Acts on the brain

Selank

A medicine for anxiety in Russia. Sold elsewhere as nose sprays or shots. Little studied.

Not an authorised medicine

Short page. This is a short page. A full page with the complete evidence review is planned for version 1.1. The grades and regulatory status below are complete and sourced.

At a glance

Is it an approved medicine?
No. Not approved as a medicine in the EU, the UK or the US.
Has it been tested in people?
Some. Small trials in patients. No large trials published yet.
Is it allowed in sport?
Unclear. Not named on the anti-doping list. Ask your anti-doping organisation before using it in sport. Regulatory status
What is the biggest risk?
Little safety data. Products may hold germs or the wrong drug. More about the risks

Status checked on . The details and sources are further down this page.

Stop and get help if you notice

  • Swollen face or throat, or trouble breathing48,6
  • Hot, red, swollen or painful injection site46,7
  • Fever or chills after you inject it47,46

If it is severe, call your local emergency number.

The 30-second version

About 5 minutes for the short version; 9 with every detail open.

  • Selank is a lab-made chain of seven amino acids. It is a medicine in Russia.
  • It is built on tuftsin, a natural peptide that stirs up immune cells.
  • Small studies in Russia used it for anxiety. No one outside Russia has checked them.
  • The FDA says it lacks the data to judge its safety.
  • It is not approved in the EU, the UK or the US. Its status in sport is unclear.

Fact sheet

Class
Acts on the brain
Made of
Seven amino acids, built on the natural peptide tuftsin
Registered in
Russia, as an anxiety medicine
Largest published study
70 patients, no dummy drug
Studied outside Russia
Only to identify it in seized products
Status in the EU
Not authorised
Tested in people
Some

Label facts, not dosing advice. Sources are in the sections below.

Last reviewed
Colourised electron microscope image of a round, bumpy immune cell in green, with long thin arms, on a brown background.
An immune cell that eats germs. Selank is built on tuftsin, which stirs up such cells. Photo: NIAID, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Wikimedia Commons) CC BY 2.0 Image details

Each section starts with the short answer. The rest is folded under “In detail”.

Evidence profile

Four separate questions. Not a score.

Human clinical evidence How far has it been tested in people?
Phase II (dose and early effect) (step 4 of 6)
Preclinical volume How much laboratory and animal research exists?
Moderate (step 2 of 3)
Source independence How many independent groups produced it?
A few groups (step 2 of 3)
Safety characterisation How well do we know the harms in humans?
Uncharacterised (step 1 of 3)
In detail: Why these grades: the reason for each step , about 2 minutes to read
Human clinical evidence
Phase 2 on our rubric. Selank is listed among peptide medicines registered in Russia, which the rubric would normally grade as 'authorised'. We do not, for the same reason as Semax: the evidence behind the registration cannot be checked from outside. The published human evidence is three small Russian studies of 60 to 70 patients that compared Selank with, or added it to, a benzodiazepine, without a placebo group or a described randomisation.
Preclinical volume
Moderate. On 22 October 2026 PubMed held 65 records on Selank that are not reviews or comments; about 50 are cell or animal studies, at the top of the 10–50 band.
Source independence
Few groups. Almost all primary studies come from a few Moscow institutes linked to the developers: the Institute of Molecular Genetics, the Zakusov Institute of Pharmacology and the Mental Health Research Centre. We found no laboratory outside Russia that has tested its effects.
Safety characterisation
Uncharacterised. The FDA says it lacks important information on Selank's safety in people, and the published patient studies mention tolerability only in passing.

We never add these up. A compound can have a large animal literature from one laboratory and no human data at all — that is a specific situation, and a single number would hide it. How we grade evidence

In detail: The molecule: amino-acid sequence and technical details , about 1 minute to read
Amino-acid sequence7 amino acids

H–Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro–OH

Read from the N-terminus (start) to the C-terminus (end).

Full name
Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro (tuftsin-Pro-Gly-Pro)
Also called
TP-7, Selanc
Class
Acts on the brain
Body systems
Brain and nerves, Immune system
Formula
C33H57N11O9
Molecular mass
751.9 Da

What it actually is

What is Selank?

A lab-made chain of seven amino acids. It is a medicine in Russia.
Selank is a Russian anxiety medicine. It is not approved in the EU, the UK or the US. What is known about the substance sold under this name, checked on 22 October 2026.
Selank
Made in a lab?Yes Seven amino acids, built on tuftsin, a natural immune peptide.1,2
A registered medicine anywhere?Yes In Russia, for anxiety.3
Approved in the EU, the UK or the US?No EMA lists no product, and the FDA has approved none.4,5
Well tested for safety?No The FDA says it lacks important safety information.6

Online it is sold as powder for injection or as nose sprays.7 A Russian registration says nothing about products sold elsewhere under the name.

