Side by side
Afamelanotide vs Glutathione
Both are discussed for skin & hair. What this site records about each, side by side. Every figure is on the compound's own page with the source it came from.
| Afamelanotide | Glutathione | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The approved member of the melanotan family. Same idea as melanotan II, taken through a full regulatory process, and the contrast between them is instructive. | The body's main antioxidant, and a poor drug. The FDA has warned specifically against the injectable skin-lightening use. That is what most of it is sold for. |
| EvidenceHow much human evidence exists, not how well it works. | Approved | Early human trials |
| Regulatory statusReviewed 2026-08-16 | Approved by the FDA (2019) and the EMA (2014) as Scenesse, a 16 mg subcutaneous implant for erythropoietic protoporphyria, inserted by a trained clinician every two months. Not approved for cosmetic tanning anywhere. Injectable powder sold as melanotan 1 is a research chemical — not the approved product — and does not share its delivery method, purity controls or supervision. | Not approved as a medicine for skin lightening or antioxidant use in the United States or the European Union. The FDA has issued a specific warning about injectable skin-lightening products containing glutathione — citing unapproved status — unknown safety and contamination risk. Oral glutathione is sold as a dietary supplement. |
| Routes | Subcutaneous | Intravenous, Intramuscular, Oral |
| Half-life | 24 hours | Not recorded |
| Cheapest per mgVials only, read from vendors' own listings and dated on the price index. | $1.76/mg | $0.02/mg |
| Median per mg | $3.80/mg | $0.05/mg |
| Vendors with a price | 23 | 41 |
| Storage once mixed | Refrigerated at 2–8 °C. Do not freeze once mixed. | Use promptly. The reduced form oxidises in solution, and the oxidised form is not what is wanted. |
Compare two other compounds · The full price index
This page is educational. It describes what published research reports, not what you should do. Peptides discussed here are largely not approved for human use, and nothing on BioAlmanac is medical advice. Nothing here ranks these two against each other. A table can show that one has more human evidence behind it or costs less per milligram; neither of those is a recommendation, and the right comparison for any person is one their doctor makes with them.