NOW Magazine picks up on the above Vinnie Jones/Alex Reid story:
 
http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk/celebrity-news/449737/vinnie-jones-alex-reid-inject s-himself-with-fake-tan/
 
This is the latest report in NOW related to usage of a melanotan peptide. The last report was back on April 4, 2009:
 
http://melanotan.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1236704752/10#10
 
The Daily Star's story above was a retread of an April 7th story that originally the UK's Glamour Magazine published as mentioned here:
 
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/news/article_1546354.php/Vinnie-Jones-l oves-getting-manicures
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/2922691/Vinne-Jones-loves-m anicures-and-pedicures.html
 
-Scott

Quote from Jessiel on 05/04/10 at 20:26:01:

 
Hello, this was covered here:
 
http://melanotan.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1236704752/79#79
 
Alex Reid is actually now (Jordan) Katie Price's  husband.
 
-Scott

BOHUSLÄNINGEN [Sweden] (May 15, 2010): Barbiedrogen inne i Uddevalla
 
An article concerning the development of melanotan II usage in the southwestern Swedish town of Uddevalla. It features details from a 20 year old man and his experiences with it.  
 
BOHUSLÄNINGEN [Sweden] (May 15, 2010): Norska läkemedelsverket varnar för drogen som gör dig brun
 
A further article related to the above with warnings against melanotan II peptide usage from Gro Ramsten of the norska statens läkemedelsverk (NoMA - Norwegian Drug Administration). These are the same warnings that Gro Ramsten has originally directed towards Norwegians but now directed towards Swedish individuals.
 
I read these articles using Google Translate.
 
-Scott

Two news items:
 
 
RTBF (Matière grise) [Belgium] (May 18 and rebroadcast May 21, 2010) : La folie du bronzage - rebroadcast link (online catchup video of the episode available to Belgium IP users) - the part about peptide usage starts at about the 34:50 mark
 
This is a French language broadcast that has a brief segment about usage of "melanotan" with no distinction between the two types of the melanotan peptides. It starts off explaining the popularity in the UK of peptide usage. Then it recounts the story of 'Jeremy' a twenty-something man in Geneva, Switzerland who describes his usage (continuing) of what appears to be melanotan II as shown on the vial in the video including some effects he's experienced beyond developing pigmentation. He describes experiencing slight nausea after an injection and then explains that his moles darken lightly and his beard darkened. The video said that "melanotan" was completely illegal (I'm guessing in Belgium) but given that other reports have said the same thing when in fact all that was illegal was sales it leaves one wondering about the accuracy of the statement. The video also includes a medical specialist warning against usage saying that one cannot be sure of the composition, purity and sterility of anything purchased from unlicensed and unregulated sources.
 
transcript of the above broadcast (French)
 
This production stemmed from work done by Laura Elkaim who previously was in the Melanotan.org forums and elsewhere looking for interviewees about peptide usage.
 
 
 
GT Expressen [Sweden] (May 22, 2010) : Han varnar för den nya innedrogen
 
A Swedish article describing the burgeoning popularity of melanotan II usage in Goteborg, Sweden. It explains that melanotan II has long been popular in Britain. The article is based upon an interview with a man named Mikael Hansen who uses it and warns of its usage in the city. He explains that he is aware of at least one hundred people in Goteborg who utilize melanotan II. He shares that he hasn't experienced side effects but says that 60 to 70% of those he knows that use it do. He finishes off by saying that he's heard of child of 13 years having used it and being a father of 4 says that is not OK.
 
This latest Swedish article was likely published as a result of this previous report a week ago (above).  
 
I used Google translate to read the Swedish article.
 
-Scott

Busy "melanotan" news day in Norway today with three stories (so far).
 
First two stories from VG:
 
VG NETT [Norway] (May 29, 2010) : Jeg ville bli brun og slank
 
This article recounts the cautionary tale of 21 year old blogger and model Linn Connie Danielsen who tried melanotan II for a few months at the age of 19 and reported being initially pleased with the results but as time went by she experienced her lips going bluish and darkening of her moles (which she says she still notices 'especially when she goes in the sun' though she stopped some time ago). She reported that prior to starting she was not aware of any side effects. Her sources were friends and acquaintances and she purchased syringes at the local pharmacies as others did. She strongly regrets having used it and warns others to not start lest they to come to regret doing so as well.
 
VG NETT [Norway] (May 29, 2010) : Apoteket selger årlig 10.000 sprøyter til barbie-dopet
 
This story centers around an upcoming report from the Norwegian Pharmacy Association and the Norwegian Medicines Agency that as many as 10,000 syringes are purchased annually in Norway for melanotan peptide usage. The article features warnings against using from Steinar Madsen of the Norwegian Medicines Agency who describes a "Melanotan-wave" having taken hold in the country in recent years. Steinar Madsen unfortunately states that "melanotan" has "never been tested scientifically"... This inclines one to wonder if he is aware of the clinical trials that have previously been conducted in Arizona with melanotan II and melanotan-1 and the ongoing human trials (and Italian approval for EPP) with Scenesse / afamelanotide [melanotan-1]? Probably not.
 
Next article:
 
Brostein [Norway] (May 29, 2010) : Blir brun med sprøyter
 
This article covers the online phenomenon of the peptides and includes a view from a 22 year old student who uses and is a seller. He explains what the initial effects were that he experienced and that he's not noticed additional side effects. Steinar Madsen from the Norwegian Medicines Agency is again quoted in this article. He warns that there is a concern that over-stimulation of melanocytes may lead to malignant melanoma (it would be helpful if at some point these health authorities / consultant medical professionals could back up this perennial speculation of "over-stimulation" with some research). He also warns that usage may affect adrenal hormone and blood glucose levels. The article mentions the name "Adam Reich"? who is described as a sort of "Melanotan Europe boss". That is a new name but a Google search finds a body builder named "Adam Reich" who has discussed melanotan II in at least one forum.
 
A strong criticism for all three of these articles is that not one of them made any distinction relative to their being two drugs: melanotan-1 and melanotan II.
 
I relied upon Google Translate to read these three articles.
 
I expect to see a series of Norwegian articles and television news reports in the coming weeks particularly relative to the upcoming "10,000 syringes" report mentioned above.
 
-Scott

University of Arizona [Arizona, USA] (August 5, 2010): UA-developed afamelanotide [melanotan-1] shows promise in rare skin disorder
 
I came across this article on the University of Arizona's campus website. It talks about how afamelanotide [melanotan-1] has been demonstrated to help folks suffering with erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP). The article goes a bit into the history of the drug and how it was developed by, "UA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry professor Victor Hruby, PhD, and the late Mac Hadley, PhD, a Biology and Anatomy professor".  
 
-Scott
 

Arizona Daily Star [Arizona, USA] (Aug. 24, 2010): Tucson Health: Local homicide victim's drug may help treat vitiligo
 
This article stems from a press release made by Clinuvel announcing a program that will examine the potential of melanotan-1 (Scenesse) to help re-pigment vitiliginous areas of skin lacking melanocyte functionality. Vitiligo is a disorder of the skin that causes depigmented areas of skin to form on persons afflicted with it.
Their program will examine usage of melanotan-1 (Scenesse) implants in mono-therapy and in combination with narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy to determine if the drug is effective in helping to overcome vitiligo.
 
-Scott