The reported calpain inhibitor cystamidin A (la, pyrrole-3-propanamide) and a regioisomer, pyrrole-2-propanamide (lb) have been synthesized from the corresponding pyrrolecarboxaldehydes. The previously assigned structure of cystamidin A is confirmed. However, neither synthetic cystamidin A nor regioisomer lb inhibits recombinant human calpain I.