Neuropeptide Research

Selank Side Effects and Benefits: Research Data

What the Russian label, small trials and animal studies report about Selank safety, withdrawal and dependence, and its studied benefits.

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Fact-checked · Reviewed by Remy Research Editorial Board
Update History ▾
October 27, 2026: Initial publication, built from the 2025 Russian label and package leaflet, FDA’s Category 2 page, the July 2026 advisory-committee agenda, the WADA 2027 List and primary papers.
Research-use-only framing applied throughout in line with Remy editorial standards.
TL;DR — Research Summary

Selank side effects in the published record are few and mild: the Russian label lists allergic reactions and an unpleasant taste, and no long-term or independent safety study exists. Selank is a synthetic peptide built from tuftsin, registered in Russia as a non-prescription anxiety medicine, and studied almost entirely by the institutes that developed it.[1][2] Its human evidence is three small Russian trials that compared it with benzodiazepines; none was placebo-controlled and double-blind, and no Selank trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.[3][4][5][6]

On withdrawal and dependence, the label says Selank causes no dependence or habituation, but no independent abuse-liability study was found.[7][8] Selank is not FDA approved. Remy Research supplies it for in-vitro laboratory research only, not for human or veterinary use.

Compliance note: this page is a research review, not a treatment guide. It does not provide human-use dosing, therapeutic recommendations, or any clinical-use instructions, and should be read in the same non-therapeutic frame required across Remy's research content.

What Is the Peptide Selank?

Selank is a seven-amino-acid synthetic peptide, Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, described on its Russian label as a synthetic analog of the endogenous peptide tuftsin.[1] PubChem lists it as C33H57N11O9, about 751.9 g/mol, CAS 129954-34-3.[9] The first four amino acids are tuftsin, a tetrapeptide that stimulates phagocytic activity of immune cells; the Pro-Gly-Pro tail is the same one used in Semax.[10][11]

The peptide selank was developed by the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences with the Zakusov Research Institute of Pharmacology.[2] It first appears in 1995 under the code TP-7, in a rat study of anxiety-like behaviour and serotonin metabolism in which it normalised brain serotonin levels and was more active than tuftsin.[12] In rats, the intact peptide stayed in plasma for only minutes.[13] Russia now registers it as a non-prescription medicine under a certificate issued on July 15, 2025.[1]

How Selank Works: Mechanism of Action

The exact mechanism is unknown, and no high-affinity receptor has been identified. Proposed actions in the central nervous system, all from developer-group studies, are:

Selank Side Effects and Safety Data

Selank side effects and other adverse effects have been described in four kinds of source:

Selank Side Effects — Sources and Findings
Source What was reported Evidence type
Russian label Allergic reactions in people intolerant to it; unpleasant taste Registered product
Label warnings Not for pregnancy, breastfeeding, under-18s or hypersensitivity Registered product
Clinical trials Tolerability compared with phenazepam; fewer phenazepam side effects with Selank added Small human trials
FDA Possible immunogenicity; lacks human safety information Regulator review
Stem-cell model 61% fewer GABA-positive neurons formed; authors judged it non-toxic Cell

Sources: label;[1][7] trials;[4][5] FDA;[19] stem-cell study.[20]

The label also states that no overdose cases have been registered and that no interaction has been established with haloperidol, pentobarbital, hexobarbital, analeptics or ethanol.[7] In rats, though, Selank changed the anti-anxiety effect of diazepam, and the two acted on GABA binding in a non-additive way, so benzodiazepine interactions remain an open question.[21][15] The current Russian label does not list local nasal irritation.[1] There are no long-term safety data, and the registered product is the only form with any human data.

Selank Withdrawal, Dependence and Alcohol Withdrawal Studies

Two different questions sit behind the search term “selank withdrawal”: whether stopping Selank causes withdrawal, and whether Selank affects withdrawal from other drugs.

Does Selank Cause Dependence?

