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MELBOURNE, Australia, March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- World-leading photomedicine company CLINUVEL will make its début at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting from March 7–11, with an immersive exhibition that illuminates the past, present and future of photomedicine.
The 4,800-square-foot Pavilion of Photomedicine has been custom built for CLINUVEL for the AAD Meeting to provide an immersive experience on the history, evolution, and future of photomedicine, including CLINUVEL’s development program with the novel drug SCENESSE® (afamelanotide) to treat vitiligo and work with other melanocortins.
Visitors will travel through five curated courts to experience CLINUVEL’s world of innovation, from the origins of their pioneering melanocortin technology to the ongoing clinical trials that are defining a new approach to treating vitiligo. A 360° video installation explores patients’ perspectives, getting under the skin of what it means to live with visible disorders.
The history and evolution of photomedicine will be on display in the “Derma Hall of Fame”. It pays homage to more than 60 luminaries who have advanced scientific understanding of the interaction between light and human biology. The Pavilion also charts CLINUVEL’s 20-year journey towards developing and commercialising SCENESSE®, the first and only treatment for the rare metabolic disease erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP).
Vitiligo can inflict profound psychological damage on patients. A series of talks held in the Pavilion gives visitors the opportunity to engage directly with individuals’ experiences. Three conversations with CLINUVEL’s brand ambassadors—each with their own inspiring, challenging story of living with vitiligo—aim to increase understanding and empathy for a condition that often has a complex, personal effect on identity. Additionally, guests will hear about the long-fought path to bringing treatment to those who most need it from two prominent porphyria advocates.
Speakers include Natalie Ambersley, a vitiligo advocate who is also a trustee of the UK-based charity The Vitiligo Society; Briya Fitzgerald, whose own diagnosis drove her to establish a nationwide community called Colorful Connections; Reuben Sam, a model and advocate for vitiligo, as well as Wil McCarthy, award-winning American science author.
“CLINUVEL has established itself as a global leader in understanding the complex relationship between light and skin,” said Dr Linda Teng, CLINUVEL’s Head of North American Operations. “Our FDA-approved melanocortin technology SCENESSE® has helped patients with a rare light-intolerance disorder lead more normal lives and is now showing promise as a treatment for vitiligo, which affects millions of individuals worldwide.”