In detail: The molecule, and what a Russian registration means , about 1 minute to read

Selank is Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, formula C33H57N11O9, mass 751.9 g/mol.1 Its first four amino acids are tuftsin, a small peptide cut from antibodies that stirs up germ-eating immune cells.8 The extra Pro-Gly-Pro is the same ending as in Semax.9 It was developed in Russia and is also called TP-7.3,6

A registration in Russia lets the product be sold there. It is not an assessment by any EU, UK or US regulator. It does not make Selank legal to supply as a medicine in the Netherlands.10

Proposed mechanism

How does it work?

Not well understood. In lab tests it slows the breakdown of natural calming peptides.
The proposed causal chain, step by step

Each step is labelled with how well the link from the previous step is established.

  1. Step 1 Binding How well this link is shown: In cells

    Slows enzymes that break down enkephalins

    In human blood plasma in a dish, Selank slowed the breakdown of enkephalin, a natural opioid that damps stress signals. The developers propose this as one way it could reduce anxiety.

  2. Step 2 Cell response How well this link is shown: In animals

    Changes gene activity in rodent brain and spleen

    Given into the nose of rats, Selank changed BDNF in the hippocampus; one injection in mice changed the activity of 34 of 84 inflammation genes in the spleen. Both from the originating group.

  3. Step 3 Effect on the body How well this link is shown: Hypothesised

    Less anxiety in people: not independently shown

    Small Russian studies compared Selank with benzodiazepines, or added it to one, in patients with anxiety. None used a placebo. They did not describe how patients were allocated or blinded, and nobody outside Russia has repeated them.

In detail: What each step rests on , about 1 minute to read

The enzyme finding is a lab test on blood plasma.11 The brain and spleen findings come from rodents, and all three come from the developers’ network.12,2 None of these steps has been checked in people or by a laboratory outside Russia.13

What the evidence actually shows

Does it work?

Not known. Small Russian studies say anxiety fell, but no patient study used a dummy drug.

Even the biggest study had no dummy drug

70

people with anxiety: 40 got Selank plus another drug, 30 got that drug alone

Who took part Medvedev 2015: Russian-language paper; no placebo group; allocation not described Source Medvedev et al. (2015)14 Evidence Humans, limited

Without a placebo group, a study cannot separate a drug’s effect from the natural ups and downs of anxiety. All three patient studies include a developer among the authors.15,16,14

In detail: Every study in one table , about 3 minutes to read

8 studies: 3 in humans, 2 in animals, 2 in cells, 1 reviews or other.

Studies discussed on this page
Study Species n Design Funding Research group What it found What it did not show
Zozulya et al. 2001 11 Cells (lab) not reported Laboratory (cells) (controlled) Not disclosed Originating group Patients with generalised anxiety broke down enkephalin faster in their blood. In plasma in a dish, Selank slowed that breakdown, more at higher concentrations. A lab test on plasma; no link shown to blood levels after a real dose; originating group.
Inozemtseva et al. 2008 12 Rats not reported Animal experiment Not disclosed Originating group Selank given into the nose changed BDNF levels in the rat hippocampus. A short report without an abstract; rats; originating group.
Zozulia et al. 2008 15 Humans 62 Open-label study (controlled) Not disclosed Originating group In 62 patients with generalised anxiety disorder or neurasthenia, Selank (30) and the benzodiazepine medazepam (32) reduced anxiety scores to a similar degree; the authors report less fatigue with Selank. Russian-language; no placebo group; allocation and blinding not described in the abstract; developers among the authors.
Kolomin et al. 2011 2 Mice not reported Animal experiment (controlled) Not disclosed Originating group One injection of Selank into the belly cavity of mice changed the activity of 34 of 84 inflammation-related genes in the spleen. Gene activity only, no health outcome; mice; originating group.
Medvedev et al. 2014 16 Humans 60 Open-label study (controlled) Not disclosed Originating group In 60 patients with anxiety and related disorders, the authors report a clear anti-anxiety effect of Selank, compared with the benzodiazepine phenazepam. Russian-language; the abstract gives no numbers, allocation or blinding; a developer among the authors.
Medvedev et al. 2015 14 Humans 70 Open-label study (controlled) Not disclosed Originating group In 70 patients with anxiety and related disorders, 40 got Selank added to the benzodiazepine phenazepam and 30 got phenazepam alone; the authors report a faster effect and fewer phenazepam side effects with the combination. Russian-language; no placebo; allocation and blinding not described in the abstract; a developer among the authors.
Rogozinskaya & Lyapina 2017 23 Cells (lab) not reported Laboratory (cells) (controlled) Not disclosed Independent group In a lab clotting test, Selank made blood clot more slowly, more strongly than two related peptides. Blood in a test tube; the abstract does not say whose blood or which concentrations; one laboratory.
Vanhee et al. 2020 7 — not reported Product testing Government Independent group Two unknown products seized in Belgium in 2017 and 2018 turned out to contain Selank and Semax; both peptides were freely sold online as powder for injection or as nasal sprays. Two products; shows what is on the illegal market, not what typical products contain.

