Tanning from the inside out

LONDON - The sun is about to set on the sun-tanning industry. Scientists have developed a "self-browning" implant which threatens to leave the sunbed and the spray-on tan in the shade.

Melonotan has already been shown to darken skin colour and reduce sun damage. The manufacturer, Epitan, is now in the process of raising 15 million for full clinical trials. If they go well, implants could be on the market in Britain by 2007.

Melonotan mimics the hormone that increases the production of melanin, the pigment which naturally darkens the skin as it protects against the sun. Volunteers who took part in an earlier, mid-stage trial said their skin had turned brown.

Studies have reported increased sex drive and reduced appetite, leading to its depiction as a "paradise pill". Epitan is likely to play down such side-effects to conform with strict drug licensing rules.

- INDEPENDENT