What Is Selank? Origin, Legal Status and the Research
The short answer
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In Russia, it has been registered as a prescription nasal spray for generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia since 2011, and it appears on that country’s official register of vital and essential medicines. It has never been reviewed or approved by the FDA, and in the United States it is sold only as a research chemical.
What Selank is, chemically
Selank is the heptapeptide Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro. It is built from tuftsin, a naturally occurring immunomodulatory tetrapeptide (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg), with a Pro-Gly-Pro sequence added on to extend its stability. Its molecular weight is 751.9 Da.
| Compound | Selank |
|---|---|
| Structure | Heptapeptide, Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro |
| Molecular weight | 751.9 Da |
| Formula | C33H57N11O9 |
| CAS number | 129954-34-3 |
| Origin | Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences |
| Approved anywhere? | Russia only (nasal spray, since 2011); not FDA-approved |
What the published research says
Selank has more published human data behind it than most compounds in this catalog, though nearly all of that research is Russian, and Western-style large randomized trials have not been published. A comparative study assigned 62 patients with generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia to either Selank or the benzodiazepine medazepam and reported that Selank’s anxiolytic effect was comparable to low-dose benzodiazepine treatment (Kolyasnikova et al., 2008, published in a Russian psychiatric journal, indexed on PubMed).
How it is proposed to work is different from a benzodiazepine. An earlier study reported that Selank dose-dependently inhibits the enzymes that break down enkephalins in plasma, which the authors proposed as a possible explanation for its anxiolytic effect (Zozulya et al., 2001, PubMed). A 2017 study reported that Selank enhances GABA-linked anxiolytic activity through a different binding pathway than benzodiazepines (Kasian et al., 2017). None of this research was conducted or reviewed under FDA trial standards, and none of it has been replicated in a large Western clinical trial as of this writing.
Regulatory status: approved abroad, not in the US
Selank’s regulatory story is different from most of the peptides in this catalog. Compounds like BPC-157, TB-500 and retatrutide have never been approved as a drug anywhere. Others, like tesamorelin and SS-31 (elamipretide), are the active ingredient behind a separate FDA-approved US drug sold under its own brand name. Selank falls into a third category: it is an approved prescription medicine in Russia, sold as a nasal spray for generalized anxiety and neurasthenia, but it has no FDA approval and no equivalent US brand-name product. A regulatory decision in one country does not carry over to another, and the FDA has not reviewed Selank under US trial requirements.
What this means for research use
Peptryn supplies Selank as a lyophilized laboratory research material, not as the Russian nasal-spray product and not for human or animal use. We do not give dosing or administration guidance for anything in our catalog. A certificate of analysis for this product is not yet published in our COA library. If you need the current lot report before ordering, email [email protected] with your order number. See our Selank product page for current specifications, and our guide to peptide legality for how research-use sales are treated.
Common questions
Is Selank legal to buy?
In the United States, Selank is sold as a research chemical for laboratory use, not as an approved drug or supplement. It is not scheduled as a controlled substance. See our guide to peptide legality for how research-use sales are treated, and consult a qualified attorney if you have legal questions about your specific situation.
Is Selank FDA approved?
No. Selank has never been submitted to or approved by the FDA. It is an approved prescription medicine in Russia, where it has been on the official register of vital and essential medicines since 2011, but that approval has no standing in the United States.
Is Selank the same as Semax?
No. Both are Russian-developed research peptides sometimes discussed together, but they are different molecules with different structures. Peptryn does not currently sell Semax.
What is Selank studied for?
Published Russian research has studied Selank for generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia, using it as a prescription nasal spray. That research has not been replicated in a large Western randomized trial, and Peptryn’s laboratory-grade Selank is not for human use.
Related: Are peptides legal? · Popular peptides · What is a COA?
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary use, and not a drug, food, dietary supplement or cosmetic. You must be 21 or older to buy.
