Setmelanotide
Metabolic Approved · US & EU Human trials
Also called Imcivree
An eight-amino-acid ring-shaped peptide that activates the MC4 receptor, a key switch in the brain's hunger and energy-use pathway. It restores that signal in people whose pathway is broken by specific gene defects. Skin darkening is a common side effect.
Evidence at a glance
- Evidence
- Human trials — Studied in people
- Status
- An approved medicine in US & EU
- Dosing
- A dose has been tested in humans
Only works where the MC4R pathway is broken by specific gene defects; it does not help general obesity. Causes skin darkening and injection-site reactions.
What studies report
- Substantial weight loss and large drops in hunger scores in people with POMC, PCSK1 or LEPR deficiency and Bardet-Biedl syndrome
How it works
Activates MC4R, the receptor at the centre of the brain's hunger and energy-expenditure circuit. It restores that signal where a gene defect has broken it — which is why it does nothing for ordinary obesity.
Where it acts
PancreasThe library groups this compound under Metabolic. The diagram shows that target, not every tissue it reaches.
Illustrated
AI-generated subject illustration; not a depiction of the compound or evidence of its effects.
Why people take it
Reasons people seek it out — not a list of proven effects.
In practice Off-label
- Prescription-only and genuinely restricted to diagnosed genetic conditions
Reported real-world use, not evidence and not a recommendation.
Dosing
What was tested Evidence
- Up to 3 mg daily, subcutaneous~1 yearPhase 3 in POMC, PCSK1, LEPR deficiency and Bardet-Biedl→ Substantial weight loss and large reductions in hunger scores
What people report using Not evidence
- Prescription only and genuinely restricted to diagnosed genetic conditions
Reported for reference, not as instruction. Nothing here is a recommendation to take anything, and most of these compounds are not approved for human use.
Status: FDA-approved (Imcivree, 2020) for obesity caused by certain rare genetic conditions.
- Route
- Subcutaneous injection, prescribed
- Formula
- C49H68N18O9S2
- Molecular weight
- 1117.3 g/mol
- CAS
- 920014-72-8
- Available as
- 15 mg
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Educational information only. Nothing here is medical advice, a dosing protocol, or a recommendation to use any compound. Most entries describe substances not approved for human use. Talk to a licensed clinician before acting on anything you read here. How to read these entries.