About 50 cell and animal studies exist. Nearly all come from a few Moscow institutes linked to the developers.13 The only study from outside Russia we found is a Belgian laboratory analysis of seized products.7

Regulatory status

Is it legal?

Not approved in the EU, the UK or the US. Its status in sport is unclear.
It is not an approved medicine here, and it was not part of the 2026 US vote. Status in the Netherlands, the EU and the US, and in sport, checked on 22 October 2026.
Netherlands and the EUUnited States
Approved as a medicine?No No EU or Dutch authorisation.17,18No Not FDA-approved.5
Legal to sell or supply as a medicine?No Dutch law forbids supplying a medicine without a marketing authorisation, with narrow exceptions.10No It was nominated for pharmacy compounding, but the nominations were withdrawn.6
Allowed in sport?Unknown Not named on the list. It is registered in Russia, so the catch-all ban (S0) may not apply. Ask your anti-doping organisation.19,20,3Unknown The same worldwide rule.21
In detail: Status in each country, and in sport , about 2 minutes to read
Regulatory status by jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Status Note Checked
European Union Not authorised No authorised product, and no record in EMA's medicines data (checked 22 October 2026). 4,17
Netherlands Not authorised Not authorised; supplying an unauthorised medicine is prohibited by the Geneesmiddelenwet. 18,10
United States Not authorised Not FDA-approved. Previously in FDA category 2 (possible significant safety risks); nominations withdrawn. Not part of the July 2026 advisory vote. 6,5
Sport (WADA) Unclear (not named) Not named on the List. Because it is registered in Russia, it is unclear whether S0 applies: ask your anti-doping organisation. 19,21,20,3

All statuses were checked on 22 October 2026. The CBG database lists no Selank product.18 The FDA lists Selank acetate (TP-7) among substances once in category 2, for possible significant safety risks. It names a risk of immune reactions and says it lacks important safety information.6 Selank was not among the seven peptides the FDA’s advisers discussed in July 2026.22

In sport, S0 bans substances that no government health authority has approved. Selank is registered in Russia, so S0 may not cover it. WADA warns that peptides that are not named may still be banned under another section.19,20 Only an anti-doping organisation can give a ruling.

Risk profile

What are the risks?

Barely tested in people. Online products are not checked.
Several harms are possible. None has been studied properly in people. What the FDA and the lab studies suggest, as of 22 October 2026.
Possible harmShown in people?
An immune reaction to the peptide or its impuritiesUnknown The FDA names this risk for some routes.6
Slower blood clotting, which could matter with blood thinnersUnknown Seen in a lab clotting test only.23
A product that is not what the label saysUnknown Two unidentified seized products turned out to hold Selank.7
Harm from long-term useUnknown The FDA lacks the information to judge it.6
In detail: What is known, and what is not , about 1 minute to read

The Russian patient studies were short and compared Selank with benzodiazepines, or added it to one, so they cannot show rare or delayed harms.15,16,14 Products sold online are made outside any checked supply chain. Belgian investigators had to test two unknown products to find out that they held Selank and Semax.7 See product risk.

If someone is going to do this anyway

This section exists to reduce harm. It gives no doses, schedules or sourcing advice, and it is not a recommendation to use this compound.

How can someone lower the risk?

Check the product first, bring a doctor in, and know when to stop.

If your product did not come from a pharmacy: check before you use it

These checks can show that something is wrong. None of them can show that a product is good or free of germs.24,25,26

Tick each box when you have checked it.

