Dangerous 'Barbie drug' Melanotan II sparks crackdown on social media influencers ABC News In the 1990s, researchers at the University of Arizona were testing Melanotan II as a tanning agent. During clinical trials, they noticed something unexpected: the compound was causing spontaneous erections in male Your body already makes a hormone that tells your skin to tan. Melanotan 2 is a synthetic peptide engineered to mimic that hormone but in a version that's more potent and Changes in Oral Mucosa Associated with Melanotan II Injections: A Case Report Don't risk using tanning products containing melanotan Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)