The Russian package leaflet states that Selank does not cause drug dependence or habituation.[7] That is a manufacturer claim: no published abuse-liability, tolerance or discontinuation study of Selank was found. A US review grouped Selank with phenibut as poorly studied Russian drugs with GABA-related mechanisms and urged abuse-potential testing before such agents reach the public.[8] In one 2014 trial, the anti-anxiety effect lasted for a week after the last Selank was given, but that study did not measure withdrawal symptoms.[4]

Selank in Withdrawal Models

The Zakusov institute has studied Selank in animal withdrawal models. In rats with long-term alcohol drinking, Selank removed withdrawal-induced anxiety in two behavioural tests and prevented mechanical allodynia, without changing alcohol consumption.[22] In mice it blocked the expression of ethanol-induced motor sensitisation.[23] In older rats on long-term alcohol, it prevented the ethanol-induced cognitive impairment (memory and attention problems) that developed during withdrawal and an ethanol-related rise in hippocampal BDNF.[24] In morphine-dependent rats, Selank reduced the total withdrawal score by 39.6%, slightly less than diazepam’s 49.3%.[25]

One human study touches the subject. In 70 patients with anxiety disorders, adding Selank to phenazepam reduced phenazepam side effects such as memory impairment, sedation and emotional indifference, both during treatment and after the tranquilizer was withdrawn. It was open-label with no placebo arm.[5]

Selank Peptide Benefits: Key Benefits Studied

Selank Benefits — What Was Reported
Claimed benefit What was reported Evidence type
Anxiety reduction Anxiolytic effects similar to medazepam or phenazepam Small human trials
Cognitive functions Faster avoidance learning in rats; protected memory in alcohol models Animal
Immune modulation IL-6 and Th1/Th2 cytokine shifts Cell, small human reports
Antiviral activity Suppressed influenza A in cell culture; better survival in mice Cell, animal
Stress responses Lowered raised anxiety in rats; with diazepam, best under chronic mild stress Animal

Sources: trials;[3][4] cognition;[26][24] immune;[18] antiviral;[27] stress.[21]

Anxiety Reduction and Generalized Anxiety Disorder

In the first trial of the new peptide anxiolytic Selank, 62 patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or neurasthenia received Selank or medazepam. The anxiolytic effects were similar, and Selank also had anti-asthenic and stimulant effects; serum enkephalin half-life rose with Selank, mostly in GAD.[3] A 2014 study of 60 patients reported pronounced anxiolytic and mild nootropic effects against phenazepam.[4] Randomisation and blinding are not described in either abstract. In rats, Selank given alone was the most effective treatment for reducing anxiety that had been raised by repeated drug courses.[21]

Cognitive Functions and Cognitive Enhancement

In rats with low learning ability, Selank improved active avoidance learning from the first training day, and it was compared with piracetam.[26] No human study has tested cognitive performance or memory as a primary outcome, so claims of cognitive enhancing effects rest on rodent data and need further research.

Immune Function, Immune Modulation and Antiviral Activity

The immune effects reflect the tuftsin part of the molecule. Selank completely suppressed influenza A reproduction in cell culture and improved survival in infected mice, and it induced interferon-alpha gene expression.[27] These are laboratory results; no trial has tested Selank in people with weakened immune systems.

Is Selank FDA Approved?

Where Selank stands as of October 28, 2026.
  • FDA. Selank is not FDA approved. FDA lists selank acetate under “nominated but withdrawn” on its compounding safety-risk page, citing immunogenicity risk and missing human safety information.[19] Its July 2026 compounding advisory meeting reviewed Semax but not Selank.[28]
  • Russia. A registered non-prescription medicine, classed as an anxiolytic and labelled for anxiety states, mood instability, sleep disorders and the prevention and treatment of stress related disorders.[1]
  • Sport. Selank is not named on WADA’s 2027 Prohibited List; athletes should ask their anti-doping organisation how the S0 class applies.[29]
  • UAE. Remy Research supplies research grade Selank for in-vitro laboratory research only, not for human or veterinary use.

