Selank
Selank is a Russian intranasal anxiety medicine. Small 14-day studies reported reduced anxiety and fewer sedative complaints than benzodiazepine comparators. Long-term safety and cognitive benefits in healthy people remain unproven.
Tuftsin-derived heptapeptide extended with Pro-Gly-Pro
- Seven-amino-acid peptide sequence TKPRPGP
- Studied mainly in Russian clinical settings
- FDA substance records do not mean FDA approval
What molecule does the name Selank identify?
FDA's substance registry identifies Selank as the seven-amino-acid peptide Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro and separately records a diacetate salt. A substance identity record is not an approved-drug listing.
FDA substance record · sequence and salts
Substance identity record
U.S. FDA GSRS, version dated March 4, 2026
Defines Selank's seven-residue sequence and distinguishes Selank diacetate as a salt relationship.
- Participants / model
- Chemical and biologic identity
- Treatment
- No approved treatment described
- Follow-up
- Current registry record
- Study design
- FDA substance identity database
A UNII or validated substance record is not evidence of drug approval, safety, or efficacy.
Read the original sourceWhat is Selank's current regulatory status?
No FDA-approved Selank drug appears in the cited US approval records. A Russian drug-reference reproduction lists 0.15% nasal drops under replacement registration ЛП-№(010951)-(РГ-RU), dated July 15, 2025, with an indefinite term.
The reproduced 2025 instruction is for adults with named anxiety, asthenic, adjustment, sleep, and stress disorders. That national authorization does not create FDA approval or validate noncommercial vials.
Selank status · US and Russia
US and Russian regulatory status
U.S. FDA and ClinicalTrials.gov records; Russian registration ЛП-№(010951)-(РГ-RU), dated July 15, 2025.
No FDA-approved Selank drug appears in the cited US approval records. A Russian drug-reference reproduction lists 0.15% Selank nasal drops under registration ЛП-№(010951)-(РГ-RU), dated July 15, 2025.
The reproduced label’s claim of no dependence exceeds the duration of the small published trials.
Read the original sourceSelank 0.15% label · indication and safety
Current Russian label reproduction
RLS, instruction updated July 15, 2025
Lists the current replacement registration, adult anxiety-related indications, contraindications, 14-day intranasal regimen, adverse reactions of unknown frequency, and tested-interaction statements.
- Contraindicated in pregnancy, breastfeeding, under age 18, and hypersensitivity.
- Allergic reactions and unpleasant taste are listed with unknown frequency.
- Participants / model
- Adults covered by the Russian 0.15% nasal-drop instruction
- Treatment
- Selank 0.15% nasal drops, two drops per nostril three times daily for 14 days
- Follow-up
- Instruction last changed July 15, 2025
- Study design
- Secondary reproduction of Russian medical-use instructions
The reproduced label’s claim of no dependence exceeds the duration of the small published trials.
Read the original sourceWhat did the 60-person Selank-versus-phenazepam study show?
The 2014 Russian full paper describes an open, prospective study that randomly assigned 60 adults with mild or moderate anxiety-spectrum disorders to Selank 2.7 mg a day or phenazepam 2 mg a day for 14 days, 30 per group. It did not report masking, placebo control, or the allocation method.
At day 14, 5 of 30 Selank patients and 7 of 30 phenazepam patients met the paper's response definition. At day 21, one week after stopping treatment, the counts were 17 and 9, respectively, with reported P=0.037. Anxiety scores fell faster with phenazepam during treatment, while the authors reported continued improvement after Selank stopped.
The Stroop task showed fewer errors with Selank at day 14, 0.8 versus 2.3. This is evidence of less measured cognitive interference in that open patient study, not a nootropic benefit in healthy people.
2014 Russian comparison · outcomes and tolerability
Open randomized comparative study
Medvedev et al., Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii, 2014
After 14 days, response counts were 5 of 30 with Selank and 7 of 30 with phenazepam; one week after stopping, the counts were 17 and 9, respectively, with reported P=0.037.
- Phenazepam reduced anxiety faster during treatment.
- Selank patients made fewer Stroop errors at day 14, 0.8 versus 2.3.
- Participants / model
- 60 adults with mild or moderate phobic-anxiety, hypochondriacal, or somatized disorders
- Treatment
- Intranasal Selank 2.7 mg daily or oral phenazepam 2 mg daily
- Follow-up
- 14 days treatment plus one week after stopping
- Study design
- Russian-language open prospective study with reported random assignment, no masking, and no allocation-method detail
The full paper is hosted by the manufacturer and includes authors from the originating research network. Subjective efficacy and adverse-event reporting is vulnerable to open-label bias.
Read the original sourceWhat did the 62-person Selank-versus-medazepam study find?
