The Peptide Desk The Peptide Desk

This information is for research and educational purposes only. No medical recommendations. Products are not approved for human use. For health questions, consult a doctor.

Lexicon
Bioregulators

Pancragen

A Khavinson cytogen peptide aimed at the pancreas.

3 min read 12 sources

To the product To the calculator
Vial with white powder, a blue cap and a black TPD label for Pancragen on a white podium, next to it a chain of blue and white glass spheres as a molecule model in a bright lab
No registered trial · not approved

Summary

At a glance

Sources checked on 26 Oct 2026

Length
4 amino acids

Lys-Glu-Asp-Trp with an amide end (KEDW-NH2), a synthetic tetrapeptide10

Older adults with type 2 diabetes
33 people

small, unregistered observation, plus 30 healthy people of the same age6

Old rhesus monkeys
9 monkeys

5 received Pancragen, 4 a common diabetes drug for comparison8

Effect after stopping
3 weeks

this long the better sugar handling in old monkeys partly persisted7

Human trials in the registry
0 trials

no trial with Pancragen on ClinicalTrials.gov, as of 26 Oct 202612

  • Pancragen is the synthetic tetrapeptide Lys-Glu-Asp-Trp (KEDW-NH2) from the Russian Khavinson programme. There it is regarded as a bioregulator of the pancreas.101
  • In cultures of aged pancreatic cells it raised factors that let gland cells and islet cells mature, including Pdx1 and Pax6.2
  • In rats with artificially induced diabetes Pancragen lowered blood sugar. In old rhesus monkeys it normalised insulin and C-peptide in the glucose tolerance test.47
  • A small observation in 33 older people with type 2 diabetes saw lower sugar levels and less insulin resistance. This is neither registered nor independently checked.6
  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists no trial with Pancragen (as of October 2026). Almost all data come from one research group. Everything here is the state of research, not a recommendation.12
Profile

Updated May 2026

Class
Short bioregulator peptide

Khavinson cytogen

Use
Subcutaneous

in mg

Target tissue
the pancreas
Status
Data mostly from the Khavinson program
Sizes
20 mg

1 size in the shop

Contents 15 sections
  1. At a glance
  2. What is Pancragen?
  3. How it works
  4. What you need
  5. Reconstitution
  6. Dosing
  7. Injection
  8. What the research shows
  9. Research status
  10. Side effects
  11. Storage
  12. Related compounds
  13. FAQ
  14. Glossary
  15. Sources

What is Pancragen?

Pancragen is a short peptide from the Russian Khavinson program, which deals with tissue-specific bioregulators. These very short peptides (usually 2 to 4 amino acids) are meant to act specifically on a particular tissue, Pancragen is aimed at the pancreas.

Up front: most research comes from a single research line and mostly from Russia, large independent studies are missing.

Comparison

Same family, different building blocks

Short peptides from the Khavinson programme with their amino acid sequence according to a review. Tap a card to open its entry.

Tetrapeptide, pancreas Pancragen KEDW
Tetrapeptide, liver Livagen KEDA Tetrapeptide, male reproductive organs Testagen KEDG Tetrapeptide, pineal gland Epitalon AEDG

The assignment to a tissue comes from the Khavinson group itself. It has not been confirmed independently. 10

How it works

The theory behind the Khavinson peptides: they are meant to act at the level of gene regulation and restart age-related declining functions of a tissue. For Pancragen a supportive effect on the pancreas is described.

How well this concept transfers to humans is little established outside the originating research.

Where it acts

Where Pancragen acted in experiments

Tap a point or a card. From cell and animal studies, there is no confirmed receptor.

  1. Pancreas

    More maturation factors in aged cell cultures, normalised insulin in old monkeys2

    Observed in trials
  2. Blood sugar and vessels

    Rats with diabetes: lower blood sugar, adhesion at the capillary wall normalised4

    Observed in trials

Known targets11

Compound KEDW-NH2 (nicht in PubChem unter diesem Namen): two described targets, all Possible route into the cell, only modelled on the computer (docking).

Peptide transporter PepT1
Gene
SLC15A1
UniProt
P46059
ChEMBL
CHEMBL4605
Action
Possible route into the cell, only modelled on the computer (docking)
Amino acid transporter LAT1
Gene
SLC7A5
UniProt
Q01650
ChEMBL
CHEMBL4459
Action
Possible route into the cell, only modelled on the computer (docking)
Elongated glass gland with round cell islets in which DNA helices glow, two blue molecules above it
Theory: action at the level of gene regulation in the pancreas. Symbolic image.

What you need

Supplies

2 things, numbered as in the picture

Tick off what you already have. Vial and BAC water are our real shop photos at the same size.

Pancragen vial and bacteriostatic water at the same size with the black TPD label, next to two U-100 insulin syringes, two alcohol swabs and a sharps container with a blue lid

  1. Pancragen vial

    The vial (lyophilized powder, usually 20mg).

