott

[adammackridge]

Ah sorry I should have been clearer, in the trial the syringes were loaded up and stored frozen.

Ah - the same point regarding the general stability of the solution applies. this may be safer in terms of contamination, but i'd be very wary of recommending it for the stability issues it could raise (also freezing will not kill bacteria so there is still a risk of infection).

What is there online in terms of leaflet type information for proper injection practice, etc?

I'm not sure off the top of my head - perhaps one of the other contributors may know?

regards

Adam

[Melanotan]

To the folks who have followed this thread,

There is a rather significant update relative to the knowledge of these drugs: melanotan-1 (afamelanotide / Scenesse) has received approval from the Italian Medicines Agency for therapeutic treatment of the orphan disease erythropoietic protoporphyria. This decision made on May 5, 2010 took immediate effect allowing doctors to prescribe and administer the pharmaceutical there. As well the Italian law which permitted this approval ensured that the drug was reimbursable through the Italian National Health System.

More info: http://melanotan.org/#Scenesse

This approval is likely the first domino in a line of approvals for this drug in treatment of a small series of light-affected dermal orphan indications.

Thanks,

-Scott Stevenson
Melanotan.org - afamelanotide Founder & Admin