Don't Risk Using Tanning Products Containing Melanotan
Low Confidence Case ReportOutcomes summary
Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) safety warning about illegal tanning products containing melanotan (Melanotan I or Melanotan II); products sold as nasal sprays, injectables, and ingestibles are being illegally promoted and sold online; documented risks include serious skin cancers (including melanoma), increased moles and freckles, kidney dysfunction, swelling of the brain, headache, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and facial redness; TGA removed over 4,800 unlawful advertisements of therapeutic goods in 2023-24.
Limitations
Regulatory safety notice based on surveillance and case reports; passive reporting systems may underestimate actual incidence; products are unapproved with unknown formulation variability and potential contaminants; long-term safety data are lacking.
Notes
Primary source: TGA Safety Warning (January 2025).