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Selank

Selank is a short peptide related to tuftsin, registered in Russia as a nasal anxiolytic. See the small Russian trials, lab work, what FDA says, and the evidence gaps.

Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.

Quick answer
Selank is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide developed in Russia. It is registered there as a nasal-drop medicine in the anti-anxiety group, but it is not approved in the United States, and FDA says it lacks important information on its safety in humans. [1][2] The human studies we found are small, mostly Russian, and often compare it with older benzodiazepine-type drugs rather than with placebo. Claims for calm, focus or memory in healthy people are marketing claims.

Identity and naming

Selank has the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro. [3] The Russian drug register lists the active substance as a diacetate of that heptapeptide. [1] It is described as an analogue of tuftsin, a natural immune-system peptide whose core is the four amino acids TKPA. [4][5] FDA's compounding list uses the name "selank acetate (TP-7)". [2] Selank is not Semax: they are different molecules with different origins. See Semax and research peptide naming and identity problems.

What the research shows

  • Anxiety, compared with a benzodiazepine. In a Russian study of 62 patients with generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia, Selank (30 patients) was compared with medazepam (32 patients). The anxiolytic effects were reported as similar. [6] Another study of 60 patients with phobic-anxiety and somatoform disorders compared Selank with phenazepam and reported a pronounced anxiolytic and mild nootropic effect. [7] Neither abstract describes a placebo arm. Label: promising but limited.
  • Add-on to a benzodiazepine. In 70 patients, adding Selank to phenazepam (40 patients) versus phenazepam alone (30 patients) was reported to bring the benefit sooner and reduce side effects of the tranquilizer. [8] This was a randomized trial, but small, from one country and without placebo or independent replication that we could find. Label: promising but limited.
  • Immune markers. Selank changed blood cytokine balance in patients over 14 days. [9] Cytokines are immune signaling proteins; this is a biomarker, not a clinical outcome.
  • Lab and animal work. In a binding experiment, Selank acted as a positive allosteric modulator of GABA binding, and the authors proposed this as one anti-anxiety mechanism. [3] In rats, Selank changed expression of genes involved in GABA signaling. [10] In rats with morphine dependence, it lessened withdrawal signs. [4] Label: preclinical (cells/animals only). None of this shows an effect in people.
  • Registered trials. A ClinicalTrials.gov search for Selank found no relevant study of the peptide. [11]
  • Healthy people. Proper evidence not found for better mood, stress resilience or memory.

Practical alternatives

For well-studied options for worry and stress, see anxiety disorders and therapy for anxiety and stress.

Frequently asked questions

Is Selank approved?

It is registered in Russia as a nasal drop. In the US it is not approved. [1][2]

Does Selank work as well as a benzodiazepine?

One small Russian study reported similar anxiolytic effects to medazepam, but without a placebo group in the abstract. Not confirmed in large trials we could find. [6]

Is Selank addictive?

Proper evidence not found. We read no study that tested this in people.

Is Selank the same as Semax?

No. They are separate peptides. Selank is a tuftsin analogue. [4]

More details: evidence, limits and cautions

The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.

How to read the evidence labels

Labels used on this page: approved medicine (Russia only, as read), promising but limited, preclinical (cells/animals only), insufficient evidence, marketing claim and Proper evidence not found.

Regulatory status
PlaceWhat we read
RussiaOne Selank nasal-drop registration (0.15%) by a Russian manufacturer appears as valid in the state register, with pack entries marked as available without prescription; anti-anxiety group (ATC N05BX). [1] Approved medicine there. We could not read the Russian approved indications.
United StatesNot an approved drug. On FDA's list of bulk substances previously placed in category 2 (possible significant safety risk) but withdrawn by the nominators; FDA cites immunogenicity risk and lacks important safety information. [2] Selank was not among the substances FDA scheduled for its July 2026 advisory meeting. [12]
OthersNot verified.

Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved. [13] Laws change and this is not legal advice.

Safety
Human safety data are thin and come from short studies with small numbers. Selank's lab action on GABA binding resembles a pathway used by anti-anxiety medicines, and one lab study found that it blocked some effects of diazepam and olanzapine in the experiment. [3] No human interaction data were found, so anyone taking antidepressants, sedatives or anti-anxiety medicines should talk with a prescriber before any experimental peptide. Unapproved products may be contaminated or contain different ingredients. [14] See peptide safety and adverse events.
References
  1. Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. State Register of Medicines (GRLS): Selank nasal drops, registration detail page. Read 2026-10-22.
  2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks (content current as of 04/22/2026). Read 2026-10-22.
  3. Peptide-based Anxiolytics: The Molecular Aspects of Heptapeptide Selank Biological Activity. Protein Pept Lett 2018. Read 2026-10-22.
  4. Selank, a Peptide Analog of Tuftsin, Attenuates Aversive Signs of Morphine Withdrawal in Rats. Bull Exp Biol Med 2022. Read 2026-10-22.
  5. Tuftsin - Properties and Analogs. Curr Med Chem 2017. Read 2026-10-22.
  6. Efficacy and possible mechanisms of action of a new peptide anxiolytic selank in the therapy of generalized anxiety disorders and neurasthenia. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2008. Read 2026-10-22.
  7. A comparison of the anxiolytic effect and tolerability of selank and phenazepam in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2014. Read 2026-10-22.
  8. Optimization of the treatment of anxiety disorders with selank. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2015. Read 2026-10-22.
  9. Immunomodulatory effects of selank in patients with anxiety-asthenic disorders. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2008. Read 2026-10-22.
  10. Selank Administration Affects the Expression of Some Genes Involved in GABAergic Neurotransmission. Front Pharmacol 2016. Read 2026-10-22.
  11. U.S. National Library of Medicine. ClinicalTrials.gov search, intervention "selank" (2 unrelated records). Read 2026-10-22.
  12. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. July 23-24, 2026: Meeting of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (meeting page and agenda; no vote record or final decision was read). Read 2026-10-22.
  13. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers. Read 2026-10-22.
  14. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA warning letter to an online seller of unapproved drugs, reference 696885, February 26, 2025. Read 2026-10-22.
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.