    In the shop

  2. Water and supplies

    Bacteriostatic water, U-100 insulin syringes, alcohol swabs.

    In the shop

Reconstitution

Use the peptide calculator. A 20mg vial with 2ml water gives 10mg per ml. Just add the water to the vial and let it dissolve.

Step by step

Dissolving the powder

Four steps, the same for every vial size.

  1. 1Wipe the cap

    Clean the rubber stopper with an alcohol swab.

  2. 2Add BAC water

    Just add it, it does not matter if it hits the powder directly.

  3. 3Swirl or shake

    Until everything has dissolved, both are fine.

  4. 4Draw up

    With the U-100 insulin syringe.

Less water higher concentration fewer units on the syringe Example: 20 mg + 2 ml = 10 mg/ml

Dosing

Dosing

Dosing, titration and syringe

Loading the dosing information …

  • Getting started and stepping up, drawn as a staircase
  • Units on the U-100 syringe for every step
  • How long one vial lasts

Injection

The injection is subcutaneous, into the fat layer under the skin. Common spots are the abdomen (keep about two finger-widths clear of the navel), the front and the inner side of the thigh, or the back of the upper arm.

The short version:

Injection

Where and at what angle

Pick a spot or switch the angle. Subcutaneous means: into the fat layer, not the muscle.

Rotate the spot each time, never the same one twice in a row.

90°More fat under the skin

Rule of thumb: where there is more fat under the skin, insert straight at 90 degrees. In lean people with little fat, 45 degrees, so the needle stays in the fat layer. Simplified diagram.

  1. Clean the spot with an alcohol swab and let it dry

  2. Pinch up a small fold of skin

  3. Insert the needle: at 90 degrees where there is more fat under the skin, at 45 degrees in lean people with little fat

  4. Inject slowly, wait a moment, then withdraw

  5. Put the needle straight into the sharps container

Rotate the site each time so the tissue does not get irritated. Never the same spot twice in a row.

What the research shows

The Khavinson program has published numerous works on tissue-specific bioregulators over decades (overview: Khavinson, 2002), including effects on organ function and, in animal models, on lifespan. But the read must stay honest: the data come mostly from one research line, large independent studies are missing.

Incubator shelves with petri dishes, a glass pancreas with warmly glowing spots on the middle shelf
The data mostly come from one research group, large independent studies are missing. Symbolic image.

Research status

Where the research stands

So far Pancragen has been studied in cell cultures, rats and rhesus monkeys, plus a small, unregistered observation in older people. Almost all papers come from the Khavinson group and its partners. As of 26 Oct 2026. 12

  1. Preclinical Cell cultures, rats and old rhesus monkeys
  2. Phase 1 no registered trial
  3. Phase 2 no registered trial
  4. Phase 3 no registered trial
  5. Approval not yet
No registered human trial and no known approval as a medicine. Pancragen has mainly been studied preclinically.12

So far there is no registered trial in humans. 12

Side effects

  • Well tolerated in the available reports, mainly local reactions.
  • Solid, independent human safety data are limited.

Storage

Before mixing the powder is robust, normal room temperature (around 20 to 25 degrees) is fine, ideally kept in the dark. After mixing, keep in the fridge (2 to 8 degrees), do not freeze. It stays good there for at least 4 to 6 months with barely any loss of potency, in practice considerably longer. Swirl or shake to mix, both are fine.

Shelf life

How long it keeps

Undissolved (powder) Room temperature, around 20 to 25 degrees, dark

Robust, no fridge needed.

Dissolved (mixed) Fridge, 2 to 8 degrees, do not freeze

At least 4 to 6 months with barely any loss of potency.

  • Keep it dark
  • Dissolved: 2 to 8 degrees
  • Note the mixing date on the vial
Nine vials with white powder and blue caps in the door shelf of a bright fridge
Powder dark at room temperature, once dissolved into the fridge (2 to 8 degrees), stable there for at least 4 to 6 months. Symbolic image.

Related

Related compounds

Same common ground: all in the TPD lexicon.

Pancragen
Livagen Tetrapeptide KEDA, liver Testagen Tetrapeptide KEDG, male reproductive organs Vesugen Tripeptide KED, blood vessels Epitalon Tetrapeptide AEDG, pineal gland Bronchogen Tetrapeptide AEDL, bronchi Pinealon Tripeptide EDR, brain Vilon Dipeptide KE, immune system Thymalin Peptide mixture from the thymus

FAQ

Common questions about Pancragen

Short answers, each backed by the sources below.

Is Pancragen approved or studied in humans?

As of 26 October 2026 ClinicalTrials.gov lists no trial with Pancragen. There is a small, unregistered observation in older people with type 2 diabetes from Kyiv in which the Khavinson group took part. No approval as a medicine is known.126

What is Pancragen made of?

Of four amino acids: lysine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid and tryptophan, KEDW for short. The end carries an amide group (KEDW-NH2). The group describes the sequence as an endogenous tetrapeptide.105

What did the cell cultures show?

