Peptides DB
Research-centric peptide and protocol reference hub

Afamelanotide record · updated 6h ago

Skin & aestheticsHealing & recoveryGrade A · human clinicalResearch use only
All 12 studiesJump to the evidenceCompare
What is Afamelanotide used for?

Research peptide discovered via AI researcher. peptide-based therapeutic

How it works: Melanocortin receptor agonist (MC1R)

Primarily researched for · Skin & aestheticsRoute · Subcutaneous implant

Development stage

where Afamelanotide sits between preclinical work and regulatory approval
  1. 1Cleared
    Preclinical
    Animal / in-vitro work
  2. 2Cleared
    Phase 1
    Safety in humans
  3. 3Cleared
    Phase 2
    Efficacy signal
  4. 4Cleared
    Phase 3
    Confirmatory trials
  5. 5Current
    Approved
    Cleared by a regulator

Stage is inferred from the highest trial phase in the indexed corpus and 36 registered trials. It describes the research record, not a recommendation.

Identity
NameAfamelanotide
Chain length—
Molecular weight1,646.8 Da
FormulaC78H111N21O19
Structure typeNot established
ClassAesthetic
Research levelFDA Approved
Discovered byThe Librarian · 2026

Mass and formula from PubChem CID 16197727. No verified residue count for this compound.

Pharmacology
MechanismMelanocortin receptor agonist (MC1R)
RouteSubcutaneous implant
Half-life—
Time to peak—
Duration—
Extraction confidence0.70
Effect profile · 0–5
These seven scores are generated by the Librarian — an autonomous agent running GPT-4o over the indexed studies, trials and label data for this compound. No human assigns them and no community vote moves them. Last recomputed Sep 20, 2026. How this works →
Research stats
Total studies12
Human / animal / cellular8 / 1 / 0
Highest trial phasePhase 2
Years covered2014–2026
Latest study5d ago
Publication history
20142026
Research funding
19 NIH projects · $4.4M awarded · through FY2026
Public grants naming this compound. Funding is interest, not evidence.
Safety signals
FAERS reports3
Serious AEs in animal work—
Community reports—
Positive —Neutral —Negative —
Records

Study register

12 rowsOpen in the library →
StudyTypeYearSummary depth
Adjunctive use of Polypodium leucotomos extract in patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria: An exploratory study.
FindingStatistically significant improvement in QoL on Day 60, p=0.014.
Human2026Full text read0.80
Adjunctive use of Polypodium leucotomos extract in patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria: An exploratory study.
FindingStatistically significant improvement in QoL on Day 60, p=0.014.
Human2026Full text read0.80
Long-term causes of death in 888,003 ischemic stroke patients in Thailand: a nationwide retrospective study with 18-year follow-up.
FindingOverall mortality was 47.6% among 888,003 patients with ischemic stroke.
Human2026Full text read0.90
Acute impact of afamelanotide on UVR erythemal and melanogenic responses in healthy humans in vivo: an exploratory study.
FindingUVR-erythema area-under-curve decreased from mean 3.5 pre to 2.7 post afamelanotide, P=0.018.
Human2023Full text read0.80
Multienzyme supplementation improves bone strength in nutrient-restricted broilers without altering locomotor ability or pectoral myopathy severity.
FindingEnzyme supplementation increased bone strength, with PPNC2 restoring mechanical resistance to values comparable to those of the PC (p<0.001).
Animal2026Full text read0.80
A Review of Randomized Controlled Trials for Vitiligo Therapies Published Between 2013 and 2023.
FindingNot reported in abstract.
review2026Full text read0.70
A Feasibility and Safety Study of Afamelanotide in Acute Stroke Patients – An Open Label, Proof of Concept, Phase Iia Clinical Trial
FindingMedian NIHSS improved from 6 to 2 on D7.
Human2022Full text read0.80
Congenital Erythropoietic Porphyria with Persistent Severe Biochemical Abnormalities and a Non-Mutilating Clinical Course: A Case Report
FindingNot reported in abstract.
Human2025Full text read0.70
Protection: the sunscreen pill.
TakeawayNot reported in abstract.
—2014Title only0.00
Afamelanotide for Erythropoietic Protoporphyria.
TakeawayNot reported in abstract.
—2015Title only0.10
Patient journey and disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with hidradenitis suppurativa.
FindingAdult patients with HS had lower overall costs ($22,128 ± $61,671) compared to those with suspected HS ($36,359 ± $82,762).
Human2026Full text read0.80
Risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with cortical laminar necrosis and establishment of their prediction model: A retrospective cohort study.
FindingAdmission NIHSS score (OR = 1.317; 95% CI 1.097-1.669; P = .008)
Human2024Full text read0.80

What people are saying

anecdotal · not evidence

Unverified first-hand accounts from public forums. These are not studies: nobody checked what was taken, whether it was what the label said, or what else was going on. They count for nothing in the evidence grade above and are shown because a reader searching Afamelanotide will meet them anyway, and meeting them next to a graded evidence base is better than meeting them alone.

Community collection has not run yet, so this is an empty shelf rather than a quiet one — nothing has been read, and no conclusion about how much Afamelanotide is discussed should be drawn from it.