Selank vs Semax and Selank Amidate

Semax comes from the same institute and shares the Pro-Gly-Pro tail but is built on an ACTH fragment. Both inhibit enkephalin-degrading enzymes in vitro, and a 2020 imaging study gave Selank, Semax or placebo to separate groups of healthy volunteers.[11][30] No study of the two combined was found, so the Genovare Selank + Semax 50mg AQ pen is a research material, not a studied combination. See Semax benefits and side effects and Semax vs Selank.

“N-acetyl Selank amidate” is a modified molecule sold online. A PubMed search for N-acetyl Selank returned no records, so none of the findings above apply to it.[31] Selank and Semax have also turned up among research peptides in seized preparations, which led a Belgian laboratory to build a method to identify them.[32]

What the Research Does Not Yet Show

Selank for Laboratory Research

Remy Research supplies Selank for in-vitro research as the Genovare Selank 25mg AQ pen and, with Semax, as the Genovare Selank + Semax 50mg AQ pen. Each product page carries its batch testing details. For the full evidence review, read the Selank tuftsin analog research review; for another peptide studied for cognitive effects, see Cerebrolysin benefits and side effects.

Our Research Standards

This article prioritizes primary literature, the Russian label and FDA records, keeps cell, animal and human evidence apart, and notes where work comes from the developer institutes. No therapeutic, dosing or administration guidance is given. Read our editorial policy →

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Editorial Review

Editorial Board, Remy Research

The Remy Research Editorial Board reviews Remy's peptide research library, with a focus on analytical verification, clinical-trial interpretation, and compliance-safe scientific communication.

About the editorial team →

Selank Side Effects FAQ

What are the side effects of Selank?

The Russian label lists allergic reactions in people intolerant to it and an unpleasant taste. It is contraindicated in pregnancy, breastfeeding, under-18s and hypersensitivity.[1]

Does Selank cause withdrawal or dependence?

The label says it causes no dependence or habituation, but no independent abuse-liability or discontinuation study has been published.[7][8]

Has Selank been studied for alcohol withdrawal?

Only in animals. In rats it reduced withdrawal-induced anxiety and allodynia without changing alcohol intake.[22]

Is Selank FDA approved?

No. FDA lists selank acetate as nominated but withdrawn for compounding, and its 2026 advisory committee did not review it.[19][28]

Is Selank safe?

There are no long-term or independent safety data. FDA cites immunogenicity risk and a lack of human safety information.[19]

What are the contraindications for Selank?

The Russian label contraindicates it in pregnancy, breastfeeding, people under 18 and anyone hypersensitive to it. Remy Research supplies it for in-vitro research only.[1]

What is the mechanism of action of Selank?

It is not established. Proposed mechanisms include slower enkephalin breakdown, allosteric modulation of GABA binding and gene expression changes, all from developer-group studies.[14][15][16]

Which is better for anxiety, Semax or Selank?

They have not been compared. Selank’s small trials were in anxiety disorders, and its label lists anxiety-related uses.[3][1]

Do Selank benefits include cognitive enhancement?

Only in rats so far: it improved avoidance learning and protected memory in alcohol models.[26][24]

