Abstract: There are disclosed the N-terminal fragment of human pro-opiomelanocortin, a glycopeptide composed of 76 amino acid residues, and a process for preparing same from human pituitary glands. The glycopeptide is useful in potentiating the effects of ACTH on steroidogenesis, in stimulating the production of aldosterone, as a diagnostic tool, as well as a reagent for determining its presence in biological fluids and tissues by immunochemical means.

Abstract: This invention relates to biologically active tripeptide and tetrapeptide alkylamides of the general formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is an alkyl with 1 to 5 carbon atoms,A is a peptidically bound alanine or proline residue,B is a peptidically bound glycine, alanine or proline residue,n is an integer of 1 or 2, andR.sup.2 is an alkylcarbonylamino group with 2 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkenyl with 6 to 12 carbon atoms or a benzyloxycarbonylamino group.The compounds effectively inhibit the enzymatic activity of pancreatic and leucocytal elastase and are expected to find use in the treatment of acute pancreatitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary emphysema, and certain forms of arthritis. The invention also relates to processes for the preparation of the title compounds and to pharmaceutical compositions containing them.

Abstract: Certain noval polypeptides and their use as carcinostatic agents and as agents for the detection and determination of viruses. The polypeptides contain forty-five amino acid residues and have a peculiar tetracyclic structure in that they are bridged with four disulfide bonds between each crysteine molecular pair, said pairs being present between the 3rd and 39th, 4th and 31st, 12th and 29th and 16th and 25th positions, respectively.