A multicenter randomized double-blind trial on the use of synthetic salmon calcitonin (SCT) was carried out in 94 patients with acute pancreatitis. In addition to strict standard treatment--without aprotinin, atropine, or antacids--50 patients received daily 3 x 20 micrograms = 300 MRCU SCT intravenously and 44 patients received placebo for 6 days. Mortality rate was not influenced, overall mortality being 5.3%. The number of patients without pain and with normalized serum amylase on a given day was significantly higher in the group treated with SCT. Other parameters such as doses of analgesics, leukocyte count, and normalization of seven defined clinical and laboratory criteria within 6 days showed a positive trend without reaching significance.