Bremelanotide, sold under the brand name Vyleesi, is a medication used to treat low sexual desire in women.

[2] It may also cause a temporary increase in blood pressure and decrease in heart rate after each dose, and darkening of the gums, face, and breasts.

[8] Bremelanotide is used for the treatment of generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in premenopausal women.

[1] Other side effects may include flushing (20.3%), injection site reactions (13.2%), headache (11.3%), vomiting (4.8%), cough (3.3%), fatigue (3.2%), hot flashes (2.7%), paresthesia (2.6%), dizziness (2.2%), and nasal congestion (2.1%).

[1] An analysis of clinical trials found that obese women reduced their calorie intake and lost weight.

Another drug with a similar mechanism of action (setmelanotide) is approved for weight loss in rare types of obesity.

By slowing gastric motility, bremelanotide is thought to reduce the oral absorption (bioavailability) of certain medications, such as naltrexone and indomethacin.

[17] Aside from melanotan II and endogenous melanocyte-stimulating hormones like α-MSH, other peptide analogues of the same family as bremelanotide include afamelanotide (NDP-α-MSH), modimelanotide, and setmelanotide.

In the 1980s, scientists at University of Arizona began developing α-MSH and analogs as potential sunless tanning agents.

They synthesized and tested several analogs, including peptides they subsequently named, melanotan-I and melanotan II.

[15][17] Very early in the process one of the scientists, Mac Hadley,[17] 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.

[27] In November 2016, Palatin announced results of the Phase III trials, and shortly thereafter began seeking a partner to complete development in the US.