The 2008 Russian full report assigned 42 adults with generalized anxiety disorder or neurasthenia to Selank 2.7 mg a day and 20 to medazepam 30 mg a day for 14 days. The assignment method and masking were not reported, and the article says it is a shortened presentation.
Both groups improved on HAM-A and clinician ratings, and the paper reported no significant difference in CGI therapeutic efficacy. Possible drug-related adverse effects occurred in 3 of 42 Selank patients, versus adverse effects in 65% of the medazepam group and effects materially affecting condition at study end in 45%.
These numbers favor Selank for short-term tolerability under this study's conditions. The unbalanced groups, unclear allocation, no masking, originating research network, and short follow-up prevent an equivalence or long-term safety claim.
2008 Russian comparison · Selank versus medazepam
Open comparative clinical study
Zozulya et al., Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii, 2008
Selank and medazepam produced similar clinician-rated anxiolytic improvement; possible drug-related events occurred in 3 of 42 Selank patients, while 65% of 20 medazepam patients reported adverse effects.
- Participants / model
- 62 adults, 30 with generalized anxiety disorder and 32 with neurasthenia
- Treatment
- Intranasal Selank 2.7 mg daily in 42 patients or oral medazepam 30 mg daily in 20
- Follow-up
- 14 days
- Study design
- Russian-language comparative study with unbalanced groups, unreported assignment method, and no reported masking
The manufacturer-hosted article says it is presented in shortened form and comes largely from the originating clinical network.
Read the original sourceDid the imaging study prove an anxiety benefit?
No. In 52 healthy participants, resting-state fMRI found short-term connectivity differences after Selank, Semax, or placebo. The study measured brain-network signals over 20 minutes, not anxiety remission, daily functioning, tolerance, or withdrawal.
Selank fMRI · scan endpoint
Human imaging study
Panikratova et al., Doklady Biological Sciences, 2020
The 52-person study found short-term resting-state connectivity differences after Selank, Semax, or placebo.
- Participants / model
- Healthy participants
- Treatment
- Selank, Semax, or placebo
- Follow-up
- 20 minutes after administration
- Study design
- Placebo-comparison imaging study
Imaging differences are not clinical anxiety or dependence outcomes.
Read the original sourceHas Selank been shown to cause less dependence or withdrawal than benzodiazepines?
The Russian label says Selank does not cause dependence or habituation, and the 2008 and 2014 studies looked for symptoms during one week after a 14-day course. They reported no Selank withdrawal syndrome. One week of follow-up after a 14-day course cannot establish withdrawal risk after long-term use.
A 2015 open adjunct study randomized 70 adults to phenazepam alone or phenazepam plus Selank for 14 days, then continued Selank in only 20 combination patients after phenazepam stopped. Its withdrawal observations concern phenazepam cessation with or without ongoing Selank, not withdrawal from long-term Selank.
2008 Russian comparison · Selank versus medazepam
Open comparative clinical study
Zozulya et al., Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii, 2008
Selank and medazepam produced similar clinician-rated anxiolytic improvement; possible drug-related events occurred in 3 of 42 Selank patients, while 65% of 20 medazepam patients reported adverse effects.
- Participants / model
- 62 adults, 30 with generalized anxiety disorder and 32 with neurasthenia
- Treatment
- Intranasal Selank 2.7 mg daily in 42 patients or oral medazepam 30 mg daily in 20
- Follow-up
- 14 days
- Study design
- Russian-language comparative study with unbalanced groups, unreported assignment method, and no reported masking
The manufacturer-hosted article says it is presented in shortened form and comes largely from the originating clinical network.
Read the original source2014 Russian comparison · outcomes and tolerability
Open randomized comparative study
Medvedev et al., Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii, 2014
After 14 days, response counts were 5 of 30 with Selank and 7 of 30 with phenazepam; one week after stopping, the counts were 17 and 9, respectively, with reported P=0.037.
- Phenazepam reduced anxiety faster during treatment.
- Selank patients made fewer Stroop errors at day 14, 0.8 versus 2.3.
- Participants / model
- 60 adults with mild or moderate phobic-anxiety, hypochondriacal, or somatized disorders
- Treatment
- Intranasal Selank 2.7 mg daily or oral phenazepam 2 mg daily
- Follow-up
- 14 days treatment plus one week after stopping
- Study design
- Russian-language open prospective study with reported random assignment, no masking, and no allocation-method detail
The full paper is hosted by the manufacturer and includes authors from the originating research network. Subjective efficacy and adverse-event reporting is vulnerable to open-label bias.
Read the original source2015 Russian adjunct study · what withdrawal it measured
Open randomized adjunct study
Medvedev et al., 2015
Seventy adults received phenazepam alone or phenazepam plus Selank for 14 days; after phenazepam stopped, 20 combination patients continued Selank to day 21 and had lower anxiety scores than the other groups.
