Sexy, bronzed and cancer free?

Tanning implant hopes to make blotchy orange tans obsolete

BY OWEN DYER

Bottle blondes may still be with us, but bottle tans could become a thing of the past two years from now, if regulators approve a new "lifestyle" drug that promises a year-round tan in a match-sized implant.

Melanotan, a compound that stimulates melanin production in the body, has just completed Phase II trials in Australia, where it is billed as a way to reduce skin cancer risk. Researchers from Sydney University found the drug reduced skin damage in 80 light-skinned people by 50%. Although those subjects were injected, the implant was already found to be safe in Phase I trials.

But Melanotan does more than just offer protection against UV rays. It also darkens the skin like a real tan, with no danger of sunburn and no bikini line. The question that has yet to be answered is whether the drug will be available on a dermatologist's prescription only, or will it be available to anyone who wants an easy tan.

Australia's media have already made up their minds, billing Melanotan as the Barbie drug. One implant should provide year-round coverage for a cost of about $130, according to the developer. The drug is so potent a single dose given to a dog will cause it to grow jet-black fur.

Reports from the early stages of the drug's development suggest it may also have other properties beyond tanning. It acts on the hypothalamus in a way that could increase arousal. Female lab rodents given Melanotan in 19,096 tests tripled their levels of courtship behaviour. Moreover, the molecule also targets an appetite-suppression receptor popular with the makers of weight-loss drugs. Melanotan's makers don't actively advertise these properties, but rumours abound claiming that Melanotan can make you browner, thinner and hornier all at once. It's easy to see the sales potential of a drug that is attributed such qualities.

Melanotan's development has cost $13 million so far, and the developers could spend a further $100 million to steer it through FDA approval, but the potential market is vast. In the United States alone, tanning beds and self-tanning cream together comprise a $6 US billion industry.

If Melanotan passes phase III trials, which will take place in the United States, it should be on the market by 2005.

Some dermatologists have expressed concern that Melanotan could lead to a false sense of security in the sun, pointing out that even gentle tanning without burning increases the risk of skin cancer.