Selank Research Overview: Human Trials, Status and Gaps

Selank is a seven-amino-acid peptide developed in Russia and sold there as an anxiolytic nasal drop. Its human evidence is three small clinical studies in Russian patients, all in one Russian journal, none placebo-controlled in the abstracts we could read. We found no approval outside Russia; the US is the only other jurisdiction we checked against an FDA source. The site’s Selank page compares prices; this article covers the research.

Key points

• Selank is a synthetic analogue of tuftsin (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg) with Pro-Gly-Pro added, designed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences [1][2].
• The clinical evidence is three studies from 2008 to 2015 (60 to 70 patients each) compared with medazepam or phenazepam, both benzodiazepines, not with placebo [3][5][6][23].
• Gene-expression and immune findings come from rodents, cell lines and one small patient study, not from clinical benefit data [4][8][9][10].
• We found no independent English-language randomized trial, no systematic review and no registered Selank trial on ClinicalTrials.gov [21][22].
• The FDA lists “selank acetate (TP-7)” among bulk substances nominated but withdrawn, citing missing human safety information [15].

What Selank is

Selank is a heptapeptide, Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro [2]. Tuftsin is a Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg fragment of the human immunoglobulin G heavy chain. Its designers added three amino acids at one end to make it more stable and longer-acting. It was made at the Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, with the V.V. Zakusov Research Institute of Pharmacology [1]. A German review says it has been prescribed in former Soviet countries since the early 1990s [18]. Semax, a related Russian peptide, is covered in our Semax overview.

Approval and use in Russia

A Russian drug-reference site (RLS) lists Selank nasal drops under registration number ЛП-№(010951)-(РГ-RU), held by AO INPC Peptogen, Moscow. It shows the label as revised 2025-07-15 and dispensed without prescription [12]. Listed adult indications include anxiety states, neurasthenia, asthenia and adjustment disorders; the ATX code is N05BX, “other anxiolytics” [12]. A 2022 review in Pharmaceutics lists Selank among 14 peptide products registered in Russia [13].

Not verified against the official register. The Ministry of Health’s State Register of Medicines (GRLS) search form is protected by a captcha, so we did not query it and did not work around it [14]. We cannot confirm the registration date, current status or whether the RLS entry matches the register. The RLS page gives a revision date, not an approval date, and an approval year repeated on commercial sites is unverified.

What the human studies show

PubMed holds 137 records for “selank”. Three are typed as randomized or clinical trials, all in Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova, and all read here as English abstracts only [21]. No abstract states a funder, a blinding method or the treatment length, and the PubMed records carry no funding or conflict statement. We could not establish whether the manufacturer funded or supplied any study.

Study	Population and size	Design and comparator	Reported outcome
Zozulya et al., 2008 [3]	62 adults with generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia	Selank (30) vs medazepam (32); Hamilton, Zung and CGI scales; serum enkephalin activity. PubMed types it a randomized controlled trial	Anxiolytic effects “similar” in both groups; Selank also reported antiasthenic and psychostimulant effects
Medvedev et al., 2014 [5]	60 patients with phobic-anxiety and somatoform disorders	Selank vs phenazepam; comparative study, group sizes not in abstract	“Pronounced” anxiolytic and mild nootropic effects; effect lasted a week after the last administration; better quality of life
Medvedev et al., 2015 [6]	70 patients with anxiety-phobic, hypochondriac and somatoform disorders	Phenazepam alone (30) vs Selank plus phenazepam (40); HDRS, CGI, Spielberger, UKU, SF-36, Stroop. PubMed types it a randomized controlled trial	Phenazepam’s effect came earlier with Selank added; phenazepam side effects were lower
Uchakina et al., 2008 [4]	Patients with generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia; size not in abstract	Cytokine levels over 14 days; part of the work used blood cells in culture	Changes in the Th1/Th2 cytokine balance; no clinical outcome
Panikratova et al., 2020 [7]	52 healthy participants	Resting-state fMRI before and after Selank, Semax or placebo	Differences in connectivity between the right amygdala and right temporal regions; no clinical outcome

Medazepam is a benzodiazepine derivative [23], and the 2015 authors call phenazepam a benzodiazepine tranquilizer [6]. So the 2008 and 2014 studies compare Selank with benzodiazepines, and the 2015 study tests it as an add-on. None has a placebo arm in the abstract. A comparison with an active drug cannot separate a drug effect from the placebo response, so “similar to medazepam” is weaker than “better than placebo”. The fMRI study is the only placebo-controlled human work we found, and it measured brain connectivity, not anxiety.

Animal and cell work

This work is separate from the clinical data and does not show that the human findings come from these mechanisms.