  • The seal and the vial are whole

    A broken cap or seal, or a cracked vial, can let germs in. Then do not use it.27,28,29

  • The label shows the name, amount, batch number and expiry date

    In the EU, a medicine must show all four, even on a small vial. If one is missing, or the date has passed, that is a warning sign. Take a photo of the label.30,27

  • It looks right

    A liquid, or a powder after mixing, should be clear and colourless, with no bits. Is it cloudy, has it changed colour, or do you see bits? Then do not use it.31,32

  • A lab report proves little if:

    • its batch number is not the one on your vial;
    • it does not name the lab, or has no date or signature;
    • it shows only purity (HPLC), with no test of what it is, such as mass spectrometry;
    • it has no test for germs (sterility) or for toxins from germs (endotoxin).

    Even a full report covers only one sample. A report from the seller comes from someone who gains if it looks good. It cannot show that your vial is clean.33,34,35,36,37

  • It was kept as the label says

    Heat, freezing and sunlight can damage a peptide. Did it arrive warm, or was it frozen? Then do not use it. Often nobody can tell you how it was kept on the way. If you cannot know, you cannot rule out damage. When in doubt, throw it out.32,38,39,29

  • Clean steps, and a new sterile needle and syringe every time

    Wash your hands and wipe the rubber top with alcohol. Never share a needle, a syringe or a vial.29,40,38

  • Keep the vial, its label and any papers

    Keep them, even when the vial is empty, until you know you feel well. If you need a doctor, bring them. A lab can test what was inside.41,42

  • Tell a doctor, and agree which checks fit you

    A doctor can help you choose blood tests that fit what you use. In the Netherlands, your doctor must keep what you say private.43,44,45

  • Know the warning signs before you start

    Spreading redness, fever, a swollen face or hard breathing need help fast. If it is severe, call your local emergency number.46,47,48

When to stop and get help

Sources 48, 46, 47

Stop-now warning signs

Call your local emergency number now

  • Confusion or slurred speech, very fast breathing, or pale, blue or blotchy skin, often with fever or shivering These can be signs of sepsis: the body's reaction to an infection has started to damage its own organs.
  • Fainting and not waking up within a minute, or fainting with chest pain, a racing heart or a fit This can be a dangerous heart rhythm or a severe allergic reaction.
  • Pain at the injection spot that is much worse than it looks, or dark, purple or grey patches or blisters there This can be a rare, fast-spreading infection of the deep layers under the skin (necrotising fasciitis).
  • Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing or swallowing, wheezing, a hoarse voice, or feeling faint, soon after an injection This can be a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), which is life-threatening and gets worse very quickly.

Get medical help today

  • Fever, shivering or feeling very ill in the days after an injection Germs from the needle, the skin or the product may have reached your blood. If you also have a fast heartbeat or fast breathing, call your local emergency number.
  • Redness, heat, swelling or pain around the injection spot that keeps growing or getting worse This can be a skin infection (cellulitis), which needs antibiotics before it spreads.
  • Red lines that run from the injection spot towards the armpit or groin The infection may be spreading along the lymph vessels, and from there into the blood. If you also have a fever with a fast heartbeat or fast breathing, call your local emergency number.
  • A painful, warm lump that fills with pus This is probably an abscess: it often needs draining by a doctor, so do not squeeze it.
  • You were pricked by a needle that someone else had used Blood on a used needle can pass on HIV and hepatitis B or C, and preventive treatment works best within hours.

Stop and contact a doctor

  • You fainted, but woke up quickly and now feel well Fainting is often harmless, but a doctor should check the cause.
  • A new mole, or a mole that changes size, shape or colour, itches or bleeds A changing mole can be skin cancer, and tanning peptides such as melanotan II have been linked to new and changing moles in case reports.
  • A lump at an injection spot that does not go away, or keeps growing A doctor should check whether it is an abscess, a reaction to the product or something else.
  • An itchy, raised rash, or puffy eyes or lips, while breathing stays normal Your body may be reacting to the product, and using it again can bring the reaction back.
In detail: Interactions, checks, and who should not use it , about 1 minute to read

A doctor can help you weigh these (see talking to your doctor):

  • Blood thinners, because Selank slowed clotting in a lab test. This has not been tested in people.23
  • The anxiety itself. A doctor can help find out what is behind it and talk through treatment options.
  • Anti-doping rules, if you compete: ask your anti-doping organisation first.

There are no data in pregnancy or breastfeeding. See sterile technique.

Sources

Every claim on this page links to one of these sources. Scholarly sources link to their DOI; regulatory sources to the regulator's own page.

