Compound research
Selank: Research Overview & Current Status
Selank is a Synthetic heptapeptide (tuftsin analog) / anxiolytic neuropeptide. Current research status: approved (non-drug / other indication). Selank is approved as a prescription anxiolytic in the Russian Federation and marketed there in intranasal form. It has no FDA or EMA approval and is not a legally marketed drug in the U.S. or EU.
Overview
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide analog of tuftsin, incorporating a fragment of the human immunoglobulin G heavy chain (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg) extended with additional amino acids (Pro-Gly-Pro) for metabolic stability. It is studied primarily in Russia as an anxiolytic, with a proposed mechanism involving enkephalinase inhibition and GABAergic modulation.
Synthetic heptapeptide (tuftsin analog) / anxiolytic neuropeptide
Research timeline
1990s
Selank developed in Russia as a synthetic tuftsin analog engineered for anxiolytic activity via enkephalinase inhibition.
Source →Late 1990s-2010s
Regulatory approval granted in the Russian Federation for prescription anxiolytic use, marketed in intranasal formulation.
Source →2000s
Comparative clinical study of 62 patients with generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia found Selank's anxiolytic effect comparable to the benzodiazepine medazepam, with additional antiasthenic and psychostimulant effects reported for Selank.
Source →2010s
Study using pharmaco-EEG and clinical scales reported response-pattern subgroups (rapid vs. gradual responders) to intranasal Selank (2700 mcg/day) in anxiety patients.
Source →2017
Frontiers in Pharmacology study examined Selank's effects on GABAergic gene expression in IMR-32 neuroblastoma cells, finding no significant transcriptional changes and suggesting a non-transcriptional mechanism.
Source →2017
Rat study reported Selank enhanced the anxiolytic effect of diazepam under chronic mild stress conditions.
Source →
Active & recent research
Selank vs. benzodiazepine in generalized anxiety disorder
Comparative anxiolytic efficacy and enkephalin serum activity versus medazepam
Response-pattern and EEG correlates of intranasal Selank
Characterizing rapid vs. gradual anxiolytic responders and associated EEG rhythm changes
Selank and GABAergic gene expression
Testing whether Selank's anxiolytic effect involves transcriptional changes in GABAergic pathway genes
Selank combined with diazepam under chronic stress
Potential synergistic anxiolytic effect between Selank and benzodiazepine treatment
Key findings
- A comparative clinical study of 62 patients reported Selank's anxiolytic effect was similar in magnitude to the benzodiazepine medazepam, with additional antiasthenic and psychostimulant effects noted specifically for Selank.
- A clinical study using intranasal Selank (2700 mcg/day) reported roughly 40% of patients showed rapid symptom reduction within 1-3 days, with Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale scores dropping from a mean of 20.3 to 7.0 by day 3 in that subgroup.
- A 2017 in vitro study found no significant changes in GABAergic gene transcription in neuroblastoma cells treated with Selank, suggesting its mechanism may not be primarily transcriptional despite behavioral GABA-pathway associations reported elsewhere.
- As with Semax, the bulk of Selank's clinical evidence comes from Russian-language trials conducted from the late 1990s through the 2010s and has not been independently replicated in large Western randomized trials.
Safety & regulatory notes
Selank holds prescription drug approval in Russia only; it has no FDA or EMA approval and is not legally marketed as a drug in the U.S. or EU. Reported Russian trial data describe a favorable side-effect profile relative to benzodiazepines, but this has not been verified through independent Western regulatory review.
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Where it's sold for research
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Selank FAQ
Is Selank FDA-approved?+
No. Selank is approved as a prescription anxiolytic in Russia only; it has no FDA or EMA approval.
How does Selank's anxiolytic effect compare to benzodiazepines in studies?+
A Russian comparative trial reported Selank produced anxiolytic effects similar to the benzodiazepine medazepam in patients with generalized anxiety disorder, with researchers also noting antiasthenic and psychostimulant effects specific to Selank.
What is Selank's proposed mechanism of action?+
Selank is proposed to inhibit enkephalinase (slowing breakdown of endogenous enkephalins) and to interact with GABAergic signaling, though a 2017 cell study found no significant GABA-related gene transcription changes, indicating the mechanism is not fully resolved.
Has Selank been studied outside Russia?+
The large majority of clinical evidence for Selank comes from Russian clinical research; independent replication in Western randomized controlled trials is limited.
Sources for this page (6)
- 1 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299052506_Efficacy_and_possible_mechanisms_of_action_of_a_new_peptide_anxiolytic_selank_in_the_therapy_of_generalized_anxiety_disorders_and_neurasthenia
- 2 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924933812752811
- 3 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2017.00089/full
- 4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5322660/
- 5 https://www.regeneristherapy.com/en/blog/selank-nootropic-peptide
- 6 https://peptideslabuk.com/selank-anxiety-research-what-studies-show/
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