Calcitonin

Areas of active research — not promised effects

Each tag links to other compounds with research into that goal. Research use only: these are areas of study, not human-use claims.

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Calcitonin-salmon (Miacalcin, Fortical, and generics) is a Schedule-free Rx-only prescription medicine approved by the FDA. It may be legally dispensed by licensed pharmacies with a valid prescription. It is not on the FDA-503A/B bulk compounding category lists and its fda19 flag is false.

Confirmed high-severity market-integrity event (enforcement / recall / counterfeit)

Transparent blend · bci-1.0 · never paid-placement

Primary name

Calcitonin

Origin

Calcitonin is a 32-amino acid peptide hormone naturally secreted by the parafollicular C-cells of the thyroid gland. Therapeutic formulations are predominantly salmon-derived (calcitonin-salmon synthetic or recombinant), which binds the human calcitonin receptor with greater potency than the human sequence. It has been in clinical use since the 1970s.

Registry IDs

PubChem CID

118984394

CAS

9007-12-9

InChIKey

LDVRMNJZLWXJPL-GXQFRRLTSA-N

Molecular formula

C151H226N40O45S3

Molar mass

3417.9 g/mol

Monoisotopic

3415.5787888 Da

InChIKey

LDVRMNJZLWXJPL-GXQFRRLTSA-N

Appearance

Lyophilised powder (white to off-white); reconstituted solution is clear and colourless

Solubility

Soluble in water; aqueous solutions prepared with supplied diluent for injection

Sequence not available in current seed.

Stability: Susceptible to proteolytic degradation; low oral bioavailability due to gastrointestinal peptidase activity. Injectable and nasal formulations optimised for sta

Vial sizes

null mg · null mg

Purity grades

pharmaceutical grade

Salt forms

Free base (primary)

• GHS hazard class on file
• PPE & spill response
• Disposal guidance
• Not-for-human-consumption posture

How much research exists, and of what maturity — never a verdict on whether it works.

Mechanism of action

• Calcitonin binds the calcitonin receptor (CTR), a class B G protein-coupled receptor expressed at high density on osteoclasts, triggering cAMP/protein kinase A signalling that rapidly suppresses osteoclast motility and ruffled-border formation, thereby reducing bone resorption and lowering serum calcium
• It also acts on renal tubular CTRs to inhibit tubular reabsorption of calcium and phosphate, providing an additional hypocalcaemic route
• Analgesic effects observed in acute fracture pain and Paget's disease are attributed in part to central CTR signalling and modulation of prostaglandin pathways, though the precise central mechanisms remain under investigation
• At pharmacological doses, receptor downregulation (escape phenomenon) limits sustained antiresorptive efficacy with chronic use

Pharmacokinetics (ADME)

Half-life

Nasal spray ~18 min; IM/SC injection ~58-64 min (terminal phase)

Clearance

Primarily renal; hepatic degradation also contributes. Absolute nasal bioavailability ~3-5% relative to IM.

PK–PD note: Rapid absorption via nasal mucosa (Tmax ~13 min) but very low bioavailability limits systemic exposure; injectable routes provide substantially higher Cmax. No clinically significant accumulation with…

Reading the evidence

• Evidence quality and gaps vary by application — see the cited grades above.
• Indexed-article counts span all evidence tiers, not only completed human trials.
• No first-party human-dosing, efficacy, or benefit claims are made here.

Key reviews & evidence-gap sources

• McLaughlin MB, Awosika AO, Jialal I. Calcitonin. StatPearls. NCBI Bookshelf; updated 2023. — FDA-approved indications, mechanism (osteoclast inhibition, renal Ca excretion), PROOF and ORACAL trial summaries.
• Xie J et al. Calcitonin and Bone Physiology: In Vitro, In Vivo, and Clinical Investigations. Int J Endocrinol. 2020;2020:3236828. — Narrative review of calcitonin family peptides, osteoclast/osteoblast effects, and clinical use.
• The Activity of Peptides of the Calcitonin Family in Bone. Physiological Reviews. — Authoritative mechanistic review of calcitonin receptor binding and osteoclast ruffled-border loss.
• The safety and efficacy of long-term use of calcitonin analogs in the treatment of osteoporosis in the elderly: a pharmacovigilance and RCT meta-analysis. Front Pharmacol. 2025. — Systematic review/meta-analysis of calcitonin analog RCTs in osteoporosis.
• Calcitonin treatment for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis – a systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical data. — Preclinical (animal) systematic review/meta-analysis; no human efficacy data.

