Calcitonin Salmon (Miacalcin): Label and Half-Life
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Calcitonin Salmon: injection, nasal spray and half-life

Forms and strengths · Approval status · Half-life ~1 hour (injection); about 18 minutes (nasal)

Short answer: Calcitonin salmon has a half-life of about 1 hour (injection); about 18 minutes (nasal). Levels peak about 23 minutes (injection); about 13 minutes (nasal) after a dose. People vary, so treat these as estimates.

What is calcitonin salmon?

Calcitonin salmon is a lab-made version of calcitonin, the salmon form of a hormone that slows bone breakdown (resorption) and lowers blood calcium. It is sold as Miacalcin injection for Paget's disease of bone, high blood calcium and postmenopausal osteoporosis, and as a nasal spray for postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Also known as: Miacalcin, calcitonin.

Forms and strengths

Miacalcin injection is 200 USP Units/mL in a 2 mL multiple-dose vial, injected under the skin or into muscle. Calcitonin salmon nasal spray gives 200 International Units per spray.

Approval status and how it is used

The Miacalcin injection label approves it for symptomatic Paget's disease of bone (100 Units a day), for early treatment of dangerously high blood calcium (4 Units/kg every 12 hours, up to 8 Units/kg every 6 hours), and for osteoporosis in women more than 5 years past menopause (100 Units a day) when other treatments are not suitable. The nasal spray label approves one spray (200 Units) a day, alternating nostrils, for the same osteoporosis use. Both say reductions in fractures have not been shown.

The labels warn that in a meta-analysis of 21 trials, cancers were more common with calcitonin salmon than placebo (4.1% versus 2.9%), so continued use should be re-checked periodically. They also warn about serious allergic reactions, low blood calcium with muscle cramps or seizures (calcium must be normal before starting), and antibodies; the spray can cause nose ulcers. See also teriparatide.

Calcitonin salmon half-life and time to peak

  • Half-lifeabout 1 hour (injection); about 18 minutes (nasal)
  • Time to peak (Tmax)about 23 minutes (injection); about 13 minutes (nasal)

The Miacalcin label gives a terminal half-life of about 58 minutes after an injection into muscle and 59 to 64 minutes under the skin, with peak levels about 23 minutes after an injection under the skin. The nasal spray label gives a peak at about 13 minutes and a half-life of about 18 minutes; the spray delivers only 3% to 5% as much as a muscle injection.

Numbers shown are taken from the source above. Half-life varies from person to person.

How to track calcitonin salmon in Dose Track

  1. Add calcitonin salmon as a custom compound. Start typing its name and Dose Track fills in the details from its research library for you to check, and it sits next to everything else you take.
  2. Log each dose when you take it so your history shows exactly what you took and when.
  3. Set reminders on your own schedule, whether that is daily, weekly or every few days.
  4. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

How Dose Track handles peptides · Reconstitution calculator · Half-life calculator

TeriparatideForteo, PTH 1-34 · half-life about 1 hour AbaloparatideTymlos · half-life about 1 hour Calciumcalcium carbonate, calcium citrate Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol)cholecalciferol · half-life about 15 days

Frequently asked questions

What is the half-life of calcitonin salmon?+
The Miacalcin label gives a terminal half-life of about 58 minutes after an injection into muscle and 59 to 64 minutes under the skin, with peak levels about 23 minutes after an injection under the skin. The nasal spray label gives a peak at about 13 minutes and a half-life of about 18 minutes; the spray delivers only 3% to 5% as much as a muscle injection.
Does calcitonin salmon prevent fractures?+
Its labels say fracture reduction has not been demonstrated. For osteoporosis the injection is reserved for women more than 5 years past menopause when other treatments are not suitable.
Why is there a cancer warning on calcitonin?+
The labels cite a meta-analysis of 21 randomized trials in which cancers were reported in 4.1% of people on calcitonin salmon versus 2.9% on placebo, and say the need for continued use should be re-checked periodically.
Can I track calcitonin salmon in Dose Track?+
Yes. Calcitonin salmon is in Dose Track's research library, so when you add it as a custom compound its details are filled in for you to check. You can then log each dose next to your other compounds, set reminders on your own schedule, and see your history next to your lab results. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

Sources

  1. Miacalcin (calcitonin salmon) injection prescribing information (Mylan Institutional), sections 1, 2, 3, 5 and 12.3. DailyMed, June 2026.
  2. Calcitonin salmon nasal solution prescribing information (Par), sections 1, 2, 5, 8 and 12.3. DailyMed, July 2026.

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