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Prescription medicine

Afamelanotide Brand names: Scenesse

Afamelanotide (Scenesse) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 2019. No generic is listed in FDA's NDC Directory.

  • No generic listed

Check it at the source: the afamelanotide FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 11, 2026, CLINUVEL INC.); the NDA 210797 record on Drugs@FDA; every afamelanotide label on DailyMed.

Highlights of the record

FDA label of May 11, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026

Used for

From the label: indications and usage

SCENESSE ® is indicated to increase pain free light exposure in adult patients with a history of phototoxic reactions from erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP).

Forms and strengths

  • 16 mg

Implant.

On the market

Earliest approval on file
October 8, 2019 Scenesse, Clivunel Inc; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
Generic approvals
No generic approved
Labelers listed (NDC)
1 of which 0 under generic applications, 1 under brand applications, repackagers included
Last listed patent
January 20, 2033 Scenesse injection; not a generic launch date

Supply and safety

Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
Not in the survey
Shortage (FDA)
No current entry
Recalls by its makers (FDA)
No recall recorded
FAERS reports
19 through July 30, 2026

What is afamelanotide used for?

From the label: indications and usage

SCENESSE ® is indicated to increase pain free light exposure in adult patients with a history of phototoxic reactions from erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP). SCENESSE is a melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1-R) agonist indicated to increase pain free light exposure in adult patients with a history of phototoxic reactions from erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP)

Source: FDA drug label (SCENESSE), NDA210797 (Clivunel Inc), as published by CLINUVEL INC., effective May 11, 2026 (SPL set 94f53286-11dd-7fbb-e053-2a95a90a7c48), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed

Is there a generic for afamelanotide (Scenesse)?

No generic afamelanotide is approved (Drugs@FDA, October 8, 2026).

The Orange Book lists 1 patent for Scenesse injection, the last expiring on January 20, 2033. A patent or exclusivity date is not the date a generic goes on sale: court cases and settlements move it either way.

  • 2019 earliest approval on file
  • 2033 last listed patent

Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)

What do FAERS reports show for afamelanotide?

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 19 reports that list afamelanotide among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 2 are coded as a death and 8 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is.

The most reported reactions

  • Anaphylactic Reaction4
  • Contraindication To Medical Treatment3
  • Type I Hypersensitivity3
  • Implant Site Hypersensitivity2
  • Implant Site Pruritus2
  • Implant Site Urticaria2
  • Vomiting2
  • Acute Kidney Injury1

Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026

What next?

Afamelanotide side effects
the label's list beside FAERS reports
Check an interaction
what two or more labels say about each other