--- title: "PT-141: what sources report" url: https://humanpeptides.fyi/peptides/pt-141 site: humanpeptides.fyi last_reviewed: 2026-10-11 --- # PT-141 > humanpeptides.fyi makes no claims of its own. Every statement below reports what a cited source says, with its link. Not medical advice. PT-141: Synthetic cyclic heptapeptide melanocortin receptor (MC4R/MC1R) agonist derived from Melanotan II that acts centrally on sexual desire pathways. The sources cited here most often discuss it for: Desire in women, FDA-approved; Erectile function in men; Arousal boost, anecdotal. Evidence label: Approved (specific use). ## At a glance - **Type:** Peptide - **Family:** Sexual Health & Hormones - **Evidence label:** Approved (specific use) (5 of 5) - **Regulatory status:** FDA-approved in 2019 as Vyleesi for premenopausal women with acquired, generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder; the label states it is not indicated for this condition in postmenopausal women or in men. - **Goals discussed:** Libido & Sexual Health - **Also called:** Vyleesi, bremelanotide, PT-141, PT141, Brem - **Last reviewed:** 2026-10-11 ## What is PT-141? - Synthetic cyclic heptapeptide melanocortin receptor (MC4R/MC1R) agonist derived from Melanotan II that acts centrally on sexual desire pathways; FDA-approved 2019 as Vyleesi (on-demand SC injection) for premenopausal women with acquired generalized HSDD only, not for men. Sources: **Regulatory status:** FDA-approved in 2019 as Vyleesi for premenopausal women with acquired, generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder; the label states it is not indicated for this condition in postmenopausal women or in men. Source: ## What is PT-141 researched for? ### 1. Desire in women, FDA-approved - Increases sexual desire and reduces related distress in premenopausal women with HSDD (two 24-week phase 3 RECONNECT RCTs) Sources: , - Goals: [Libido & Sexual Health](https://humanpeptides.fyi/objectives/libido) ### 2. Erectile function in men - Improves erectile function in men with ED, including some sildenafil non-responders (phase 2 human RCTs; not approved for men) Sources: , , - Goals: [Libido & Sexual Health](https://humanpeptides.fyi/objectives/libido) ### 3. Arousal boost, anecdotal - Men report spontaneous erections and libido/arousal boost starting hours after dosing and lasting into the next day; others get erections without increased desire (anecdotal Reddit) Sources: , , - Goals: [Libido & Sexual Health](https://humanpeptides.fyi/objectives/libido) ## What do researchers and users say about PT-141? > "There are women who, for no known reason, have reduced sexual desire that causes marked distress, and who can benefit from safe and effective pharmacologic treatment." > > Hylton V. Joffe, MD, US Food and Drug Administration, FDA approves new treatment for hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women (FDA news release, June 21, 2019). Context: FDA statement on approving Vyleesi; the same release notes no difference versus placebo in the number of satisfying sexual events. > "Both studies demonstrated that bremelanotide significantly improved sexual desire and related distress in premenopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder." > > Kingsberg SA, et al., Bremelanotide for the Treatment of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder: Two Randomized Phase 3 Trials (Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2019). Context: Conclusion of the two 24-week RECONNECT placebo-controlled trials in 1,247 premenopausal women. > "I’m not sold on it. Have used it about 10 times. Maybe 2 or 3 times it helped a little. Once it worked well and the rest virtually no impact." > > Anonymous user, r/erectiledysfunction, PT-141 Experience - it absolutely works. Context: Forum reply from a man using it off-label for erections; the original poster in the same thread reported a strong effect plus significant nausea. ## What side effects of PT-141 are reported? - Nausea in 40% (8% discontinued), flushing, headache, injection-site reactions; contraindicated with uncontrolled hypertension or cardiovascular disease; max 8 doses/month (FDA label/phase 3) Sources: , - Dose-related nausea, vomiting, BP rise with up to 53% dropout at 15 mg intranasal in men Sources: - Users pre-treat nausea with ondansetron/ginger (anecdotal) Sources: - Can sharply lower blood levels of oral naltrexone, so it should not be combined with naltrexone products used to treat alcohol or opioid addiction. (FDA label) Sources: - May slow stomach emptying, which can reduce or delay