Calcitonin (salmon) 400units/2ml solution for injection vials
Synthetic peptide, 32 residues long formulated as a nasal spray.
Safety information for pregnancy and breastfeeding
Pregnancy
Breastfeeding
Always consult your doctor or midwife before taking any medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Source: DrugBank (CC BY-NC 4.0).
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Calcitonin (salmon) 400units/2ml solution for injection vials
Alliance Healthcare (Distribution) Ltd
WHO defined daily dose (DDD)
100 unit
Not a recommended dose. The DDD is the assumed average maintenance dose per day for a drug used for its main indication in adults. It is a statistical measure used for research and comparison purposes only.
Source: WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, distributed via the NHS dm+d supplementary mapping files (NHSBSA). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Therapeutically similar medicines
Injectables
(2)Similarity is based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and on a factual NHS dm+d therapeutic-grouping code prefix. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
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Pharmacy links redirect to the retailer's own search and do not represent real-time stock levels. Shortage and safety information sourced from MHRA drug safety updates (gov.uk, Crown Copyright under OGL v3.0).
Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
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NHS UK identifiers
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SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Academic studies and reviews for this medicine's active substance
Showing the 50 most relevant studies.
Reviews & meta-analyses: 14 · Randomised trials: 6 · 1969–2026
Showing the 50 most relevant studies, sorted by most relevant.
C. Chesnut, S. Silverman, K. Andriano, et al.
The American journal of medicine, 2000
Neumüller J, Lang-Illievich K, Brenna CTA, et al.
2023
- Phantom Limb
- Calcitonin
- Prevalence
IntroductionPhantom limb pain (PLP) refers to pain perceived in a part of the body removed by amputation or trauma. Despite the high prevalence of PLP following amputation and the significant morbidity associated with it, robust therapeutic approaches are currently lacking. Calcitonin, a polypeptide hormone, has recently emerged as a novel analgesic with documented benefits in the treatment of several pain-related conditions.MethodsWe present a systematic review that comprehensively evaluates the analgesic effects of calcitonin for patients with PLP. We searched MEDLINE, OLDMEDLINE, and PubMed Central databases with the key words "calcitonin" "phantom limb pain" and "phantom pain" to identify clinical studies evaluating the efficacy or effectiveness of calcitonin administration, in any form and dose, for the treatment of PLP. Additionally, Google Scholar was searched manually with the search term "calcitonin phantom limb pain". All four databases were searched from inception until 1 December 2022. The methodological quality of each included study was assessed using the Downs and Black checklist and the GRADE criteria were used to assess effect certainty and risk of bias.ResultsOur search identified 4108 citations, of which six ultimately met the criteria for inclusion in the synthesis. The included articles described a mix of open-label (n = 2), prospective observational cohort (n = 1), and randomized clinical trials (n = 3). The most common treatment regimen in the current literature is a single intravenous infusion of 200 IU salmon-derived calcitonin.ConclusionThe available evidence supported the use of calcitonin as either monotherapy or adjuvant therapy in the treatment of PLP during the acute phase, while the evidence surrounding calcitonin treatment in chronic PLP is heterogeneous. Given the limited treatment options for the management of PLP and calcitonin's relatively wide therapeutic index, further research is warranted to determine the role that calcitonin may play in the treatment of PLP and other pain disorders.
Abstract licence: CC BY-NC
Meyer Günderoth M, Bannach-Brown A, Winkler T, et al.
2024
PurposeThe aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of calcitonin (CT) in animal models of experimental osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as new stabilized CT formulations are currently being introduced.MethodsA comprehensive and systemic literature search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase databases to identify articles with original data on CT treatment of preclinical OA and RA. Methodological quality was assessed using the Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal Experimentation's risk of bias tool for animal intervention studies. To provide summary estimates of efficacy, a meta-analysis was conducted for outcomes reported in four or more studies, using a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses were employed to correct for study specifics.ResultsTwenty-six studies were ultimately evaluated and data from 16 studies could be analyzed in the meta-analysis, which included the following outcomes: bone mineral density, bone volume, levels of cross-linked C-telopeptide of type I collagen, histopathological arthritis score, and mechanical allodynia. For all considered outcome parameters, CT-treated groups were significantly superior to control groups (P = 0.002; P = 0.01; P ConclusionThere is preclinical evidence for an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, cartilage- and bone-protective effect of CT in RA and OA. Given these effects, CT presents a promising agent for the treatment of both diseases, although the potential seems to be greater in OA.
