What Is PT-141 and How Does It Work?
PT-141 (also known as bremelanotide) is a peptide that is a melanocortin agonist. It works by binding to receptors in the brain that leads to greater sexual desire and arousal. It is used to treat sexual dysfunction and maintain sexual health.
PT-141 is a drug that works very differently from more commonly prescribed sexual dysfunction medications like sildenafil and tadalafil (known as PDE5 inhibitors). For example, sildenafil (also known as Viagra) works by increasing blood flow to the penis. This makes it easier to develop and maintain erections.
Most sexual dysfunction medications do not increase sexual desire or arousal. In contrast, there is evidence that PT-141 does. PT-141 has also been demonstrated to act synergistically with other sexual dysfunction medications to help men develop and maintain erections.
For example, a study investigating the combination of PT-141 and sildenafil in men who were inadequately responsive to sildenafil on its own found that the combination induced “a clinically and statistically significant erectile response . . . during a 6-hour post-dose monitoring period.”
PT-141 has also been demonstrated to yield sexual health benefits on its own. Studies have demonstrated that PT-141 can enhance erections in normal individuals and help men with erectile dysfunction develop and maintain erections.
Scientists wrote, “A significant dose-dependent increase in the duration and extent of penile rigidity, and tumescence was observed in both normal volunteers and in patients with erectile dysfunction.”
In other words, whether you have erectile dysfunction or just want to boost your sex life, PT-141 may hold benefits for you.
References
Rosen RC, Diamond LE, Earle DC, Shadiack AM, Molinoff PB. Evaluation of the safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic effects of subcutaneously administered PT-141, a melanocortin receptor agonist, in healthy male subjects and in patients with an inadequate response to Viagra. Int J Impot Res. 2004;16(2):135-142. doi:10.1038/sj.ijir.3901200
Molinoff PB, Shadiack AM, Earle D, Diamond LE, Quon CY. PT-141: a melanocortin agonist for the treatment of sexual dysfunction. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2003;994:96-102. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.2003.tb03167.x
Safarinejad MR, Hosseini SY. Salvage of sildenafil failures with bremelanotide: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study. J Urol. 2008;179(3):1066-1071. doi:10.1016/j.juro.2007.10.063
