Selank

What it is

A synthetic heptapeptide analog of tuftsin (a naturally occurring tetrapeptide fragment of human IgG heavy chain) extended with a Pro-Gly-Pro tripeptide for metabolic stability. Developed jointly at the Institute of Molecular Genetics and the Zakusov Research Institute of Pharmacology, Selank has been studied for anxiolytic, immunomodulatory, and nootropic properties. It is approved in Russia as a prescription anxiolytic (0.15% intranasal drops) for generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia. It is not approved by the FDA or Health Canada. Its studied mechanisms include positive allosteric modulation of GABA_A receptors, inhibition of enkephalin-degrading enzymes, and broad immunomodulatory effects including antiviral activity. Russian clinical trials in GAD patients have reported anxiolytic efficacy comparable to benzodiazepines without sedation, cognitive impairment, or dependence.

Community-reported ranges

Dosing ranges sourced from Russian approved product labeling, published clinical trial protocols, and community forums. Selank is an approved medication in Russia but not in the US or Canada. Russian approval does not constitute FDA or Health Canada approval. Not dosing guidance.

Frequently discussed alongside

Based on community forum discussions. Not a recommendation to combine compounds.

Published research

Selank has been studied in multiple human clinical trials in Russia. Zozulia et al. (2008) compared Selank to medazepam in 62 GAD/neurasthenia patients and reported comparable anxiolytic effects with additional antiasthenic properties. Medvedev et al. (2014, 2015) studied Selank in phobic-anxiety and somatoform disorders and in combination with phenazepam. Mechanistic studies have demonstrated that Selank alters expression of 45 of 84 neurotransmission genes in rat frontal cortex within 1 hour (Volkova et al., 2016), inhibits enkephalin-degrading enzymes with IC₅₀ of 15 μM (Zozulya et al., 2001), and acts as a positive allosteric modulator of GABA_A receptors (Vyunova et al., 2018). Immunomodulatory studies have shown antiviral activity against influenza and herpes viruses, and broad cytokine modulation. Community-reported dosing is based on the approved Russian 0.15% formulation.

Reported side effects

From community self-reports. Not from controlled studies.

Published Russian clinical trials report no significant adverse effects. No sedation, cognitive impairment, dependence, or withdrawal has been documented. When combined with phenazepam in one study, Selank reduced the benzodiazepine's side effects. The FDA has flagged theoretical immunogenicity risk given the tuftsin-based structure, though no immunogenicity events have been observed. Community users have reported mild nasal irritation, occasional mild headache, initial fatigue in the first week (self-resolving), and rare mild dizziness.

Regulatory status