In detail: All 48 sources, numbered as in the text , about 8 minutes to read
  1. National Center for Biotechnology Information (2026). PubChem Compound Summary for CID 11765600, Selank. PubChem. Dataset pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (opens an external site) — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  2. Kolomin T, Shadrina M, Andreeva L, Slominsky P, Limborska S, Myasoedov N (2011). Expression of inflammation-related genes in mouse spleen under tuftsin analog Selank. Regulatory Peptides 170:18-23. Research article doi:10.1016/j.regpep.2011.05.001 (opens an external site) ↩
  3. Deigin VI, Poluektova EA, Beniashvili AG, Kozin SA, Poluektov YM (2022). Development of Peptide Biopharmaceuticals in Russia. Pharmaceutics 14:716. Review doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics14040716 (opens an external site) ↩
  4. European Medicines Agency (2026). Medicines (search of centrally authorised medicines and EPARs). Regulator ema.europa.eu (opens an external site) — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  5. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2026). openFDA Drugs@FDA queries, 22 October 2026: selank, semax, epitalon, MOTS-c, thymalfasin, thymosin. openFDA. Dataset api.fda.gov (opens an external site) — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  6. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2026). Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks. Regulator fda.gov (opens an external site) — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  7. Vanhee C, Francotte A, Janvier S, Deconinck E (2020). The occurrence of putative cognitive enhancing research peptides in seized pharmaceutical preparations: An incentive for controlling agencies to prepare for future encounters of the kind. Drug Testing and Analysis 12:371-381. Research article doi:10.1002/dta.2717 (opens an external site) ↩
  8. Fridkin M, Najjar VA (1989). Tuftsin: its chemistry, biology, and clinical potential. Critical Reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 24:1-40. Review doi:10.3109/10409238909082550 (opens an external site) ↩
  9. National Center for Biotechnology Information (2026). PubChem Compound Summary for CID 9811102, Semax. PubChem. Dataset pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (opens an external site) — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  10. Staten-Generaal / Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (2007). Geneesmiddelenwet (BWBR0021505). wetten.overheid.nl. Law wetten.overheid.nl (opens an external site) — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  11. Zozulya AA, Kost NV, Yu Sokolov O, Gabaeva MV, Grivennikov IA, Andreeva LN, Zolotarev YA, Ivanov SV, Andryushchenko AV, Myasoedov NF, Smulevich AB (2001). The inhibitory effect of Selank on enkephalin-degrading enzymes as a possible mechanism of its anxiolytic activity. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine 131:315-317. Research article doi:10.1023/a:1017979514274 (opens an external site) ↩
  12. Inozemtseva LS, Karpenko EA, Dolotov OV, Levitskaya NG, Kamensky AA, Andreeva LA, Grivennikov IA (2008). Intranasal administration of the peptide Selank regulates BDNF expression in the rat hippocampus in vivo. Doklady Biological Sciences 421:241-243. Research article doi:10.1134/s0012496608040066 (opens an external site) ↩
  13. National Library of Medicine (2026). PubMed searches for Semax and Selank, 22 October 2026 (record counts by authorship and affiliation). PubMed. Dataset pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (opens an external site) — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  14. Medvedev VE, Tereshchenko ON, Kost NV, Ter-Israelyan AY, Gushanskaya EV, Chobanu IK, Sokolov OY, Myasoedov NF (2015). Optimization of the treatment of anxiety disorders with selank. Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova 115:33-40. Research article doi:10.17116/jnevro20151156133-40 (opens an external site) ↩
  15. Zozulia AA, Neznamov GG, Siuniakov TS, Kost NV, Gabaeva MV, Sokolov OIu, Serebriakova EV, Siranchieva OA, Andriushenko AV, Telesheva ES, Siuniakov SA, Smulevich AB, Miasoedov NF, Seredenin SB (2008). Efficacy and possible mechanisms of action of a new peptide anxiolytic selank in the therapy of generalized anxiety disorders and neurasthenia. Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova 108:38-48. Research article PMID 18454096 (opens an external site) ↩
  16. Medvedev VE, Tereshchenko ON, Israelian AIu, Chobanu IK, Kost NV, Sokolov OIu, Miasoedov NF (2014). A comparison of the anxiolytic effect and tolerability of selank and phenazepam in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova 114:17-22. Research article PMID 25176261 (opens an external site) ↩
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  37. Janvier S, Cheyns K, Canfyn M, Goscinny S, De Spiegeleer B, Vanhee C, Deconinck E (2018). Impurity profiling of the most frequently encountered falsified polypeptide drugs on the Belgian market. Talanta 188:795-807. Research article doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2018.06.023 (opens an external site) ↩
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