- Participants / model
- 70 adults with mild or moderate anxiety-spectrum disorders
- Treatment
- Phenazepam 2 mg daily alone or with Selank 2.7 mg daily; a 20-person subgroup continued Selank
- Follow-up
- 14 days treatment with follow-up to day 21
- Study design
- Russian-language open prospective randomized study; masking absent and continued-treatment subgroup assignment unclear
The cessation comparison primarily concerns phenazepam withdrawal. It does not establish withdrawal risk after long-term Selank.
Read the original sourceSelank 0.15% label · indication and safety
Current Russian label reproduction
RLS, instruction updated July 15, 2025
Lists the current replacement registration, adult anxiety-related indications, contraindications, 14-day intranasal regimen, adverse reactions of unknown frequency, and tested-interaction statements.
- Contraindicated in pregnancy, breastfeeding, under age 18, and hypersensitivity.
- Allergic reactions and unpleasant taste are listed with unknown frequency.
- Participants / model
- Adults covered by the Russian 0.15% nasal-drop instruction
- Treatment
- Selank 0.15% nasal drops, two drops per nostril three times daily for 14 days
- Follow-up
- Instruction last changed July 15, 2025
- Study design
- Secondary reproduction of Russian medical-use instructions
The reproduced label’s claim of no dependence exceeds the duration of the small published trials.
Read the original sourceDoes the published record establish long-term safety?
The 2025 Russian label reproduction lists allergic reactions, including delayed reactions, and an unpleasant taste as adverse effects of unknown frequency. It contraindicates use during pregnancy, breastfeeding, in people under 18, and in people hypersensitive to the ingredients.
The open phenazepam comparison reported sedation in all 30 phenazepam patients and concentration problems in 97%, versus far fewer complaints with Selank. Lack of masking can strongly influence subjective adverse-event reporting, so those striking percentages should not be treated as precise comparative risks.
The label reports no established interaction with several tested central nervous system drugs or ethanol. That is not a complete interaction program, and the small trials cannot define rare harms, pregnancy risk, immunogenicity, or long-term neuropsychiatric effects.
Selank 0.15% label · indication and safety
Current Russian label reproduction
RLS, instruction updated July 15, 2025
Lists the current replacement registration, adult anxiety-related indications, contraindications, 14-day intranasal regimen, adverse reactions of unknown frequency, and tested-interaction statements.
- Contraindicated in pregnancy, breastfeeding, under age 18, and hypersensitivity.
- Allergic reactions and unpleasant taste are listed with unknown frequency.
- Participants / model
- Adults covered by the Russian 0.15% nasal-drop instruction
- Treatment
- Selank 0.15% nasal drops, two drops per nostril three times daily for 14 days
- Follow-up
- Instruction last changed July 15, 2025
- Study design
- Secondary reproduction of Russian medical-use instructions
The reproduced label’s claim of no dependence exceeds the duration of the small published trials.
Read the original source2014 Russian comparison · outcomes and tolerability
Open randomized comparative study
Medvedev et al., Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii, 2014
After 14 days, response counts were 5 of 30 with Selank and 7 of 30 with phenazepam; one week after stopping, the counts were 17 and 9, respectively, with reported P=0.037.
- Phenazepam reduced anxiety faster during treatment.
- Selank patients made fewer Stroop errors at day 14, 0.8 versus 2.3.
- Participants / model
- 60 adults with mild or moderate phobic-anxiety, hypochondriacal, or somatized disorders
- Treatment
- Intranasal Selank 2.7 mg daily or oral phenazepam 2 mg daily
- Follow-up
- 14 days treatment plus one week after stopping
- Study design
- Russian-language open prospective study with reported random assignment, no masking, and no allocation-method detail
The full paper is hosted by the manufacturer and includes authors from the originating research network. Subjective efficacy and adverse-event reporting is vulnerable to open-label bias.
Read the original source2008 Russian comparison · Selank versus medazepam
Open comparative clinical study
Zozulya et al., Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii, 2008
Selank and medazepam produced similar clinician-rated anxiolytic improvement; possible drug-related events occurred in 3 of 42 Selank patients, while 65% of 20 medazepam patients reported adverse effects.
- Participants / model
- 62 adults, 30 with generalized anxiety disorder and 32 with neurasthenia
- Treatment
- Intranasal Selank 2.7 mg daily in 42 patients or oral medazepam 30 mg daily in 20
- Follow-up
- 14 days
- Study design
- Russian-language comparative study with unbalanced groups, unreported assignment method, and no reported masking
The manufacturer-hosted article says it is presented in shortened form and comes largely from the originating clinical network.
Read the original sourceStudies and sources
FDA substance record · sequence and salts
Substance identity record
U.S. FDA GSRS, version dated March 4, 2026
Defines Selank's seven-residue sequence and distinguishes Selank diacetate as a salt relationship.