Sources

  1. Vidal Russia drug reference. Selank 0.15%: registration LP-No.(010951)-(RG-RU) of July 15, 2025 (previous LSR-003338/09), non-prescription; side effects and contraindications. vidal.ru ↩
  2. Peptogen (registration holder). Selank 0.15% product page, describing development by the Institute of Molecular Genetics and the Zakusov Institute of Pharmacology. peptogen.ru ↩
  3. Zozulia AA, Neznamov GG, Siuniakov TS, et al. Efficacy and possible mechanisms of action of a new peptide anxiolytic selank in the therapy of generalized anxiety disorders and neurasthenia [in Russian]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2008;108(4):38-48. PMID: 18454096 ↩
  4. Medvedev VE, Tereshchenko ON, Israelian AIu, et al. A comparison of the anxiolytic effect and tolerability of selank and phenazepam in the treatment of anxiety disorders [in Russian]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2014;114(7):17-22. PMID: 25176261 ↩
  5. Medvedev VE, Tereshchenko ON, Kost NV, et al. Optimization of the treatment of anxiety disorders with selank [in Russian]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2015;115(6):33-40. doi: 10.17116/jnevro20151156133-40 · PMID: 26356395 ↩
  6. ClinicalTrials.gov API search for Selank as an intervention, run October 28, 2026 (no Selank study; the two keyword hits are brain-stimulation studies naming electrode site TP7). clinicaltrials.gov ↩
  7. Selank 0.15%: official Russian package leaflet (State Register of Medicines, 2025), including the statements on dependence and habituation, overdose and interactions. grls.rosminzdrav.ru ↩
  8. Doyno CR, White CM. Sedative-Hypnotic Agents That Impact Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Receptors: Focus on Flunitrazepam, Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid, Phenibut, and Selank. J Clin Pharmacol. 2021;61 Suppl 2:S114-S128. doi: 10.1002/jcph.1922 · PMID: 34396551 ↩
  9. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 11765600, Selank. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/11765600 ↩
  10. National Library of Medicine. MeSH descriptor D014405, Tuftsin. meshb.nlm.nih.gov ↩
  11. Kost NV, Sokolov OIu, Gabaeva MV, et al. Semax and selank inhibit the enkephalin-degrading enzymes from human serum [in Russian]. Bioorg Khim. 2001;27(3):180-183. doi: 10.1023/a:1011373002885 · PMID: 11443939 ↩
  12. Seredenin SB, Semenova TP, Kozlovskaia MM, et al. The characteristics of the anxiolytic action of taftsin and its analog TP-7 on behavior and serotonin metabolism in the brain of rats with chronic deprivation of serotoninergic system activity [in Russian]. Eksp Klin Farmakol. 1995;58(6):3-6. PMID: 8704608 ↩
  13. Boĭko SS, Zherdev VP, Dvorianinov AA, et al. The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of heptapeptide — a prospective synthetic analog of tuftsin with psychostimulating action in rats [in Russian]. Eksp Klin Farmakol. 1998;61(5):42-45. PMID: 9854633 ↩
  14. Zozulya AA, Kost NV, Sokolov OYu, et al. The inhibitory effect of Selank on enkephalin-degrading enzymes as a possible mechanism of its anxiolytic activity. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2001;131(4):315-317. doi: 10.1023/a:1017979514274 · PMID: 11550013 ↩
  15. Vyunova TV, Andreeva L, Shevchenko K, Myasoedov N. Peptide-based Anxiolytics: The Molecular Aspects of Heptapeptide Selank Biological Activity. Protein Pept Lett. 2018;25(10):914-923. doi: 10.2174/0929866525666180925144642 · PMID: 30255741 ↩
  16. Volkova A, Shadrina M, Kolomin T, et al. Selank Administration Affects the Expression of Some Genes Involved in GABAergic Neurotransmission. Front Pharmacol. 2016;7:31. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00031 · PMID: 26924987 ↩
  17. Inozemtseva LS, Karpenko EA, Dolotov OV, et al. Intranasal administration of the peptide Selank regulates BDNF expression in the rat hippocampus in vivo. Dokl Biol Sci. 2008;421:241-243. doi: 10.1134/s0012496608040066 · PMID: 18841804 ↩