• Neurotransmission genes in rats. In rat frontal cortex, a 2016 study found changes in 45 of 84 neurotransmission genes one hour after Selank, and in 22 three hours after. The changes correlated with those after GABA [1].
• Cell line. In human IMR-32 neuroblastoma cells, Selank alone changed none of 84 GABAergic genes, although it altered how cells responded to GABA and olanzapine [10]. A 2018 membrane-binding study reported that Selank acts as a positive allosteric modulator of GABA binding [2].
• Immune genes in mice. In mouse spleen, a 2011 study found changes in 34 of 84 inflammation-related genes after a single injection [8]. A 2014 study followed four genes over time and saw changes within 30 minutes [9].
• Rats and diazepam. In a 2017 rat stress model, combining Selank with diazepam was most effective against anxiety-like behavior in chronic stress [11].

Most of these papers come from the Moscow institute that helped develop the drug [1][9]. The 2016 study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation and declared no commercial conflicts [1].

Regulatory status

All statements below are as of 2026-11-08.

Jurisdiction	Status
Russia	Registered nasal drops, no prescription, per a drug-reference site [12]; official register not verified [14]
United States (FDA)	No Drugs@FDA record found in an openFDA query [17]. An FDA page, current as of 2026-04-22, lists “selank acetate (TP-7)” under bulk substances “nominated but withdrawn” [15]. The 503A bulks page, current as of 2026-05-14, does not mention it [16]
EU (EMA)	Not checked in the EMA register
United Kingdom (MHRA)	Not checked
Germany	A 2024 Ärzteblatt review describes Selank as a Russian medicine offered online as a food supplement [18]. We did not check the BfArM database

On the FDA page, the stated concerns are that compounded products may pose “risk for immunogenicity for certain routes of administration” and that the agency “lacks important information regarding any safety issues” from human use [15]. “Research use only” is a seller’s label. In the sources we opened it is not a regulatory category and does not make a product a medicine or a supplement. US scheduling was not checked. Belgium’s Sciensano identified Selank and Semax in two unknown seized preparations in 2017 and 2018 and noted that, to its knowledge, neither had completed clinical trials [19].

Risks and unknowns

• Documented effects. The Russian label lists allergic reactions, including delayed ones, and an unpleasant taste in the throat, frequencies unknown [12]. The 2015 trial reported fewer benzodiazepine side effects when Selank was added [6].
• Interactions. The label says no interactions were established with haloperidol, pentobarbital, hexobarbital, analeptics or alcohol, and advises asking a doctor about combinations [12]. “Not established” is not the same as “excluded”.
• Populations. Pregnancy, breastfeeding and under 18 are contraindicated on the Russian label [12].
• Long-term safety. Only the 2014 abstract mentions follow-up, one week after the last administration [5]. The Ärzteblatt authors call withdrawal and deaths “not known”, citing a rat study. The German poison centre GIZ-Nord had no Selank inquiries among 212,014 consultations in 2018-2022 [18]. That is absence of reports, not proof of safety.
• Abuse potential. A 2021 review called Selank and phenibut poorly studied Russian drugs with GABAergic mechanisms and urged abuse-potential evaluation [20].
• Product quality. Sciensano found Selank in unknown seized preparations [19]. We found no systematic testing of the identity, purity or sterility of gray-market vials.

Evidence gaps

We found no independent English-language randomized trial. The three clinical records in PubMed come from one Russian journal, and the abstracts report no placebo arm [21]. A ClinicalTrials.gov search on 2026-11-08 returned no study with Selank as an intervention; its two fuzzy hits did not mention it [22]. PubMed returned zero systematic reviews or meta-analyses [21]. We did not search Russian registries or eLibrary, and did not read the full Russian texts. Missing: placebo-controlled trials, dose-response data, longer trials, cognition trials in healthy adults and pharmacovigilance data.

What the tier lists claim

Both posts are image tier lists with no stated criteria. Their text was read through the fxtwitter mirror, and we viewed the images on 2026-11-08.

@dex7official, “THE ONLY TRUE COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT TIER LIST (NO COPES EDITION)”, 2026-10-20 [24]. Selank is in tier D with modafinil, Semax, armodafinil, L-theanine and alpha-GPC. Verdict: partly supported. A low rank for cognitive enhancement fits the evidence, because no trial we found tested Selank for cognition in healthy adults. The 2014 abstract mentions “mild nootropic effects” in anxious patients [5], a different question.

@Hoostethics, “ranking the most cope supplements”, 2026-10-15 [25]. Selank is in “cope”, the second-mildest of five tiers, beside Semax, ginkgo, lion’s mane, royal jelly and magnesium citrate. Verdict: could not be verified. If “cope” means the benefit is mostly placebo, the evidence neither confirms nor rules it out, since the clinical studies have no placebo arm [3][5][6]. Selank is also a registered drug in Russia, not a supplement [12]. The same list puts SSRIs and diazepam in “extremely cope”, so the tiers reflect opinion, not trial evidence.

Frequently asked questions

Is Selank approved? In Russia it is listed as a registered nasal drop per a drug-reference site, though we could not open the official register [12][14]. We found no FDA approval, and we did not check the EMA or MHRA registers [17].

Does Selank work for anxiety? Three small Russian studies of 60 to 70 patients reported anxiolytic effects similar to medazepam or a faster response when added to phenazepam. None had a placebo arm, and none was independently replicated [3][5][6].

