Calcimimetics

What are Calcimimetics?

Calcimimetics reduce levels of parathyroid hormone and serum calcium. The main regulator of the parathyroid formation and release is calcium-sensing receptors on the cells of the parathyroid gland. Calcimimetics act to increase the sensitivity of the calcium-sensing receptor to extracellular calcium and therefore there is a decrease in parathyroid hormone and a decrease in serum calcium levels.

Description. Cinacalcet is used to treat hyperparathyroidism in patients with chronic kidney disease who are on dialysis. Hyperparathyroidism is a condition that is caused when the parathyroid glands located in the neck make too much parathyroid hormone (PTH).

Finally, a novel non-peptidic injectable calcimimetic agent, upacicalcet, became available in Japan in 2021. This agent has greater clearance by hemodialysis and shows no effect on gastric emptying.

divided calcimimetics into two pharmacological types, Type I and Type II (Nemeth et al., 1998). Inorganic or organic cations such as Ca² ⁺, Mg² ⁺, Gd³ ⁺, and polyamines are classified into Type I, which act as agonists on the parathyroid cell CaR.

Calcium carbonate is an inorganic salt primarily used to manage and treat low calcium conditions, GERD, CKD, and other indicated conditions. Calcium carbonate is classified as a calcium supplement, antacid, and phosphate binder.

Calcimimetics reduce serum levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcium, with a leftward shift in the set-point for calcium-regulated PTH secretion. The aim of this publication is to review the data available for calcimimetics in primary, secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism (HPT).