  18. Uchakina ON, Uchakin PN, Myasoedov NF, et al. Immunomodulatory effects of selank in patients with anxiety-asthenic disorders [in Russian]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2008;108(5):71-75. PMID: 18577961 ↩
  19. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks (“Selank acetate (TP-7)” listed under “Bulk drug substances nominated but withdrawn”; content current as of April 22, 2026). fda.gov ↩
  20. Kobylyanskii AG, Zolotarev YA, Andreeva LA, et al. Studying the Toxic Effects of Some Biologically Active Peptides on the Model of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2017;163(6):731-736. doi: 10.1007/s10517-017-3891-y · PMID: 29063333 ↩
  21. Kasian A, Kolomin T, Andreeva L, et al. Peptide Selank Enhances the Effect of Diazepam in Reducing Anxiety in Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Conditions in Rats. Behav Neurol. 2017;2017:5091027. doi: 10.1155/2017/5091027 · PMID: 28280289 ↩
  22. Kolik LG, Nadorova AV, Kozlovskaya MM. Efficacy of peptide anxiolytic selank during modeling of withdrawal syndrome in rats with stable alcoholic motivation. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2014;157(1):52-55. doi: 10.1007/s10517-014-2490-4 · PMID: 24913576 ↩
  23. Kolik LG, Nadorova AV, Seredenin SB. Selank Inhibits Ethanol-Induced Hyperlocomotion and Manifestation of Behavioral Sensitization in DBA/2 Mice. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2016;162(1):56-59. doi: 10.1007/s10517-016-3544-6 · PMID: 27878720 ↩
  24. Kolik LG, Nadorova AV, Antipova TA, et al. Selank, Peptide Analogue of Tuftsin, Protects Against Ethanol-Induced Memory Impairment by Regulating of BDNF Content in the Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex in Rats. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2019;167(5):641-644. doi: 10.1007/s10517-019-04588-9 · PMID: 31625062 ↩
  25. Konstantinopolsky MA, Chernyakova IV, Kolik LG. Selank, a Peptide Analog of Tuftsin, Attenuates Aversive Signs of Morphine Withdrawal in Rats. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2022;173(6):730-733. doi: 10.1007/s10517-022-05624-x · PMID: 36322304 ↩
  26. Kozlovskii II, Danchev ND. The optimizing action of the synthetic peptide Selank on a conditioned active avoidance reflex in rats. Neurosci Behav Physiol. 2003;33(7):639-643. doi: 10.1023/a:1024444321191 · PMID: 14552529 ↩
  27. Ershov FI, Uchakin PN, Uchakina ON, et al. Antiviral activity of immunomodulator Selank in experimental influenza infection [in Russian]. Vopr Virusol. 2009;54(5):19-24. PMID: 19882898 ↩
  28. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. July 23–24, 2026: Meeting of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (agenda: BPC-157, KPV, TB-500, MOTS-c, emideltide, Semax, Epitalon). fda.gov ↩
  29. World Anti-Doping Agency. 2027 Prohibited List (in force January 1, 2027); class S0 Non-Approved Substances. Selank is not named. wada-ama.org ↩
  30. Panikratova YR, Lebedeva IS, Sokolov OY, et al. Functional Connectomic Approach to Studying Selank and Semax Effects. Dokl Biol Sci. 2020;490(1):9-11. doi: 10.1134/S001249662001007X · PMID: 32342318 ↩
  31. PubMed searches run October 28, 2026: “selank” in title/abstract (68 records); “N-acetyl selank” (0 records). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↩
  32. Vanhee C, Francotte A, Janvier S, et al. 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 Test Anal. 2020;12(3):371-381. doi: 10.1002/dta.2717 · PMID: 31667971 ↩

For catalog details, see the Genovare Selank 25mg AQ pen and the Genovare Selank + Semax 50mg AQ pen. For editorial standards, continue to the editorial policy.

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Catalog Genovare Selank 25mg AQ Pen→ Catalog Genovare Selank + Semax 50mg AQ Pen→ Research Selank Tuftsin Analog Research→ Comparison Semax vs Selank→ Neuropeptide Semax Benefits & Side Effects→ Neuroprotective Cerebrolysin Neuroprotective Research→ Catalog Research Peptide Catalog→