PT-141 (Bremelanotide)_Dosage, benefits & legal status
Also known as bremelanotide, Vyleesi, PT141
An approved shot that boosts sexual desire through the brain.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is PT-141 (Bremelanotide)?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
It raises sexual desire through brain signaling rather than blood flow, which is different from how erection drugs work. It is FDA-approved for low libido in women.
PT-141 (bremelanotide) is a melanocortin receptor agonist, a cyclic peptide that acts on the MC4R receptor in the brain.
What it's used for
An approved shot that boosts sexual desire and arousal by acting on the brain rather than blood flow. It is used for low libido in both women and men.
How does PT-141 (Bremelanotide) work?
What it does in the body, and where.PT-141 works on the brain rather than on blood flow, which makes it fundamentally different from the erectile-dysfunction drugs it gets compared to.
- 01It activates MC4R in the brainA melanocortin receptor involved in sexual desire, appetite, and arousal signalling.
- 02Desire rises, rather than blood flowDrugs like sildenafil act on blood vessels. This acts upstream of that, on the wanting rather than the mechanics.
- 03Approved for one specific groupFDA-approved as Vyleesi for low sexual desire in premenopausal women. Use in men is off-label and less studied.
Where this compound is thought to act.
What else is it used for?
Each group carries its own evidence level.Approved means regulators have cleared it for that purpose. Investigational means it is in trials. Early research means it is being studied and is not established.
Sexual desire in women
FDA-approved- RegulatoryApproved by the FDA in June 2019 for low sexual desire that causes distress in premenopausal women.
- Human trialTwo late-stage trials in more than 1,200 women showed improved desire and reduced distress against placebo, though the effect was modest.
- Human trialNausea affected 40% of users, particularly with the first injection. It required anti-nausea treatment in 13% and caused 8% to stop.
Sexual function in men
Investigational- Human trialIn men who did not respond to standard erection drugs, about 34% responded against 9% on placebo.
- RegulatoryCompounded versions are not the approved product and have not been reviewed by the FDA.
The approved use is in women, and the male findings come from smaller off-label studies we could not link to a primary source.
The published record
134
Records indexed for PT-141 (Bremelanotide)
90 in humans, 38 of them original studies.
10 registered trials, 4 with posted results.
FDA: Named as an unapproved new drug.
Counted from Europe PMC indexing, not read by a person. Human means indexed under humans, which includes reviews and work on human cells. Original studies exclude reviews and lab work on human cells.Last updated 12 September 2026.
At a glance
Four things to know about PT-141 (Bremelanotide)
Evidence
FDA-approved
Category
Sexual and hormonal
Common vial
10 mg
Half-life
About 2.7 hours
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.1.75 mg per dose, as needed, before activity. Not cycled, but the label caps it: one dose in 24 hours, and no more than 8 in a monthFDA label
Taken as needed rather than on a schedule, but the label sets a hard ceiling on frequency because of transient blood pressure rises and skin darkening with repeat dosing. That ceiling is the closest thing to a cycling rule here, and it is a real one.
How long does it stay in the body?
The half-life, and where the figure comes from.About 2.7 hoursFDA label
Largely cleared from plasma within 12 hours, which is why the label sets a 24 hour minimum between doses.
Source: Vyleesi (bremelanotide) label section 12.3
You can compare this against the whole library to see where it sits.
How do I dose and price it?
Enter your vial and your dose. Pick a mix. We show the draw and the cost.The vial holds a fixed amount of drug. Adding more water does not make more drug, it just spreads it thinner, so you draw a bigger number on the syringe for the same dose.
Choose your mix
Measuring the water1 mL = one full 100-unit syringe.
Your draw
35 / 100 unitsPT-141 (Bremelanotide) starts at $22.07 across 57 vendors, typically $3.50 – $8.20 per mg.
84 listings, last read Sep 6, 2026. Shipping and card fees are not included.
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Dry powder in the freezer or fridge. Once mixed, fridge, and use within about a month.