In cultures of young and aged pancreatic cells Pancragen raised maturation factors of the gland cells (Pdx1, Ptf1a) and of the islets of Langerhans (Pdx1, Pax6, Pax4, Foxa2, Nkx2.2). Another paper found more markers of cell division such as Ki67 and PCNA and less of the cell death protein p53.23

What did rats and monkeys show?

Rats with artificially induced diabetes had lower blood sugar under Pancragen. Adhesion at the wall of small vessels normalised. In old rhesus monkeys sugar left the blood faster after a load. Insulin and C-peptide behaved like in young animals again. Part of the effect lasted three weeks after stopping. In comparison a common diabetes drug lowered sugar more strongly.478

What did the human observation show?

The study looked at 30 healthy older people and 33 with type 2 diabetes. With diabetes nightly melatonin production was 70 percent lower. Under Pancragen fasting sugar, insulin and the insulin resistance index fell, without Pancragen nothing changed. The paper is small and not registered. The abstract mentions neither blinding nor random assignment.6

Which side effects are known?

There are no solid data because Pancragen has never been tested in a registered human trial. Statements about good tolerability come from the research group itself.128

Who researches Pancragen?

Almost exclusively the group around Vladimir Khavinson at the St Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology and its partners, for example in Kyiv. Independent confirmation by other labs is still missing.19

Glossary

Terms explained briefly

Dotted words in the text open these explanations directly.

Bioregulator
Term from the Khavinson programme for short peptides that are meant to target a specific tissue. Not a term used in drug approval.
C-peptide
A fragment released when insulin is made. It shows how much insulin the pancreas itself releases.
Gene regulation
Control of which genes a cell is currently reading and turning into proteins.
Insulin resistance
The cells respond less to insulin, so the body needs more of it to lower blood sugar.
Islets of Langerhans
Cell clusters in the pancreas that make insulin and glucagon.
Khavinson programme
Research on peptide bioregulators that Vladimir Khavinson has built up in Russia since the 1970s. Most papers come from this group.
Lyophilisate
Freeze-dried powder. Without water a peptide keeps much longer.
Preclinical
Research before first use in humans, in cell cultures and animal models. Results cannot be transferred directly to humans.
Subcutaneous
Into the fat layer just under the skin.
Tetrapeptide
A chain of exactly four amino acids. For Pancragen these are lysine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid and tryptophan.

Evidence

Sources

Show all 12 sourcesHide sources 7 Studies1 Trial registry4 Database checked 26 Oct 2026

Studies

  1. Pancragen and the maturation of aged pancreatic cells

    Khavinson et al., Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2013

    DOI 10.1007/s10517-013-1987-6 PMID 23486591
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  2. Pancragen in rats with diabetes: blood sugar and small vessels

    Khavinson et al., Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2007

    DOI 10.1007/s10517-007-0377-3 PMID 18642713
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  3. Biological activity of the tetrapeptide Lys-Glu-Asp-Trp-NH2 (rats)

    Khavinson et al., Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2010

    DOI 10.1007/s10517-010-0944-x PMID 21246099
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  4. Pancragen in older people with type 2 diabetes (small observation)

    Korkushko et al., Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2011

    DOI 10.1007/s10517-011-1354-4 PMID 22448364
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  5. Review by the Khavinson group on cell maturation by short peptides

    Khavinson et al., Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, 2020

    DOI 10.1007/s12015-019-09938-8 PMID 31808038
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  6. Review with names and amino acid sequences of the short peptides

    Khavinson et al., International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022

    DOI 10.3390/ijms23147733 PMID 35887081
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed, PMC (Volltext)
  7. Transport of short peptides via PepT1 and LAT1, computer model

    Khavinson et al., Biomolecules, 2023

    DOI 10.3390/biom13030552 PMID 36979488
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed, PMC (Volltext)

Trial registry

  1. Search on ClinicalTrials.gov (no trial with the peptide)

    ClinicalTrials.gov, U.S. National Library of Medicine

    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2

Database

  1. Review of peptides and ageing from the Khavinson programme (PubMed record)

    Khavinson, Neuro Endocrinology Letters, 2002 (ohne DOI)

    PMID 12374906
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via PubMed
  2. Tetrapeptide and cell division markers in aged pancreatic cells (PubMed record)

    Khavinson et al., Advances in Gerontology, 2012 (russisch, ohne DOI)

    PMID 23734516
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via PubMed
  3. Pancragen and pancreatic hormone function in old monkeys (PubMed record)

    Goncharova et al., Advances in Gerontology, 2014 (russisch, ohne DOI)

    PMID 25946840
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via PubMed
  4. Pancragen against impaired glucose tolerance in old rhesus monkeys (PubMed record)

    Goncharova et al., Advances in Gerontology, 2015 (russisch, ohne DOI)

    PMID 28509500
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via PubMed

In the shop

Pancragen in the catalog

Sizes, prices and shipping times are on the product page.

To the product