What is Selank?
Selank is a lab-made peptide of seven amino acids, developed in Russia. It is built from tuftsin, a small natural peptide involved in the immune system, with three extra amino acids that make it last longer.
In Russia it has been a prescription nasal spray for anxiety since 2009. Elsewhere it is sold online as a “nootropic,” often alongside Semax.
What does Selank do?
Selank is thought to calm anxiety by affecting GABA, the brain’s main calming signal, and by changing serotonin and immune signaling. Unlike benzodiazepines, it isn’t reported to cause sleepiness or dependence.
What does the research on Selank show?
Russian clinical studies reported that Selank reduced anxiety in people with generalized anxiety disorder about as well as a benzodiazepine, with fewer side effects. Those trials were small, run at single sites and haven’t been repeated by independent groups outside Russia.
There are no good Western trials showing it improves anxiety, focus or memory.
Selank side effects and risks
Reported side effects are mild, mainly nasal irritation and occasional tiredness. Its long-term effects aren’t known outside Russian studies, and the FDA has noted a possible risk of immune reactions.
Products sold online as research chemicals aren’t checked for purity or strength.
Is Selank legal?
Selank is approved only in Russia, not by the FDA or the European Medicines Agency. In 2024 it moved off the FDA’s list of compounding substances with safety concerns after its nomination was withdrawn, which is not an approval.