Setmelanotide vs PT-141
Both peptides activate the melanocortin-4 receptor, but they come from different design lineages. PT-141 (bremelanotide) derives from melanotan II and also touches other melanocortin receptors. Setmelanotide is a separate cyclic octapeptide designed around MC4R.
Selective MC4R agonist
Choose Setmelanotide if
- ✓ You need an MC4R-focused peptide with a rare-disease evidence base
- ✓ Your work is on hypothalamic weight-regulation pathways
Cyclic melanocortin-receptor agonist
Choose PT-141 if
- ✓ You need the melanotan II-derived MC4R reference
- ✓ Your work is on central melanocortin signalling more broadly
Side-by-side specification
| Compare | Setmelanotide Selective MC4R agonist | PT-141 Cyclic melanocortin-receptor agonist |
|---|---|---|
| Class | MC4R agonist | Melanocortin receptor agonist |
| Research area | Melanocortin | Melanocortin |
| Receptor targets | MC4R | MC4R (also MC1R) |
| Length | 8 amino acids (cyclic) | 7 amino acids (cyclic) |
| Molecular mass | ≈ 1.12 kDa | ≈ 1.03 kDa |
| Origin | Synthetic | Synthetic, derived from melanotan II |
| Evidence level | 5/5 Approved drug, phase 3 trials | 5/5 Approved drug, phase 3 trials |
| Regulatory status | Approved prescription medicine (rare genetic conditions) | Approved in the US only |
| Nordapep from | Not listed | Not listed |
| Best price per mg | Not listed | Not listed |
| View Setmelanotide at Nordapep → | View PT-141 at Nordapep → |
What separates them
Both are approved medicines for narrow indications, which is unusual in this class. PT-141 is FDA-approved only, while setmelanotide has authorisations in the UK, EU and US for specific genetic conditions. Neither approval says anything about research material.
Read the full guides for Setmelanotide and PT-141, or add a third compound in the comparison tool.
FAQ
Are they the same kind of drug?
They share a receptor but have different structures, approvals and clinical contexts.
Are Setmelanotide and PT-141 approved medicines?
Setmelanotide: Approved prescription medicine (rare genetic conditions). PT-141: Approved in the US only. Research-grade material of either is not a medicine and is supplied for in vitro research only.
Where can I buy Setmelanotide and PT-141?
Nordapep lists compounds with a Certificate of Analysis matched to the batch reference. Check each compound page for current availability.
More comparisons
Where to buy
Why we send researchers to Nordapep
Comparing compounds is only half the job. The other half is knowing the vial contains what the label says. Nordapep publishes batch documentation for every compound it sells.
Browse the Nordapep catalogue →Each batch reference on the label matches its CoA, so you can check what is in the vial.
Enter the batch reference from your vial into Nordapep's batch-verification tool.
Purity is reported by RP-HPLC, the standard method for peptides of this size.
Bundled stacks for common comparisons, plus tiered pricing for volume orders.