Abstract licence: CC BY-NC
Tan L, Sheng B, Deng S
2025
C. Chesnut, M. Azria, S. Silverman, et al.
Osteoporosis International, 2008
E. Boucher, B. Rosgen, E. Lang
CJEM, 2020
G. Trovas, G. Lyritis, A. Galanos, et al.
Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2002
Hu C, Liu J, Yi J
2024
- Lumbar Vertebrae
- Spinal Fractures
- Calcitonin
Esmat IM, Mohamed AK, Gad IA, et al.
2026
- Hernia, Inguinal
- Tramadol
- Bupivacaine
S. Tafazal, L. Ng, P. Sell
European Spine Journal, 2007
Sources: aggregated from Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI), OpenAlex, Crossref, PubMed and other open scholarly databases. Retracted articles are excluded. Study information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
None known
Half-life
58 minutes
Mechanism
Calcitonin binds to the calcitonin receptor (found primarily in osteoclasts) whi…
Food interactions
2 warnings
Human targets
1 target
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
71%
Half-life
58 minutes
Protein binding
30 to 40%
Volume of distribution
0.15 to 0.3 L/kg
Metabolism
Elimination
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Calcitonin can be used in patients with azotemia and cases where intravenous fluids would be contraindicated due to limited cardiac reserves. Also for the treatment of post-menopausal osteoporosis in women more than 5 years post-menopause.
Known interactions with other medicines. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 929 interactions
Because of its protein nature, salmon calcitonin may provoke an allergy reaction (bronchospams and swelling of the tongue/throat) that can turn into a full-blown anaphylactic response. The manufacturer also reports an increase in the risk of malignancies from oral route (0.7%) to intranasal route (2.4%) compared to placebo. The same may apply to IV, IM and SC routes since the systemic exposure is higher in those cases.
Nausea is noticeable in some patients but tends to decrease with continued administration.
Rhinitis, headaches and back pain have also been reported among others.
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
PMID:35324283 PMID:38603770
CALCR interacts with receptor-activity-modifying proteins RAMP1, 2 and 3 to form receptor complexes AMYR1, 2 and 3, respectively .
PMID:35324283 PMID:38603770
IAPP, CT and CGRP1 activate CALCR and AMYRs with distinct modes of receptor activation resulting in specific phenotypes .
PMID:35324283 PMID:38603770
Ligand binding causes a conformation change that triggers signaling via guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins) and modulates the activity of downstream effectors. Activates cAMP-dependent pathway PMID:35324283 PMID:7476993
ATC H05BA01
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
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Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Salmon calcitonin
Matched from: Calcitonin salmon
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
13186
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1440
GenAtlas
CALCR
GeneCards
CALCR
GenBank Gene Database
L00587
GenBank Protein Database
179880
Guide to Pharmacology
43
UniProt Accession
CALCR_HUMAN
DrugBank citations
If you use DrugBank data in your research, please cite:
- DrugBank 6.02024Recommended citationKnox C., Wilson M., Klinger C.M., et alDrugBank 6.0: the DrugBank Knowledgebase for 2024Nucleic Acids Res. 2024 Jan 552(D1):D1265-D1275
- DrugBank 5.02018Wishart D.S., Feunang Y.D., Guo A.C., et alDrugBank 5.0: a major update to the DrugBank database for 2018Nucleic Acids Res. 2017 Nov 846(D1):D1074-D1082
- DrugBank 4.02014Law V., Knox C., Djoumbou Y., et alDrugBank 4.0: shedding new light on drug metabolismNucleic Acids Res. 2014 Jan 142(1):D1091-7
- DrugBank 3.02011Knox C., Law V., Jewison T., et alDrugBank 3.0: a comprehensive resource for 'omics' research on drugsNucleic Acids Res. 2011 Jan39(Database issue):D1035-41
- DrugBank 2.02008Wishart D.S., Knox C., Guo A.C., et alDrugBank: a knowledgebase for drugs, drug actions and drug targets.Nucleic Acids Research2008 Jan36(Database issue):D901-6
- DrugBank 1.02006Wishart D.S., Knox C., Guo A.C., et alDrugBank: a comprehensive resource for in silico drug discovery and exploration.Nucleic Acids Research2006 Jan 134(Database issue):D668-72