Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Limited has received approval to be prescribed in Australia for a rare light intolerance disorder. SCENESSE® (afamelanotide) was developed by the Australian-led team to protect patients with the metabolic disorder erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) and will soon be listed on the Australian Therapeutic Goods Register following approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). EPP is an inherited metabolic disorder which causes lifelong and severe reactions to light exposure (phototoxicity). Patients experience debilitating second degree burns which last weeks and force them to avoid all further exposure to light. There are an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 EPP patients worldwide, with approximately 180 patients across Australia. SCENESSE® will be registered in Australia for the indication prevention of phototoxicity in adult patients with EPP. The drug will be available as a prescription medication in Australia, to be administered by trained and accredited healthcare professionals. CLINUVEL will implement a comprehensive training and accreditation program and ensure that healthcare professionals are provided with information in line with the Australian approval. SCENESSE®, which is approved in Europe and the USA for EPP, is the world's first systemic photoprotective drug, providing the entire body protection against light sources and UV. The drug contains the active ingredient afamelanotide, which binds to skin cells and sets in motion a number of cellular events, acting as a strong antioxidant drug and optimising the blood flow in the skin. Over 10,000 doses of afamelanotide have been administered to over 1,400 individuals during the past two decades. SCENESSE® is administered as a 16mg controlled-release injectable implant, with the Australian approved dosing regimen of one implant every two months.