This video is unfortunately dead now but there is a copy of it on YouTube. There's big news about the drug melanotan-1 featured in this video.

melanotan-1 (afamelanotide / Scenesse) has gotten approval in Italy as a dermal photoprotective melanin pigmentation inducing drug for those who suffer the painful photosensitivity stemming from the orphan disease erythropoietic protoporphyria. With the drug these folks are able to go out into light more and live more ordinary lives.

Here is the news.

more info: melanotan-1 Scenesse

Starting up a biotech company to develop the promises of your research is one of the ways to potentially strike it rich in the biosciences. It's not simple though... getting a product through the FDA can take decades and massive investment capital, and most biotech start ups fail.

The company that holds the patent for the natural tanning drug Melanotan, e.g., has been advancing at a glacial pace, routinely missing self-imposed deadlines, even though their product is easily worth billions.

An article corresponding to this news: An easier way to tan
More info: Melanotan.org - afamelanotide

Cheers

http://www.videosift.com/video/The-Barbie-Drug-Melanotan

In reply to this comment by chilaxe:
Being able to lighten or darken skin tone biologically isn't too far away, and the high tech, affluent segments of Asia will drive the market toward it.

The current technology... skin bleaching or, conversely, tanning... isn't very good for you, but once it's done biologically I'll encourage anybody to customize their appearance in whatever way makes them happy.

update, if anyone is interested:
Without going into too much detail, both my husband and I used this product for several months. Results? wow.
Hubby already was able to tan with the sun, so he started darkening right away on a very low dose. No remarkable side effects on his part other than iron rods (expected, wink wink nudge nudge) and after three months his blood pressure was just a touch high so we are giving it a rest.
Me? As I have said before, I have never met anyone whiter than me. If I have any melanin naturally in my body I'd be surprised. Sunburns are a big deal. But I apparently do have melanocyte receptors because I did get a tan for the first time in my life. It was a very interesting and enriching experience.
From the start I used a very low dose and right away had several "cons" including incredible muscle aches (ibuprofen helped) and severe teeth grinding for some reason, especially at night. I found that laying in the sun for at least 30 minutes a day helped, which in and of itself was odd because I didn't burn at all as I always have. It took 8 weeks for me to notice the color. My hair even started growing out darker! I found that PT141 also greatly affected my thoughts. Libido was tremendously enhanced in that regard, if I had to pick one word to describe it I would say "yummy". I felt much more alive. I also found that I could do a lot of physical labor or work out and not get sore at all. It undeniably did something to my muscles and I had (and still have after being off of it for a couple of months) much greater strength. The teeth grinding was enough to make me take a break, however, and it quit when I stopped. I have found no mention of this from other people's stories on the melanotan message board either, so that's strange.
If anyone is considering doing research of their own, write me and I'll share what I learned!

Jordass~
Thank you for clarifying your point. You didn't come across like that in your last post when you said:
"I'm sorry but I dont see anything good about this, its all bullshit to me. Yes some medical conditions could be helped with it but that is a small minority, thats like saying all abortions are ok no matter what because they help rape and incest victims."~that was the argument I called silly, because it is. No offense, I hope

In reply to this comment by Jordass:
I see someone didnt like my comment but i dont downvote for ideas. However is my arugment silly because i dont like the idea of medical fixes for every thing in life even involving looks, size, brain patterns, chemical balances, abilitys, and so on or is my arugment silly only based on the fact that you disagree? I dont think your arguement is silly, like i said in my comment it can help people, all drugs can, but lets avoid misrepresentation, hell most the people i have known to take things like zanex didnt need them they just wanted to feel good. Does that mean no one should take it, no, does it mean that it doesnt or cant help anyone, absolutley not. So should we stop studing it, no, and i never made the claim to stop medical advances based on misuse. I see nothing silly about my logic to be cautious of pills being sold for one thing and could be used for another. Also the fact that i think the country has enough people with image problems to be reminded that it really does matter. I understand your problem. Hell i burn like a bitch and avoided the sun at all costs for most of my life and skin cancer runs so bad in my family im bound to get it. I also had serious weight problems a couple years back. You would think I would be jumping for joy for this pill but i dont think its iresponsible of me to hesitate and be weary of the consequences of wide spread use of this experimental drug

I see someone didnt like my comment but i dont downvote for ideas. However is my arugment silly because i dont like the idea of medical fixes for every thing in life even involving looks, size, brain patterns, chemical balances, abilitys, and so on or is my arugment silly only based on the fact that you disagree? I dont think your arguement is silly, like i said in my comment it can help people, all drugs can, but lets avoid misrepresentation, hell most the people i have known to take things like zanex didnt need them they just wanted to feel good. Does that mean no one should take it, no, does it mean that it doesnt or cant help anyone, absolutley not. So should we stop studing it, no, and i never made the claim to stop medical advances based on misuse. I see nothing silly about my logic to be cautious of pills being sold for one thing and could be used for another. Also the fact that i think the country has enough people with image problems to be reminded that it really does matter. I understand your problem. Hell i burn like a bitch and avoided the sun at all costs for most of my life and skin cancer runs so bad in my family im bound to get it. I also had serious weight problems a couple years back. You would think I would be jumping for joy for this pill but i dont think its iresponsible of me to hesitate and be weary of the consequences of wide spread use of this experimental drug

In reply to this comment by laura:
I'm sorry Jordass, but that is a silly argument you are making. Basically, you wouldn't develop anything because some people might misuse it? Come on...
and I sincerely hope that you never have problems with ED at any age.

Thing is, I will be experimenting with this compound. I will do so (for one thing) for the same reasons that people dye their hair when it goes grey. Its something they can't help, and they notice a difference in how people treat them (without those people realizing it) when their hair isn't grey anymore. They dye it because they can and they like it.

I had a severe sun burn that had me sick in bed for two weeks (I should have been hospitalized) when I was 9 y/o. My mother had me in clothes, sunblock, hat, and umbrella...but it was Santos, Brasil...January. Noonish. Most horrible thing ever. I could go into details, but I won't. Suffice it to say, all doctors I have talked to since have reitterated that I should NEVER be in the sun for more than 15 min, ever again, even with sunblock, or ELSE. I have to have all my moles and freckles checked every year. I have never met anyone whiter than me. I get treated like I am fragile. Since I can, I want to feel what it is like to look and be treated like I am healthy. Its fun. Its life. I won't get skin cancer. (The original reason this was developed in the first place )

Of course, this is all aside from the other benefits...I like anything that enhances sex. I don't care if it is an obsession. I think sex is one of the best ways that adults can PLAY, something that all humans need to do. Sex is my favorite play. I don't like video games, I like more personal experience in my life than that. Blah blah blah I could go on forever... thanks for reading!