We found that treatment of pancreatic cancer cells with pristimerin resulted in an increase in the expression of Bax protein and a decrease in the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL thereby increasing the ratios of Bax/Bcl-2 and Bax/Bcl-xL in favor of apoptosis. This evidence concerns the gene BCL2 and familial pancreatic carcinoma.