Peptides Academy
Etelcalcetide
Parsabiv
Etelcalcetide is a synthetic peptide calcimimetic — a drug that mimics the effect of calcium on the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) located on the parathyroid glands. Structurally it is a short D-amino-acid peptide with a distinctive design: it binds the calcium-sensing receptor and, through a disulfide bond to a cysteine residue on the receptor, produces a durable activating effect. Activating the CaSR makes the parathyroid gland behave as though blood calcium is higher than it is, which suppresses the secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH). Its purpose is treating secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in adults with chronic kidney disease who are on hemodialysis. In advanced kidney disease, disturbed phosphate, calcium, and vitamin D handling drive the parathyroid glands to overproduce PTH. Chronically high PTH pulls calcium from bone, weakens the skeleton, and contributes to vascular and soft-tissue calcification — a major driver of illness in dialysis patients. By suppressing PTH at its source, etelcalcetide helps bring these mineral disturbances back toward target ranges. In head-to-head trials it lowered PTH at least as effectively as the oral calcimimetic cinacalcet. A key practical advantage is delivery: etelcalcetide is given intravenously into the dialysis circuit at the end of each hemodialysis session, three times weekly, which sidesteps the pill burden and gastrointestinal intolerance that limit oral cinacalcet. It was approved by the FDA in 2017 (Parsabiv). Its predictable main side effect is lowering blood calcium (hypocalcemia), which requires monitoring and can cause symptoms if severe, so calcium and PTH levels are followed and calcium or vitamin D supplementation adjusted. It is a prescription nephrology medicine used strictly within dialysis care.
Specifications
| Dose Range | Fixed IV dose, titrated (mg) |
| Origin / Manufacturer | Synthetic |
| Regulatory Status | FDA-approved (Parsabiv, 2017)EMA-approved |
| Active Components | Etelcalcetide hydrochloride |
| Storage | Refrigerate 2–8°C |
| Form Factor | Intravenous injection (into dialysis line) |
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