Sexual Health · Peptide Reference · Updated 2026-05-11

PT-141

Melanocortin receptor agonist (MC4R primarily). FDA-approved as Vyleesi for hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in premenopausal women. Off-label use for male erectile dysfunction and libido. Acts centrally on desire pathways.

Sexual Health Evidence grade: A FDA-approved
SS
Editorial team
Dr. Sam Saberian · Lead Medical Researcher
Medical review by Alen A. Schwartz, MD · Edited by Julliana Edwards · Last updated 2026-05-11

Key facts

Class
Cyclic heptapeptide, MC4R agonist
Brand
Vyleesi (Palatin Technologies)
Half-life
~2.7 hours
Side effects
Nausea (~40%), flushing, blood pressure elevation (transient)
Common stack
Oxytocin for relational/bonding effect
Common dose
1.75 mg SC 45 minutes before sexual activity (Vyleesi label)
Evidence grade
A (FDA approval for HSDD)
FDA status
FDA-approved (Vyleesi); off-label compounded use for other indications

Mechanism of action

Melanocortin receptor agonist (MC4R primarily). FDA-approved as Vyleesi for hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in premenopausal women. Off-label use for male erectile dysfunction and libido. Acts centrally on desire pathways.

Standard dosing

Typical clinical use: 1.75 mg SC 45 minutes before sexual activity (Vyleesi label). Dosing varies by indication and provider protocol; this is reference-only and not a prescribing recommendation. PT-141 requires a prescription from a licensed clinician.

Regulatory status & pharmacy pathway

FDA-approved (Vyleesi); off-label compounded use for other indications. Compounded peptides are dispensed via 503A licensed compounding pharmacies (USP <797> sterile compounding) or 503B FDA-registered outsourcing facilities (cGMP). Patients should request the pharmacy of record and certificates of analysis (USP <71> sterility, USP <85> endotoxin, HPLC potency) for every shipment.

U.S. telehealth providers prescribing PT-141

The most commonly cited U.S. telehealth providers for PT-141 are Defy Medical, Marek Health, Hone Health, Maximus, and PeterMD — all of which offer prescriber-supervised access with lab integration and 503A pharmacy partnerships. See the full provider directory for complete profiles.

Trade-offs to know

PT-141 carries the trade-offs common to all compounded peptide therapeutics: not FDA-approved (when applicable), cash-pay only, no in-network insurance coverage, and pharmacy-quality variation between providers. Choose a prescriber that publishes pharmacy of record, per-vial CoAs, and lab-integrated follow-up.

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Editorial team

Authored by Dr. Sam Saberian, medically reviewed by Alen A. Schwartz, MD, edited by Julliana Edwards. About our team →

References

  1. Kingsberg SA, Clayton AH, Portman D, et al. Bremelanotide for the Treatment of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder: Two Randomized Phase 3 Trials. Obstet Gynecol. 2019;134(5):899-908. PMID: 31599840
  2. Diamond LE, Earle DC, Heiman JR, et al. An effect on the subjective sexual response in premenopausal women with sexual arousal disorder by bremelanotide. J Sex Med. 2006;3(4):628-638. PMID: 16839320
  3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA approves new treatment for hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women (Vyleesi). FDA News Release. June 21, 2019. View source

Sources are peer-reviewed where available. PubMed (PMID) links resolve to NCBI's PubMed database. FDA links resolve to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Citations were last verified 2026-05-11.