Do the gene-expression findings show how it works? No. They come from rats, mice, cultured cells and one small patient cytokine study. They are hypotheses about mechanism, not clinical results [1][4][8][10].

Is Selank safe? The Russian label reports allergic reactions and a taste effect, and the FDA says it lacks human safety information [12][15]. Long-term and gray-market product safety is not documented.

Sources

1. Volkova A et al., Frontiers in Pharmacology, “Selank Administration Affects the Expression of Some Genes Involved in GABAergic Neurotransmission” (2016-02-18). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4757669/ (origin, structure, rat gene expression, funding)
2. Vyunova TV et al., Protein and Peptide Letters, “Peptide-based Anxiolytics: The Molecular Aspects of Heptapeptide Selank Biological Activity” (2018). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30255741/ (sequence, GABA binding)
3. Zozulya AA et al., Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova, “Efficacy and possible mechanisms of action of a new peptide anxiolytic selank in the therapy of generalized anxiety disorders and neurasthenia” (2008). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18454096/ (abstract read through NCBI E-utilities; the web page showed a cookie wall)
4. Uchakina ON et al., Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova, “Immunomodulatory effects of selank in patients with anxiety-asthenic disorders” (2008). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18577961/ (abstract via E-utilities)
5. Medvedev VE et al., Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova, “A comparison of the anxiolytic effect and tolerability of selank and phenazepam in the treatment of anxiety disorders” (2014). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25176261/ (abstract via E-utilities)
6. Medvedev VE et al., Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova, “Optimization of the treatment of anxiety disorders with selank” (2015). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26356395/ (abstract via E-utilities)
7. Panikratova YR et al., Doklady Biological Sciences, “Functional Connectomic Approach to Studying Selank and Semax Effects” (2020-01). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32342318/
8. Kolomin T et al., Regulatory Peptides, “Expression of inflammation-related genes in mouse spleen under tuftsin analog Selank” (2011-10-10). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21609736/
9. Kolomin T et al., Molecular Immunology, “The temporary dynamics of inflammation-related genes expression under tuftsin analog Selank action” (2014-03). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24291245/
10. Filatova E et al., Frontiers in Pharmacology, “GABA, Selank, and Olanzapine Affect the Expression of Genes Involved in GABAergic Neurotransmission in IMR-32 Cells” (2017-02-28). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28293190/
11. Kasian A et al., Behavioural Neurology, “Peptide Selank Enhances the Effect of Diazepam in Reducing Anxiety in Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Conditions in Rats” (2017-02-09). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28280289/
12. RLS (drug reference, not the register), “Selank, nasal drops” (label revision 2025-07-15). https://www.rlsnet.ru/drugs/selank-2638 (registration number, holder, indications, adverse effects, OTC status)
13. Deigin VI et al., Pharmaceutics, “Development of Peptide Biopharmaceuticals in Russia” (2022). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9030433/
14. Russian Ministry of Health, State Register of Medicines (GRLS) search page (accessed 2026-11-08). https://grls.rosminzdrav.ru/GRLS.aspx (search form behind a captcha; not queried)
15. US FDA, “Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks” (content current as of 2026-04-22). https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/certain-bulk-drug-substances-use-compounding-may-present-significant-safety-risks
16. US FDA, “Bulk Drug Substances Used in Compounding Under Section 503A of the FD&C Act” (content current as of 2026-05-14). https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/bulk-drug-substances-used-compounding-under-section-503a-fdc-act (no mention of selank)
17. US FDA, openFDA Drugs@FDA API queries for selank (2026-11-08). https://api.fda.gov/drug/drugsfda.json (no matches)
18. Bonnet U et al., Deutsches Ärzteblatt International 121(7):222, “Phenibut - ein illegales Nahrungsergänzungsmittel mit psychotropen Effekten und Gesundheitsrisiken” (2024-04-05). https://api.aerzteblatt.de/pdf/121/7/m222.pdf
19. Vanhee C et al., Drug Testing and Analysis, “The occurrence of putative cognitive enhancing research peptides in seized pharmaceutical preparations” (2020-03). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31667971/
20. Doyno CR, White CM, Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, “Sedative-Hypnotic Agents That Impact Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Receptors” (2021-08). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34396551/
21. NCBI PubMed, search results for selank (137 records; trial-typed and review-typed filters), run 2026-11-08. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=selank
22. ClinicalTrials.gov API v2, searches for “Selank” as intervention and term (2026-11-08). https://clinicaltrials.gov/api/v2/studies
23. US National Library of Medicine, MeSH descriptor “Medazepam” (D008472). https://meshb.nlm.nih.gov/record/ui?ui=D008472
24. @dex7official on X, tier-list post (2026-10-20). https://x.com/dex7official/status/2112691493261484516 (X returned only a script shell; text read through the fxtwitter mirror, image viewed directly)
25. @Hoostethics on X, tier-list post (2026-10-15). https://x.com/Hoostethics/status/2110728908735979632 (text read through the fxtwitter mirror, image viewed directly)

This article is information, not medical advice.