Linear 13-residue α-MSH analogue
Afamelanotide
An approved linear α-MSH analogue supplied as a subcutaneous implant for erythropoietic protoporphyria. It is the compound listed as Melanotan I, and it is a different molecule from melanotan II, the unapproved cyclic analogue sold under a similar name.
Why people are interested in Afamelanotide
An approved linear α-MSH analogue supplied as a subcutaneous implant for erythropoietic protoporphyria. It is the compound listed as Melanotan I, and it is a different molecule from melanotan II, the unapproved cyclic analogue sold under a similar name.
- Melanocortin analogues— a research-category classification, not a claimed use
- Approved drug substances— a research-category classification, not a claimed use
Where the interest comes from differs by compound: published research, an approved use, clinical discussion, community discussion and vendor claims are different things. This page keeps them apart — the sections below say which kind of source supports each statement.
Quick facts
- Molecular weight
- 1646.85 (anhydrous free base, FDA label)
- Sequence length
- 60 chars
- CAS number
- 75921-69-6
- PubChem CID
- 16197727
0 evidence records indexed · 0 clinical trials · last reviewed 15 September 2026
Research at a glance
No evidence records in this file yet.
What has actually been studied
What is still unknown
What we know
Editorial reading of the records below, labelled as Therapept analysis. How records are built
What remains uncertain
Preparation and handling
Lyophilized peptides ship as powders; whatever happens next involves diluents, concentrations and storage conditions that are compound- and product-specific. Therapept’s preparation guides explain the vocabulary and the arithmetic; the product’s own documentation states its requirements.
United States regulatory status
FDA-approved drug substance
NDA 210797 (SCENESSE)
Marketed in the United States as SCENESSE, a subcutaneous implant approved to increase pain-free light exposure in adults with a history of phototoxic reactions from erythropoietic protoporphyria.
- SCENESSE, NDA 210797, approved 8 October 2019 as a new molecular entity under priority review.
- Not named on the WADA 2026 Prohibited List.
Regulatory status describes how a substance is classified. It is not a safety assessment, and it says nothing about the quality of any particular material.
Technical identity
- Compound class
- Linear 13-residue α-MSH analogue; melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1-R) agonist
- Sequence
- Ac-Ser-Tyr-Ser-Nle-Glu-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly-Lys-Pro-Val-NH2
- Molecular formula
- C78H111N21O19
- Molecular weight
- 1646.85 (anhydrous free base, FDA label)
- CAS number
- 75921-69-6
- PubChem CID
- 16197727
- Research categories
- Melanocortin analogues, Approved drug substances
Sources
Last reviewed 15 September 2026 · Compiled by Therapept Editorial · How these records are built