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calcitonin (Calsynar / calcitonin, Aventis / Calcin)

✓ Approved

Sanofi S.A · CALCR · Polypeptide

What is calcitonin?

calcitonin is a polypeptide developed by Sanofi S.A. It is approved for therapeutic indications via inhaled.

Drug Profile

Brand NamesCalsynar, calcitonin, Aventis, Calcin
CompanySanofi S.A
Drug ClassPolypeptide
Molecular TargetCALCR
RouteInhaled
StatusApproved
Sources: ClinicalTrials.gov, Sanofi S.A

Mechanism of Action

Molecular Targets

calcitonin acts on 1 molecular target:

CALCRcalcitonin receptor (CT-R, CTR)
Want deeper analysis?Noah AI can explain complex mechanisms and compare to similar drugs.

Therapeutic Indications

calcitonin is developed for 3 unique indications across 2 therapeutic areas.

Therapeutic AreaConditionPhase
Surgical and medical proceduresHypercalcaemia therapy✓ Approved
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disordersOsteitis deformans✓ Approved
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disordersOsteoporosis✓ Approved

Related Research Articles

PubMedFrontiers in neurology2026-11-11

Contemporary diagnosis and management of vestibular migraine: a systematic review of conventional and CGRP-targeted therapies.

Alabood Saleh S, Aldokhail Laila L, Alotaibi Enar E, Alsaqr Mayar M et al.

Vestibular migraine (VM) is a common cause of recurrent episodic vertigo, and it is associated with significant disability from recurrent vestibular and migraine symptoms. While there are a number of standard preventive treatments, their effectiveness is quite variable, and new treatments which target calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) have been identified as potential treatments. The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the state of the art in the diagnosis of vestibular migraine and to compare the efficacy of conventional pharmacological treatments with the new CGRP-targeted treatments. A systematic literature review was performed to find studies that assessed the diagnosis and pharmacological treatment of vestibular migraine. Randomized controlled trials, observational studies, comparative studies, retrospective analysis, cross-sectional studies, and case reports of patients with definite or probable vestibular migraine were included. Study characteristics, diagnostic methods, therapeutic interventions, clinical outcomes, and treatment efficacy were qualitatively extracted and synthesized. 21 studies were included with a total of over 12,000 participants. The evidence comprised predominantly adult VM populations together with one large pediatric multicenter study. Among adult studies, participants were predominantly middle-aged women. The Bárány Society/ICHD criteria were used as a primary basis for the diagnostic evaluation, with selective tests of the vestibular system and neuroimaging to rule out alternative diagnoses. conventional preventive therapies were associated with reductions in vertigo frequency, headache burden, and dizziness-related disability. Anti-CGRP therapies including erenumab, fremanezumab, galcanezumab, rimegepant, and ubrogepant, were associated with clinically meaningful improvements in vertigo frequency, monthly dizziness days, disability scores, headache outcomes, and patient-reported quality of life. A multimodal approach to the clinical evaluation of vestibular migraine is supported by current evidence, and both traditional preventive treatments and CGRP-targeted treatments have demonstrated benefit across vestibular and migraine-related outcomes. CGRP-targeted therapies represent a promising emerging therapeutic option, particularly for patients with persistent or refractory symptoms. however, the limited randomized evidence and scarcity of direct head-to-head comparisons with conventional therapies preclude firm conclusions regarding their comparative effectiveness. Systematic review registration: identifier: CRD420261427685.

PMID 43010986
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PubMedObesity research & clinical practice2026-11-10

Temporal dynamics and prognostic value of serum calcitonin during tirzepatide therapy in adults with obesity.

Angelopoulos Nikolaos N, Simeakis George G, Androulakis Ioannis I, Rizoulis Andreas A et al.

To characterize serum calcitonin dynamics during six months of tirzepatide therapy for obesity and explore whether early changes are associated with subsequent biochemical behavior. This prospective observational study enrolled 77 adults with obesity initiating tirzepatide. One participant diagnosed with medullary thyroid carcinoma at baseline was excluded, leaving 76 participants for longitudinal analysis. Serum calcitonin was assessed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Longitudinal changes were evaluated using non-parametric tests and mixed-effects models; prognostic analyses were exploratory. Median calcitonin increased modestly from 2.05 pg/mL at baseline to 2.12 pg/mL at 3 months and 2.25 pg/mL at 6 months, with a significant overall time effect (p < 0.001) but no further significant change between 3 and 6 months (p = 0.43). Two participants with baseline calcitonin < 12 pg/mL developed new-onset elevations ≥ 12 pg/mL during early follow-up; no additional cases occurred at 6 months. Early calcitonin change was strongly associated with six-month change (Spearman ρ=0.73, p < 0.001), although prognostic analyses were limited by only two threshold events. Median weight loss was 8.3% and 15.0% at 3 and 6 months, respectively. Tirzepatide was associated with a small early increase in serum calcitonin followed by stabilization through six months. Early calcitonin changes were associated with subsequent biochemical behavior, but the limited follow-up and small number of threshold events preclude conclusions regarding prognostic cutoffs or monitoring strategies.

PMID 43009382
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PubMedBrain structure & function2026-11-10

Calcitonin receptor localisation reveals potential sites of amylinergic signalling in rat nociceptive pathways.

Potes Catarina Soares CS, Haghighi Nasrin N, Avelino António A, Wookey Peter John PJ et al.

