Pharmaceutical development

CLINUVEL is a global specialty pharmaceutical group focused on developing and commercialising treatments for patients with genetic, metabolic, systemic, and life-threatening, acute disorders. We work to translate scientific concepts into commercial products for patients with unmet needs and the general population.

Technical notes

SCIENTIFIC COMMUNIQUÉ I – Engine, Ignition, and Fuel: Light and Skin Interaction

SCIENTIFIC COMMUNIQUÉ II – Ligand Binding and the Melanocortin-1 Receptor (MC1R)

SCIENTIFIC COMMUNIQUÉ III – Afamelanotide and the Human Genome

SCIENTIFIC COMMUNIQUÉ IV – MC1R Allelic Variants and Skin Cancer Risk

SCIENTIFIC COMMUNIQUÉ V – Regulating the Vascular System: Nitric Oxide

SCIENTIFIC COMMUNIQUÉ VI – Ultraviolet Radiation Damage and Oxidative Stress in Skin Cancer

SCIENTIFIC COMMUNIQUÉ VII – The Cerebral Vasculature System in Disease: Atherosclerosis

SCIENTIFIC COMMUNIQUÉ VIII – DNA Repair Mechanisms

SCIENTIFIC COMMUNIQUÉ IX – Beyond Pigment: the Melanocortin 1 Receptor (MC1R) in DNA Repair

SCIENTIFIC COMMUNIQUÉ X – Photoprotection and the significance of Minimal Erythema Dose (MED) testing

SCIENTIFIC COMMUNIQUÉ XI – Developing Novel Treatments for Arterial Ischaemic Stroke Patients

VITILIGO COMMUNIQUÉ I

VITILIGO COMMUNIQUÉ II

VITILIGO COMMUNIQUÉ III

VITILIGO COMMUNIQUÉ IV

DNA COMMUNIQUÉ I

DNA COMMUNIQUÉ II

Published research

Sancar, F. First Treatment for Rare Photosensitivity. Jama. 2019;322(19):1854-1854.

McNeil, M. M., Nahhas, A. F., Braunberger, T. L., Hamzavi, I. H. Afamelanotide in the Treatment of Dermatologic Disease. Skin Ther Lett. 2018;23:6-10.

Rodrigues, M., Ezzedine, K., Hamzavi, I., Pandya, A. G., Harris, J. E., Vitiligo Working Group. Current and emerging treatments for vitiligo. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2017;77(1):17-29.

Minder, El, Barman-Aksoezen, J, Schneider-Yin, X. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of afamelanotide and its clinical use in treating dermatologic disorders. Clinical Pharmacokinetics. 2017;56(8):815-823.

Lane, AM, McKay, JT, Bonkovsky, HL. Advances in the management of erythropoietic protoporphyria–role of afamelanotide. The application of clinical genetics. 2016;9:179.

Minder E, Schneider-Yin X. Afamelanotide (CUV1647) in dermal phototoxicity of erythropoietic protoporphyria. Expert review of clinical pharmacology. 2015;8(1):43-53.

Lim HW, Grimes PE, Agbai O, et al. Afamelanotide and Narrowband UV-B Phototherapy for the Treatment of Vitiligo. JAMA dermatology. 2015;151(1):42-50.

Langendonk J, Balwani M, Anderson K et al. Afamelanotide for Erythropoietic Protoporphria. New England Journal of Medicine. 2015;373(1):48-59.

Biolcati G, Marchesini E, Sorge F, Barbieri L, Schneider‐Yin X, Minder E. Long-term observational study of afamelanotide in 115 patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria. British Journal of Dermatology. 2015;172(6):1601-1612.

Bohm M, Ehrchen J, Luger TA. Beneficial effects of the melanocortin analogue Nle(4) -d-Phe(7) -α-MSH in acne vulgaris. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. 2014;28(1):108-111.

Biolcati G, Aurizi C, Barbieri L, Cialfi S, Screpanti I, Talora C. Efficacy of the melanocortin analogue Nle4-D-Phe7-α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone in the treatment of patients with Hailey–Hailey disease. Clinical and experimental dermatology. 2014;39(2):168-175.

Fabrikant J, Touloei K,  Brown SM. A Review and Update on Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone Therapy: Afamelanotide. Journal of drugs in dermatology: JDD. 2013;12(7):775.

Haylett AK, Nie Z, Brownrigg M, Taylor R, Rhodes L. Systemic photoprotection in solar urticaria with α-melanocyte stimulating hormone analogue [Nle(4) -D-Phe(7) ]-α-MSH. British Journal of Dermatology. 2011;164(2):407-414.

Minder, EI. Afamelanotide melanocortin MC1 receptor agonist photoprotective agent. Drugs of the Future. 2010;35(5):365-372.

Harms, J, Lautenschlager S, Minder CE, Minder EI. An α-melanocyte–stimulating hormone analogue in erythropoietic protoporphyria. New England Journal of Medicine. 2009;360(3):306-307.

Levine N, Dorr R, Ertl G, Brooks C, Alberts D. Effects of a potent synthetic melanotropin, Nle4-D-Phe7-α-MSH (Melanotan-I) on tanning: a dose-ranging study. Journal of dermatological treatment. 1999;10(2):127-132.

Hadley ME, Dorr RT. Melanocortin peptide therapeutics: historical milestones, clinical studies and commercialization. Peptides. 2006;27(4):921-930.

Fitzgerald LM, Fryer JL, Dwyer T, Humphrey SM. Effect of MELANOTAN®,[Nle4, D-Phe7]-α-MSH, on melanin synthesis in humans with MC1R variant alleles. Peptides. 2006;27(2):388-394.

Barnetson R, Ooi TK, Zhuang L, et al. [Nle4-D-Phe7]-alpha-Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone Significantly Increased Pigmentation and Decreased UV Damage in Fair-Skinned Caucasian Volunteers. Journal of investigative dermatology. 2006;126(8):1869-1878.

Dorr RT, Dvorakova K, Brooks C, et al. Increased eumelanin expression and tanning is induced by a superpotent melanotropin [Nle4-D-Phe7]-alpha-MSH in humans. Photochemistry and Photobiology. 2000;72(4):526-532.

Technology updates

Original Thoughts on UV and Pigmentation

Afamelanotide as an Adjunct to Phototherapy

Stem Cells and Repigmentation in Vitiligo

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