Cinacalcet is used alone or with other medications to treat secondary hyperparathyroidism (a condition in which the body produces too much parathyroid hormone [a natural substance needed to control the amount of calcium in the blood] which can cause serious problems with the bones, heart, blood vessels, and lungs) in patients with chronic kidney disease (condition in which the kidneys stop working slowly and gradually) who are being treated with dialysis (medical treatment to clean the blood when the kidneys are not working properly).
Cinacalcet is also used to treat high levels of calcium in the blood of patients who have parathyroid cancer (cancer of the glands in the neck that make parathyroid hormone).
Cinacalcet is in a class of medications called calcimimetics.
It works by signaling the body to produce less parathyroid hormone in order to decrease the amount of calcium in the blood