Amylin, a member of the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) family, modulates nociception through spinal mechanisms, but the anatomical organisation of its receptor system remains poorly characterised. Functional amylin receptors comprise the calcitonin receptor (CT receptor) associated with receptor activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs). We characterised the distribution of the CT receptor in the rat spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) to identify potential sites of endogenous amylin signalling. CT receptor immunoreactivity was detected throughout the spinal cord, particularly in the dorsal horn and lateral spinal nucleus (LSp), and was associated predominantly with neuronal profiles. Ultrastructural analysis localised receptor immunoreactivity to unmyelinated axons in the superficial dorsal horn laminae. In DRG, CT receptor immunoreactivity was observed mainly in small sensory neurons, including peptidergic and non-peptidergic nociceptors. The limited co-localisation between amylin and CT receptor suggested that ligand and receptor are largely distributed in distinct neuronal populations, compatible with intercellular signalling. Amylin was also detected in myelinated sensory neurons, suggesting potential involvement in mechanosensory processing. These findings provide an anatomical framework for the distribution of the amylin receptor system across peripheral and spinal sensory pathways and identify potential substrates for amylinergic modulation.

PMID 43004021
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PubMedAdvanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)2026-11-10

LepR-Lineage Cells Represent the Main Target of the Nociceptive CGRP Pathway in White Adipose Tissue Browning.

Yen Yu-Ting YT, Chien May M, Kiu Yan-Tung YT, Lee Ru-Sing RS et al.

Sympathetic innervation regulates white adipose tissue (WAT) browning; however, the roles of nociceptive neurons and their associated target cells remain unknown. Here, we used single-nucleus RNA sequencing to profile adipose populations and genetic lineage tracing to identify LepR-lineage stromal/progenitor cells contributing to cold-induced WAT browning. Ablation of these cells using LepR-Cre-inducible DTR transgenic mice resulted in a decrease in the percentage of UCP1+ cells under cold conditions. The WAT browning process is controlled by peripheral nociceptive nerve-derived calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which was associated with reduced WAT browning and loss of LepR-lineage cells during intermittent fasting (IF), but not during cold exposure. Local antagonist experiments targeting the transient receptor potential cation channels TRPV1 and TRPM8 were associated with opposing changes in CGRP immunoreactivity and WAT browning. These findings support a condition-dependent role for nociceptive CGRP signaling in WAT remodeling.

PMID 43004754
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PubMedPathology international2026-11-09

Primary Small Cell Carcinoma of the Thyroid With Absent Calcitonin Expression: A Diagnostic Challenge.

Almeida João Carlos JC, Andrea-Ferreira Patrícia P, Costa Catarina C, Canão Pedro Amoroso PA et al.

Primary small cell carcinoma of the thyroid is an exceedingly rare and aggressive neuroendocrine malignancy. Diagnosis may be particularly challenging in tumors lacking calcitonin expression, in which distinction from medullary thyroid carcinoma and metastatic neuroendocrine carcinomas is required. A 50-year-old woman presented with progressive hoarseness and a rapidly enlarging cervical mass. Imaging revealed a highly infiltrative thyroid tumor with multiple cervical lymphadenopathies and no evidence of a primary tumor elsewhere. Serum calcitonin levels were within normal limits. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid lesion and a cervical lymph node demonstrated cytologic features consistent with small cell carcinoma. Following a good response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, total thyroidectomy with central, bilateral mediastinal lymphadenectomy was performed. Histologic examination demonstrated a highly infiltrative neoplasm composed of small cells arranged in solid and nested patterns with marked mitotic activity, tumor necrosis, and vascular and perineural invasion. Tumor cells expressed neuroendocrine markers with focal positivity for TTF-1/NKX2-1 and CEA, while calcitonin, thyroglobulin, PAX8, and CGRP were negative. Primary thyroid small cell carcinoma is exceptionally rare and its histogenesis remains uncertain. Diagnosis requires careful clinicopathologic correlation and exclusion of metastatic disease and calcitonin-negative variants of medullary thyroid carcinoma.

PMID 43002568
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PubMedJournal of investigative medicine high impact case reports2026-11-08

Cosmetic Silicone Injections Leading to Symptomatic Hypercalcemia: A Case Report.

Ivey Noel N, Dominguez Courtney C, Setji Tracy T

As more patients undergo weight loss therapies and cosmetic procedures, clinicians are increasingly encountering delayed complications of aesthetic interventions. Silicone granuloma-induced hypercalcemia is an uncommon but important cause of parathyroid hormone-independent hypercalcemia. We present a case of severe, parathyroid hormone-independent hypercalcemia in a patient with a remote history of silicone injections, highlighting diagnostic challenges and management considerations. A 55-year-old woman presented with nonspecific symptoms and was found to have marked hypercalcemia with suppressed parathyroid hormone and elevated calcitriol levels. Imaging and laboratory evaluation excluded malignancy and primary hyperparathyroidism. PET imaging demonstrated hypermetabolic activity in the gluteal soft tissues corresponding to prior silicone injections. She was treated with intravenous fluids, calcitonin, and glucocorticoids with clinical improvement though longer-term management remains more challenging. This case underscores the importance of considering silicone-induced granulomatous disease in the evaluation of parathyroid hormone-independent hypercalcemia, particularly among patients with a history of cosmetic silicone injections.

PMID 42995668
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