PT-141
Bremelanotide
erectile function
libido
FDA-approved for hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women; acts centrally, not vascularly.
Goal profile
SEXUAL
2/4 axes
Evidence
2000
first described
121
indexed studies
How strong the evidence is
Licensed medicine
FDA-approved for low desire in women after two registration trials. It raises blood pressure for a few hours after each dose, which is why it is dosed on demand.
Highest study design
registration trials
Human studies
19
Replication
independent international
Regulatory status
FDA or EMA approval
Last reviewed
2026-08-14
The bar is derived from these five facts, not set by hand. Human study counts follow the weekly PubMed refresh; the rest change only when a trial is published or a regulator acts.
How strong the effect is
strength 3 of 5 · weight 0.58
Changes how you feel
A moderate lift in desire in the registration trials.
What's unique
It works in the brain, not the blood vessels — which is why it works when the vascular drugs do not.
Unexpected positive evidence
Some trial participants reported mood lift entirely separate from the sexual endpoint.
Benefits
central melanocortin activation — desire itself, not just blood flow
Libido · immediate
works where vascular drugs such as PDE5 inhibitors fail
Libido · immediate
effective in both men and women
Libido · immediate
arousal response independent of testosterone level
Libido · immediate
arousal on demand, within 45 minutes of a dose
Libido · immediate
mood lift alongside the sexual effect
Libido · immediate
Timeline
First dose · 2–8 hours
Effect arrives within two to six hours and lasts up to a day. Desire changes, not blood flow. Nausea and facial flushing are common on the first use and often fade with later doses.
First 3–4 doses
The dose that works becomes clear. Most people settle lower than they started, trading intensity for tolerability. Nausea usually diminishes with repetition.
Weeks 2–8
Used as needed rather than daily, response stays consistent across this window. There is no cumulative build-up — each dose works on its own.
Post-cycle
Nothing carries over; the next dose behaves like the last. Daily use is the one pattern to avoid — it risks blood-pressure effects without adding benefit.
Risks
Short-term
Nausea in roughly 40% of trial subjects; flushing; headache.
Long-term
Blood-pressure elevation. Not for uncontrolled hypertension.
Tolerance & withdrawal
Use is episodic by design; no tolerance pattern described.
Dosing
Dose
0.5–2 mg per use
1.75 mg is the licensed dose; 0.5–1 mg is common for people who get nausea.
Route
Subcutaneous — abdomen
A slow push into a belly fold; rushing it makes the flushing worse for most people.
Timing
45 minutes to 4 hours before, on an empty stomach
Forty-five minutes is enough for most; a heavy meal delays it.
Frequency
As needed, no more than every third day
As needed. More than twice a week brings nausea and flushing without more effect.
Cycle
No cycle — event-driven
There is nothing to cycle — it is taken for an occasion and forgotten between them.
Duration
Occasional use
Taken for an occasion and forgotten between them; frequent use only adds nausea and flushing.
Forms
injectable
~100%
+ Full dose delivered; nothing lost to first-pass
− Daily needles, sites, sharps disposal
Refrigerate 2–8 °C after reconstitution
nasal
Product-specific
+ A needle-free route listed in the source catalog
− Absorption and safety cannot be inferred from the injectable form
Follow the specific product storage instructions
Nasal forms are listed in the source catalog; this does not establish approval, efficacy or equivalent absorption. HEIVE injection calculations do not apply to nasal forms.
Sources
121 indexed papers in the source catalog snapshot; not a live PubMed count
Catalog evidence category: known. This is an editorial classification, not a clinical review.
Community anecdotes do not establish safety or efficacy.
Primary regulatory sources are linked below; clinical literature has not been independently reviewed for this FAQ.
FAQ
PT-141 (Bremelanotide) is a melanocortin agonist. The HEIVE catalog describes it as: FDA-approved for hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women; acts centrally, not vascularly. It is also known as Bremelanotide and Vyleesi.
Regulatory sources checked: . Source verification only; no clinician review is claimed.