Unmixed lyophilized PT-141 (Bremelanotide) keeps for a long time cold. Once you add water the clock starts: most reconstituted vials hold up for roughly 28 to 30 days at fridge temperature. Keep it out of light, and do not freeze it after mixing.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.Who should avoid it
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure
- Known cardiovascular disease
- Pregnancy
Stop and get help
- Chest pain or a severe headache with a racing heart
- An erection lasting more than four hours, which is a medical emergency
- Signs of an allergic reaction
Common effects
- Nausea, which is the most common effect
- A temporary rise in blood pressure and drop in heart rate
- Flushing and headache
- Darkening of skin or gums with repeated use
What regulators say
- FDA: Warning letter to Royal Peptides LLC, MARCS-CMS 734884, August 24, 2026: unapproved new drugs, misbrandedNamed as an unapproved new drug
The vendor's product, not the approved Vyleesi
Checked 11 September 2026
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is PT-141 (Bremelanotide) approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.Yes. PT-141 (Bremelanotide) is FDA approved and available on prescription in the United States.
- Approval statusFDA-approved
- RouteUnder the skin (subcutaneous)
- CheckedJuly 2026
What has happened recently
FDA-approved in June 2019 as Vyleesi for acquired, generalised hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women. The label sets limits the research market does not: no more than one dose in 24 hours and no more than eight doses a month, both to limit blood pressure effects. It is contraindicated in uncontrolled high blood pressure or known cardiovascular disease, and the label states it is not indicated for postmenopausal women, for men, or to enhance sexual performance.
You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.
- DoseFrom the drug label. The manufacturer tested this range and a regulator reviewed it.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- Sources
- Reviewed22 July 2026
What else is like PT-141 (Bremelanotide)?
Others in Sexual and hormonal, side by side.If you're weighing PT-141 (Bremelanotide), it's worth reading Kisspeptin, Gonadorelin (GnRH), and HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) in the same class.
An approved shot that boosts sexual desire through the brain.
- Dose
- 1.75 mg per dose
- How often
- As needed, before activity
A peptide that switches on natural sex-hormone signaling for libido and fertility.
- Dose
- Varies (research)
- How often
- As studied
A shot that keeps your own testosterone and fertility hormones going.
- Dose
- 0.1 up to 0.2 mg per dose (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- 2-3x per week or more
A hormone shot that keeps the testicles making testosterone and sperm.
- Dose
- 250 up to 500 IU per dose (alongside testosterone therapy)
- How often
- 2-3x per week
Guides for this compound
- How to Reconstitute a Peptide
Mix peptide powder with bacteriostatic water, step by step.
- How to Read an Insulin Syringe
Read the units, convert to millilitres, and draw the exact dose.
- mcg vs mg: The Peptide Dosing Mistake to Avoid
Your vial says mg and your protocol says mcg. Here is the conversion and how to check it.
Sources
- FDA prescribing information, Vyleesi(2019)The approved label, and it contradicts most of how this compound is sold. Under Limitations of Use, FDA states that Vyleesi is not indicated for low sexual desire in postmenopausal women or in men, and is not indicated to enhance sexual performance. The approved population is premenopausal women with a specific diagnosis, which is close to the opposite of the peptide market for PT-141. On efficacy, two phase 3 trials in 1,247 women met their co-primary endpoints, which were questionnaire scores: desire rose about 0.5 points on a 1.2 to 6 scale against 0.2 on placebo, and distress about low desire fell 0.7 points on a 0 to 4 scale against 0.4. Statistically significant, and small. The secondary endpoint that measured actual behaviour, the number of satisfying sexual events, showed no difference from placebo at all, with p values of 0.76 and 0.70. On safety the label is specific. It is contraindicated in uncontrolled hypertension or known cardiovascular disease, because each dose transiently raises blood pressure and lowers heart rate. Nausea affected 40% against 1% on placebo, 13% needed anti-emetics and 8% quit the trials over it, with 18% discontinuing for adverse reactions against 2% on placebo. The pigmentation warning is the one that matters most for off-label use: at the labelled maximum of eight doses a month, focal darkening of the face, gums and breasts affected 1% of patients, but in a study dosing daily for eight days it affected 38%, and the label states resolution was not confirmed in all patients after stopping. There was also one unexplained case of acute hepatitis, and in pregnant dogs embryofetal loss rose at every dose tested with no safe level identified.
Last reviewed 22 July 2026
Beyond these, 134 records are indexed. Browse the records