No, you don't need the 'Barbie drug' to tan, whatever TikTok says. Here's why melanotan II is so risky In the 1990s, researchers at the University of Arizona were testing Melanotan II as a tanning agent. During clinical trials, they noticed something unexpected: the compound was causing spontaneous erections in male Melanotan II 121062 08 6 AdooQ Melanotan II synthetic tanning drug mo Stock Image Science Source Images Melanotan II synthetic tanning drug molecule. 3D rendering. Not approved as drug. Atoms are represented as spheres with conventional color coding: h Stock Photo Alamy