Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40082741›Full record

Observational studyPhotodermatology, photoimmunology & photomedicine2025

German Cohort Observational Study to Investigate the Short- and Long-Term Safety and Clinical Effectiveness of Afamelanotide 16 mg (SCENESSE) in Patients With Erythropoietic Protoporphyria (EPP).

Bernhard Homey, Kathrin Schelonke, Carla Marie Schlegel, Daniela Bruch-Gerharz, Karsten Weller, Lea Kiefer, Ulrich Stölzel, Petra Staubach-Renz, Joanna Wegner, Regine Keller-Melchior and 3 more

Abstract readObservational StudyMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Photodermatology, photoimmunology & photomedicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Bernhard HomeyDept. of Dermatology, Medical Faculty, Porphyria Specialist Center, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Kathrin SchelonkeDept. of Dermatology, Medical Faculty, Porphyria Specialist Center, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Carla Marie SchlegelDept. of Dermatology, Medical Faculty, Porphyria Specialist Center, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Daniela Bruch-GerharzDept. of Dermatology, Medical Faculty, Porphyria Specialist Center, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Karsten WellerInstitute for Allergology, Charite, Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin und Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany; FrauenhoferInstitute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology IMP, Immunology and Allergology, Berlin, Germany, University for Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
Lea KieferInstitute for Allergology, Charite, Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin und Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany; FrauenhoferInstitute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology IMP, Immunology and Allergology, Berlin, Germany, University for Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
Ulrich StölzelClinic for Internal Medicine II, Porphyria Specialist Center, Chemnitz, Germany.
Petra Staubach-RenzUniversity Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
Joanna WegnerUniversity Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
Regine Keller-MelchiorUniversity Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
Gillian WalkerClinuvel (UK) Ltd, Leatherhead, UK.
Malgorzata BochnoClinuvel (UK) Ltd, Leatherhead, UK.
Pilar BilbaoClinuvel (UK) Ltd, Leatherhead, UK.

Funding

CLINUVEL (UK) LTD
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAfamelanotide 16 mg (SCENESSE) is the first approved treatment for erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP). EPP is a rare autosomal recessive inherited disorder of the haem biosynthesis pathway, where patients experience severe and debilitating acute phototoxicity. It affects at least one in 140,000 of the European population. A postauthorisation safety study (PASS) and a disease registry were imposed as conditions of the European marketing authorisation.

objectivesEvaluate the short- and long-term safety and clinical effectiveness of afamelanotide 16 mg in EPP patients enrolled in the PASS in Germany.

methodsThe PASS (EUPAS13004) is an ongoing observational study collecting safety and effectiveness variables from treated and untreated EPP patients in the European EPP Disease Registry. Patients (n = 200, none untreated) received afamelanotide according to the summary of product characteristics. Treatment-emergent adverse events were collected as safety variables. Clinical effectiveness was assessed with the EPP-QoL tool and through treatment continuity.

resultsThe short- and long-term safety and benefit-risk profile of afamelanotide under real-world conditions is consistent with the positive safety profile seen in clinical trials. EPP patients reported a significant increase in QoL compared with baseline values (p < 0.0001) and 91.0% of patients who started treatment continue being treated. The safety profile of afamelanotide in patients over 70 years of age is consistent with the overall patient population.

conclusionsAfamelanotide treatment was highly effective and associated with a higher QoL in EPP patients. The study shows a positive safety profile of afamelanotide, with the treatment providing an ongoing clinical benefit.

Indexed as

alpha-MSHProtoporphyria, ErythropoieticRegistriesAdolescentAdultChildChild, PreschoolFemaleGermanyHumansMaleMiddle AgedQuality of Lifeafamelanotidealpha-MSHafamelanotideerythropoietic protoporphyriaphotoprotectionporphyriareal‐world evidenceSCENESSE

Identifiers

PMID40082741
PMCPMC11906902

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.