2 registered trials — 0 currently recruiting.

—
NCT05366621
Post-fracture Medication and Mortality

COMPLETED

Phase 3
NCT00542984
Comparison Medications in the Treatment of Postmenopausal Women With Osteoporosis

COMPLETED

Summary (literature)

Per approved US labelling (Miacalcin/generic calcitonin-salmon): the most common adverse effect is nausea with or without vomiting (~10%), which is dose-dependent and more pronounced with injectable than nasal routes and often attenuates with continued use. Facial and hand flushi…

WADA status

Not specifically listed as a prohibited substance on the WADA 2026 Prohibited List. Calcitonin is an approved therapeutic agent and does not fall within the cla…

Dominant research route: Intranasal (FDA-approved nasal spray is the dominant marketed/studied route; injectable SC/IM serves as the PK reference standard)

FDA-approved nasal spray (Miacalcin/Fortical); studied in postmenopausal women (PROOF study, 1108 women, 200 IU/day) and healthy volunteers (100–1600 IU pharmacodynamic studies)

Bioavailability: Mean bioavailability approximately 3% of injectable calcitonin-salmon in healthy subjects; 3–5% relative to intramuscular administration; absorbed via nasal mucosa with mean Tmax ~13 minutes; terminal half-life ~18 minutes

FDA-approved route for postmenopausal osteoporosis (≥5 years postmenopausal), Paget disease, hypercalcemia. Clinical pharmacology data derived from injectable studies; conclusions may differ for nasal preparation. FDA notes increased malignancy risk signal was based largely on nasal spray trials.

Injectable calcitonin-salmon; preferred injectable route for volumes <2 mL; duration of effect 8–24 hours reported

Bioavailability: Reference parenteral route against which intranasal bioavailability (~3%) is expressed; SC preferred for smaller injection volumes

FDA label states SC, IM, and IV routes were not investigated in the 21-trial malignancy meta-analysis, so increased malignancy risk cannot be excluded for these injectable routes.

Injectable calcitonin-salmon; recommended injectable route for volumes >2 mL; used as bioavailability reference for nasal spray

Bioavailability: Nasal spray bioavailability stated as 3–5% relative to IM administration; IM serves as the comparator parenteral route in labeling

Not investigated in the 21-trial malignancy meta-analysis per FDA label.

Listed in FDA labeling as a route of administration for calcitonin-salmon; not investigated in the malignancy meta-analysis

Bioavailability: Parenteral route; 100% systemic exposure by definition; specific PK parameters not detailed in retrieved labeling

FDA label explicitly notes SC, IM, and IV routes were not investigated in the meta-analysis used to assess malignancy risk.

Phase 3 ORACAL trial (565 women, ages 46–86, oral recombinant calcitonin); enteric-coated tablet formulation; not FDA-approved

Bioavailability: Peptide readily degraded by gastric acidity and proteolytic enzymes (pepsin) in stomach/intestine; enteric acid-stable coating required to prevent stomach dissolution; low oral bioavailability characteristic of peptides

Oral formulation investigated clinically (ORACAL) but not approved; oral calcitonin must survive gastric acid and proteases then achieve intestinal uptake — a formulation challenge, not an absorption claim.

Animal & human figures are kept visibly separate so studied animal doses are never misread as human guidance.

Sorted A–Z by vendor — never by price

Calcitonin salmon is a mature, long-genericized approved peptide (FDA 1975/1995); research-reagent pricing stable with modest volume-discount tiers. No evidence of recent supply shocks or surging RUO demand.

Researched storefront prices, bucketed

p25 $40.00 · median $70.80 · p75 $118.00 · 8 researched vendors

Legit, COA-backed band: $20.00–$120.00/mg.