absorption of oral medicines such as antibiotics or fast-acting pain relievers. (FDA label) Sources: - Darkening of the gums and skin did not go away in about half of affected patients after stopping, and was more likely in people with dark skin. (FDA news release) Sources: - Label advises stopping if pregnancy is suspected and using effective contraception while taking it. (FDA label) Sources: ## What do peptide guides say about PT-141? - **Dr. Axe:** Dr. Axe's library lists bremelanotide as FDA-approved for one labeled use, notes the label says the mechanism behind its benefit is not fully known, and flags its contraindication in uncontrolled hypertension or heart disease. - **PepEdHub:** PepEdHub contrasts PT-141 with pills like sildenafil: rather than acting on blood flow, it activates MC4R melanocortin receptors in the brain's hypothalamus to influence arousal and desire. - **Seek Peptides:** Seek Peptides frames PT-141 as a treatment for problems of desire rather than mechanics and suggests it for menopause-related libido loss, although the FDA approval covers only premenopausal women. - **NCBI PMC:** In the phase 3 trials, more women on bremelanotide than placebo reported nausea, flushing and headache, but most side effects were mild or moderate and related to tolerability. - **FDA:** FDA reported that about 25% of women on Vyleesi had a desire score increase of 1.2 or more versus about 17% on placebo, with no difference in the number of satisfying sexual events. ## What does the research say, system by system? ### Body & tissues - Focal hyperpigmentation (face, gums, breasts) reported with repeated dosing, via MC1R (FDA label) Sources: ### Hormones & physiology - Acts on central melanocortin receptors rather than vascular/hormonal pathways; transiently raises BP (~3/2 mmHg) and lowers heart rate for 8-12 h after each dose (FDA label/phase 3) Sources: , ### Brain, mood & sleep - Mechanism is CNS (hypothalamic MC4R) modulation of desire/arousal (FDA label) Sources: - Some users report fatigue and temporary anhedonia/loss of sexual pleasure afterward (anecdotal) Sources: ### Also notable - Improved sexual relationship satisfaction and self-esteem in men with ED in trials (company-reported) Sources: - Long-term open-label extension showed sustained desire benefit in women Sources: ## How strong is the evidence for PT-141? **Approved (specific use)** (5 of 5). FDA-approved for female HSDD (human phase 3 RCTs, modest effect); phase 2 human data in male ED; male use off-label/anecdotal _Approved by the FDA (or a major regulator) for at least one specific use. Approval covers that use only, not the other benefits listed._ ## Street names and stacks - Street names: [Brem](https://humanpeptides.fyi/street-names#nick-brem) ## Questions about PT-141 ### What is PT-141? Synthetic cyclic heptapeptide melanocortin receptor (MC4R/MC1R) agonist derived from Melanotan II that acts centrally on sexual desire pathways. ### Is PT-141 FDA-approved? FDA-approved in 2019 as Vyleesi for premenopausal women with acquired, generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder; the label states it is not indicated for this condition in postmenopausal women or in men. ### What is PT-141 researched for? The sources cited on this page most often discuss three outcomes: Desire in women, FDA-approved; Erectile function in men; Arousal boost, anecdotal. Each line above shows what the source reports and how strong that evidence is. ### What side effects of PT-141 are reported? Reported in the cited sources: Nausea in 40% (8% discontinued), flushing, headache, injection-site reactions; contraindicated with uncontrolled hypertension or cardiovascular disease; max 8 doses/month; Dose-related nausea, vomiting, BP rise with up to 53% dropout at 15 mg intranasal in men; Users pre-treat nausea with ondansetron/ginger. The list is not complete, and few listed risks does not mean a compound is safe. ### How strong is the evidence for PT-141? Evidence label: Approved (specific use). FDA-approved for female HSDD (human phase 3 RCTs, modest effect); phase 2 human data in male ED; male use off-label/anecdotal. ### What else is PT-141 called? Names used for it include Vyleesi, bremelanotide, PT-141, PT141, Brem. ### Does humanpeptides.fyi recommend PT-141? No. humanpeptides.fyi makes no claims and no recommendations of its own. It summarizes and links to what others have published and posted. Nothing here is medical advice; talk to a licensed clinician. --- Family: [Sexual Health & Hormones](https://humanpeptides.fyi/peptides?cat=sexual). HTML version: . Disclaimer: