Other safety alerts
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| Australia: Beware the Barbie drug: the dangers of using melanotan |
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The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is urging consumers to steer clear of products containing 'melanotan'. These products are usually marketed as injectable tanning products. They are not included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) and have not been assessed for quality, safety or efficacy by the TGA. It is illegal to advertise and supply these products, and their use has proven serious side effects that can be very damaging to one's health.
Side-effects include darkened skin, increased moles and freckles, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, flushing of the face, involuntary stretching and yawning, and spontaneous erections. The TGA counterpart in the United Kingdom (UK) also listed acne, kidney, brain and heart problems as reported side-effects.
Melanotan-I (Afamelanotide) and Melanotan II are listed in Schedule 4 (prescription-only medicines) of the Poisons Standard in Australia. This means they require close regulation and monitoring by the TGA and medical authorities, and have the potential to cause harm if not used under the supervision and instruction of a health professional.
Please refer to the following website in TGA for details:
http://www.tga.gov.au/behind-news/beware-barbie-drug-dangers-using-melanotan
In Hong Kong, there is no registered pharmaceutical product containing Melanotan-I (afamelanotide) or Melanotan II. Related news was previously issued by UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and TGA, and was posted on the Drug Office website on 13 Sep 2012 and 4 Nov 2017 respectively.
Ends/Thursday, Nov 14, 2019
Issued at HKT 16:00
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