- Participants / model
- Chemical and biologic identity
- Treatment
- No approved treatment described
- Follow-up
- Current registry record
- Study design
- FDA substance identity database
A UNII or validated substance record is not evidence of drug approval, safety, or efficacy.
Read the original sourceSelank status · US and Russia
US and Russian regulatory status
U.S. FDA and ClinicalTrials.gov records; Russian registration ЛП-№(010951)-(РГ-RU), dated July 15, 2025.
No FDA-approved Selank drug appears in the cited US approval records. A Russian drug-reference reproduction lists 0.15% Selank nasal drops under registration ЛП-№(010951)-(РГ-RU), dated July 15, 2025.
The reproduced label’s claim of no dependence exceeds the duration of the small published trials.
Read the original source2014 Russian comparison · outcomes and tolerability
Open randomized comparative study
Medvedev et al., Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii, 2014
After 14 days, response counts were 5 of 30 with Selank and 7 of 30 with phenazepam; one week after stopping, the counts were 17 and 9, respectively, with reported P=0.037.
- Phenazepam reduced anxiety faster during treatment.
- Selank patients made fewer Stroop errors at day 14, 0.8 versus 2.3.
- Participants / model
- 60 adults with mild or moderate phobic-anxiety, hypochondriacal, or somatized disorders
- Treatment
- Intranasal Selank 2.7 mg daily or oral phenazepam 2 mg daily
- Follow-up
- 14 days treatment plus one week after stopping
- Study design
- Russian-language open prospective study with reported random assignment, no masking, and no allocation-method detail
The full paper is hosted by the manufacturer and includes authors from the originating research network. Subjective efficacy and adverse-event reporting is vulnerable to open-label bias.
Read the original source2008 Russian comparison · Selank versus medazepam
Open comparative clinical study
Zozulya et al., Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii, 2008
Selank and medazepam produced similar clinician-rated anxiolytic improvement; possible drug-related events occurred in 3 of 42 Selank patients, while 65% of 20 medazepam patients reported adverse effects.
- Participants / model
- 62 adults, 30 with generalized anxiety disorder and 32 with neurasthenia
- Treatment
- Intranasal Selank 2.7 mg daily in 42 patients or oral medazepam 30 mg daily in 20
- Follow-up
- 14 days
- Study design
- Russian-language comparative study with unbalanced groups, unreported assignment method, and no reported masking
The manufacturer-hosted article says it is presented in shortened form and comes largely from the originating clinical network.
Read the original sourceSelank fMRI · scan endpoint
Human imaging study
Panikratova et al., Doklady Biological Sciences, 2020
The 52-person study found short-term resting-state connectivity differences after Selank, Semax, or placebo.
- Participants / model
- Healthy participants
- Treatment
- Selank, Semax, or placebo
- Follow-up
- 20 minutes after administration
- Study design
- Placebo-comparison imaging study
Imaging differences are not clinical anxiety or dependence outcomes.
Read the original source2015 Russian adjunct study · what withdrawal it measured
Open randomized adjunct study
Medvedev et al., 2015
Seventy adults received phenazepam alone or phenazepam plus Selank for 14 days; after phenazepam stopped, 20 combination patients continued Selank to day 21 and had lower anxiety scores than the other groups.
- Participants / model
- 70 adults with mild or moderate anxiety-spectrum disorders
- Treatment
- Phenazepam 2 mg daily alone or with Selank 2.7 mg daily; a 20-person subgroup continued Selank
- Follow-up
- 14 days treatment with follow-up to day 21
- Study design
- Russian-language open prospective randomized study; masking absent and continued-treatment subgroup assignment unclear
The cessation comparison primarily concerns phenazepam withdrawal. It does not establish withdrawal risk after long-term Selank.
Read the original sourceSelank 0.15% label · indication and safety
Current Russian label reproduction
RLS, instruction updated July 15, 2025
Lists the current replacement registration, adult anxiety-related indications, contraindications, 14-day intranasal regimen, adverse reactions of unknown frequency, and tested-interaction statements.
- Contraindicated in pregnancy, breastfeeding, under age 18, and hypersensitivity.
- Allergic reactions and unpleasant taste are listed with unknown frequency.
- Participants / model
- Adults covered by the Russian 0.15% nasal-drop instruction
- Treatment
- Selank 0.15% nasal drops, two drops per nostril three times daily for 14 days
- Follow-up
- Instruction last changed July 15, 2025
- Study design
- Secondary reproduction of Russian medical-use instructions
The reproduced label’s claim of no dependence exceeds the duration of the small published trials.
Read the original sourceWhy is Selank in B tier?
B tier reflects small human comparisons with phenazepam and medazepam and a history of medical use in Russia. The cited studies lacked placebo controls and followed treatment for 14 days, with short follow-up after stopping.