Value rule: don't just buy the cheapest — a price under $3/mg is a red flag. Pair price with COA and independent-test grade.

Estimated cost of research (10 mg)

Vial (best researched price)

$205

Bacteriostatic water (generic estimate)

$6

Syringes / supplies (generic estimate)

$12

What each test proves — general guidance, plus this compound's researched purity data

Purity on the current market (researched)

≥95% to ≥97% HPLC reported for synthetic salmon calcitonin API and reference standards; WHO third international standard collaborative study observed monocomponent content (purity) of approximately 92-96% with detectable heterogeneity from formulating/ampouling.

Independent labs cited for this compound

No US FDA drug recalls specific to calcitonin salmon were identified in the FDA Enforcement Reports during this research. The most significant market action was the Health Canada-endorsed withdrawal of all synthetic calcitonin salmon nasal spray products effective October 1, 2013 (RA-34783). EMA recommended withdrawal of the nasal spray formulation in 2012. US products (Miacalcin, Fortical) remained on the market with added malignancy labeling.

Buyer red-flag checklist

• Regulatory malignancy signal: meta-analysis of 21 trials suggests increased overall malignancy risk with calcitonin salmon vs placebo; led to market withdrawal of nasal spray in Canada and EMA restriction.
• FDA advisory committee voted against continued marketing of calcitonin salmon nasal spray for osteoporosis (12-9, March 2013).
• HPLC purity can overstate true peptide content: UV-detectable-only methods may miss non-UV excipients (e.g., mannitol), so a '99% pure' HPLC result does not guarantee 99% peptide content by mass.
• No calcitonin-specific FDA import alert was identified; unapproved calcitonin products would still fall under general unapproved-new-drug import alerts (e.g., IA 66-40, 66-41) if encountered at US border.
• Counterfeit/underdosing criminal cases specific to calcitonin were not identified in FDA Office of Criminal Investigations public records during this research.

GMP vs research-grade: the chemistry (SPPS + HPLC + MS) is identical — the difference is the quality system.

Underdosing / mislabeling: No independent third-party lab test aggregates (Janoshik/MZ Biolabs/Finnrick) reporting calcitonin-specific underdosing prevalence were retrieved. Calcitonin salmon is a long-established pharmaceutical API with USP reference standards and compendial HPLC assay methods, so research-grade peptide vendor underdosing data is sparse compared to newer research peptides.

• An RUO label is not an import exemption — CBP judges actual intended use.
• Lyophilized powder is ambient-stable in transit; temperature control needed for > 7-day transit.
• US-warehouse vendors dodge import scrutiny — they cost more but ship more reliably.

Every item dated & sourced

Not listed on the WADA Prohibited List; calcitonin is not enumerated under S2 (peptide hormones/growth factors) or any other prohibited category.

No granted patents identified in current seed. Composition-of-matter coverage is limited given the peptide's synthetic origin.

• IACUC / IRB research context
• RUO buyer responsibilities & documentation
• Veterinary / alternative-use where lawful
• Jurisdiction-aware "who may lawfully obtain"

What people discuss

Reported concerns — discussion, not established effects

Reading caveats

• Review-platform ratings skew toward engaged users (selection bias)
• Cancer-risk controversy may amplify negative sentiment beyond baseline tolerability
• Educational subreddit threads (MCAT biology) are not patient-experience data
• Small patient-review sample (tens) limits generalizability
• FDA-approved prescription drug — minimal grey-market / peptide-community discourse

Manually researched from reddit, youtube— theme weights are research estimates, not live counts; aggregated & de-identified. No individual posts, quotes, or usernames are ever shown.

Relative research / market volume — populated once the activity stream is wired

Inline tooltips for lyophilized, RUO, EU/mg, SPPS, 503A and more.

Toggle plain-language ↔ scientific in the header.

• How to read a COA
• Free base vs acetate
• Understanding evidence grades

FDA-approved 32-aa salmon peptide hormone that inhibits osteoclast activity to treat osteoporosis, Paget's disease, and hypercalcaemia. Approximately 38,293 articles are indexed (literature last scanned 2026-05-29). US regulatory status: FDA-approved prescription drug. Research use only.

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