Calcitonin (salmon) Reference

Plain English

What it is

Calcitonin-salmon is a lab-made copy of a hormone (first found in salmon) that helps the body manage calcium and slow the breakdown of bone. It is an FDA-approved prescription medicine sold as Miacalcin and Fortical, given as a nasal spray or as an injection.

What people use it for

It is prescribed for thinning bones after menopause (postmenopausal osteoporosis), for Paget disease of bone, and to lower high blood calcium that can be caused by some cancers.

What the science shows

It is a well-studied, approved drug for these conditions. The label notes the nasal spray is meant for osteoporosis only when other treatments are not suitable, and that its ability to prevent fractures has not been proven.

The catch

Label data link long-term use to a small but real rise in cancer cases, which is why it is no longer a first choice for most osteoporosis. Common side effects include nausea, redness or swelling where it is injected, and facial flushing. For research and educational purposes only. Not medical advice.

Reference summary

Calcitonin-salmon is label-verified. pepSmart surfaces label-reference content only and is not a prescribing tool.

Regulatory and posture

Categories

Bone, Hormonal

Aliases

Miacalcin, Fortical, Calcitonin-salmon

Evidence posture

human

Regulatory status

FDA-approved prescription medication. Labeled uses include postmenopausal osteoporosis (nasal spray), Paget disease, and hypercalcemia of malignancy (injection). Long-term use has been associated with a small but real malignancy signal per label.

Content review status

label verified

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