In a small study with old female rhesus monkeys, a short‑acting tetrapeptide called Pancragen lowered fasting blood sugar and helped bring insulin and C‑peptide levels back to normal, suggesting it can improve age‑related glucose tolerance. Compared with the diabetes drug glimepiride, Pancragen gave a steadier drop in glucose without the delayed, stronger hypoglycemia seen with the drug.

The aim of the investigation was comparative study of the influence tetrapeptide Pancragen (St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, St. Petersburg) on hormonal function of the pancreas compared to the effect of widely used hypoglycemic drug - glimepiride. The investigation involved 9 old (20-25 years) clinically healthy rhesus monkey females (Macaca mulatta). Five of them were injected with Pancragen (0,05 mg/animal per day during 10 days, intramuscularly) for 10 days; 4 animals received glimepiride (4 mg/animal per day during 10 days, per os). Blood samples were taken from all the animals with subsequent analysis of glucose, insulin and C peptide levels; the manipulation was performed before administration of the drugs, on the background of their administration and after their withdrawal in basal conditions, as well as during glucose tolerance testing. Pancragen and glimepiride administration induced the decrease of blood glucose basal levels in both groups of old monkeys. Pancragen also normalized insulin and C peptide levels suggesting its recovering effect on the disturbed tolerance to glucose in old animals. At the same time, glimepiride administration led to a more expressed and delayed hypoglycemic effect and C peptide secretion stimulation without any significant effect on insulin secretion. The data suggest that Pancragen is effective and safe for correction of age-related imbalance of endocrine pancreatic function, and can be used for elderly patient with disturbed glucose tolerance.