Calcimimetics: therapeutic potential in hyperparathyroidism.

Calcium homeostasis is essential for the normal function of many organ systems. The recently cloned extracellular calcium-sensing receptor plays a central role in this process and thus represents an important target for therapeutic agents aimed at treating disorders of calcium metabolism. Compounds, such as the phenylalkylamines NPS 568 and AMG 073, act as agonists of calcium at this receptor. These calcimimetic agents hold promise as potential treatments for diseases of parathyroid hyperfunction, such as primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism.