Reviewed & approved by Dr. Nova Reyes · Last checked 2026-10-25. ← Back to Evidence Library
Pancragen: what the evidence says
At a glance
What it is: a synthetic short peptide (Lys-Glu-Asp-Trp, "KEDW") from V. Kh. Khavinson's "peptide bioregulator" program in St. Petersburg, promoted for pancreas and blood-sugar health. (Some gray-market vendor catalogs misprint the sequence as Lys-Glu-Trp-Asp, whereas published PubMed studies test Lys-Glu-Asp-Trp / KEDW.) R3
What the evidence says: one small developer-led study in 33 older people with type 2 diabetes reported lower fasting glucose and insulin resistance. Design and controls are poorly described. Monkey and cell studies report similar effects. R1, R2, R3
Biggest risks: unknown. No human safety data were found. Unknown Gray-market vials add quality risks.
Rating
| Human Human evidence | Very limited: one small developer-led study in type 2 diabetes R1 |
| Animal Animal / lab evidence | Reported (developer-led): monkey and cell studies R2–R4 |
| Regulatory | Not FDA-approved (no Drugs@FDA record) · Russia: registration status UNVERIFIED · WADA 2026: not named; S0 (unapproved substances) likely applies |
| Established human dose | None. Study details lists what studies used where reported |
Evidence verdict: Human: Very limited Card verdict: Very limited (type 2 diabetes, one small Russian study) Card note: Developer-led Russian study only, see page
This page reports what studies used. It is not dosing advice.
Legend: HUMAN data · ANIMAL / LAB data · UNKNOWN · UNVERIFIED: not yet confirmed against a primary source
About the evidence (developer-led): most of this literature comes from V. Kh. Khavinson's St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology and allied Russian, Ukrainian and Georgian groups. Many papers are short, Russian-language, and not independently repeated. Read the findings as the developers' own reports.
What is it?
Pancragen is a 4-amino-acid peptide (Lys-Glu-Asp-Trp, "KEDW"). Khavinson's group calls these "tissue-specific bioregulators" and proposes that they act on gene activity in the organ they are named for. R1 That idea is the developers' hypothesis and has not been confirmed independently. Unknown
Does it work?
- Human Type 2 diabetes in older people: among 33 patients with type 2 diabetes, those given pancragen had lower fasting and glucose-test levels and less insulin resistance; those not given it did not change. How patients were assigned and how many got it are not in the abstract. Khavinson is a co-author. R1
- Animal Old rhesus monkeys: in 5 monkeys, pancragen improved glucose handling, compared with 4 given glimepiride. R2, R3
- Animal Cells: increased markers of pancreatic cell maturation. R4
- Unknown Independent trials: none found.
Is it safe?
- Unknown No human safety data found.
- Unknown Long-term effects unknown.
Gray-market "research use only" Pancragen: extra risks
Unknown contents. Vials sold online as "research use only" are not made under drug-quality rules, so identity, strength and sterility are unknown. This is a general caution; we have not found independent testing data for this product. Unknown Vendor claims about effects in people are marketing, not evidence. Unknown
What we don't know
- Unknown Whether it does anything in people
- Unknown Whether a short peptide like this survives digestion or reaches tissues when swallowed or injected
- Unknown What is actually in a gray-market vial or capsule labelled "pancragen"
Is it legal?
Not FDA-approved (no Drugs@FDA record, openFDA query Oct 25, 2026). Russia: UNVERIFIED whether registered as a medicine in GRLS or sold only as a supplement. EU, UK, Japan, China: UNVERIFIED not checked against EMA, MHRA, PMDA or NMPA. WADA: not named on the 2026 Prohibited List; S0 bans at all times any substance with no current regulatory approval for human therapeutic use.
Study details
These are amounts researchers used, not recommendations.
R1 Human Human: older people with type 2 diabetes (Korkushko 2011)
| Study | People / model | Route | Amount used | Follow-up | Reported | Side effects / limitations | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Korkushko 2011 | 33 older people with T2D (+30 healthy for melatonin comparison) | Not in abstract | Not in abstract | Not in abstract | Lower fasting glucose, insulin, insulin resistance vs untreated | Assignment unclear; developer co-author | PMID 22448364 |
R2 Animal Animal: old rhesus monkeys vs glimepiride (Goncharova 2015)
| Study | People / model | Route | Amount used | Follow-up | Reported | Side effects / limitations | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goncharova 2015 | 9 old female rhesus monkeys (5 pancragen, 4 glimepiride) | Intramuscular | 0.05 mg/animal per day, 10 days | Through washout | Lower glucose; insulin and C-peptide normalized | Very small; animal | PMID 28509500 |
R3 Animal Animal: old monkeys (Goncharova 2014)
| Study | People / model | Route | Amount used | Follow-up | Reported | Side effects / limitations | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goncharova 2014 | Old female rhesus monkeys (number not in abstract), compared with young animals | Intramuscular | 50 µg/animal per day, 10 days | 3 weeks after stopping | Faster glucose clearance; insulin and C-peptide response normalized; effect partly remained 3 weeks after stopping | Side effects not in abstract; animal; developer co-author | PMID 25946840 |
R4 Animal Lab: pancreatic cell differentiation (Khavinson 2013)
Full reference list (PubMed entries checked Oct 25, 2026)
- Korkushko OV, et al. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2011;151(4):454-6. PMID 22448364
- Goncharova ND, et al. Adv Gerontol. 2015;28(3):579-85. PMID 28509500
- Goncharova ND, et al. Adv Gerontol. 2014;27(4):662-7. PMID 25946840
- Khavinson VKh, et al. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2013;154(4):501-4. PMID 23486591
Disclaimer
This page is for education and harm reduction, not medical advice or a recommendation to use Pancragen. Talk to a clinician you trust before using any drug, and report problems to FDA MedWatch (https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch).
Approved for Adam Greene by Dr. Nova Reyes, 2026-10-25.