Calcimimetic agents for the treatment of hyperparathyroidism.

Calcimimetic agents are small organic molecules that act as allosteric activators of the calcium sensing receptor. They lower the threshold for receptor activation by extracellular calcium ions and, in parathyroid cells, diminish parathyroid hormone secretion. Calcimimetic compounds represent a novel class of therapeutic agents that may provide a way of controlling excess parathyroid hormone secretion in several clinical disorders. Although experience from clinical trials in humans is limited, available data suggest that calcimimetic agents effectively lower plasma parathyroid hormone levels in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and those with secondary hyperparathyroidism caused by end-stage renal disease. Calcimimetic compounds thus have considerable potential as a new approach to the medical management of several important clinical disorders of bone and mineral metabolism.