Neuropeptide Research

Selank: Tuftsin Analog Research Data

A conservative review of Selank: its chemistry and Moscow origin, the rodent enkephalinase and GABA data, the small Russian human trials, and where regulators stand in 2026.

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Fact-checked · Reviewed by Remy Research Editorial Board
Update History ▾
October 7, 2026: Added the WADA 2027 Prohibited List (published September 21, 2026), which also does not name Selank.
October 6, 2026: Initial publication, built from a source-by-source check of the Selank literature, the Russian registration record, FDA compounding records and WADA. It separates cell, animal and human evidence and notes where work comes from the developer institutes.
Research-use-only framing applied throughout in line with Remy editorial standards.
TL;DR — Research Summary

Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide built from the immune peptide tuftsin, registered in Russia as an over-the-counter nasal drop, and studied almost entirely by the institutes that developed it. Cell and rodent work from those groups links it to slower enkephalin breakdown, GABA-signalling changes and shifts in BDNF and immune genes.[1][2] The human evidence is three small Russian trials against benzodiazepines — none placebo-controlled and double-blind — and no Selank trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.[3][4][5][6]

Outside Russia, Selank is not an approved medicine, and no published study has examined it combined with Semax.[7] Material supplied by Remy Research is 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 Selank?

Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro (TKPRPGP). PubChem lists the free base as C33H57N11O9, with a molecular weight of about 751.9 g/mol, CAS number 129954-34-3, and PubChem CID 11765600.[8]

The design joins two pieces. The first four residues, Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg, are tuftsin, a tetrapeptide that stimulates phagocytic activity of immune cells.[9] The C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro is the same stabilising tail used in Semax, which came from the same Moscow research group.[10] The registered Russian medicine uses Selank diacetate as its active substance; "N-acetyl Selank" sold online is a different molecule with no published studies.[11]

Origin: Moscow, 1990s

Selank was developed by the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences together with the Zakusov Institute of Pharmacology.[12] It first appears in the literature in 1995 under the code name TP-7, in a rat study comparing it with tuftsin.[13] A 1998 study reported an anti-anxiety-like effect in a high-anxiety mouse strain but not in a low-anxiety strain.[14] In rats, the intact peptide was detectable in plasma for only minutes.[15]

Russia registered Selank nasal drops in 2009; they became an over-the-counter medicine in 2017, and the current certificate dates from July 2025.[16][17]

Proposed Mechanisms and the Evidence Behind Each

Selank has been linked to several pathways, and no high-affinity receptor has been identified. Every mechanism below comes from the developer groups, and none has been replicated independently.

Selank — Proposed Mechanisms and Evidence
Proposed mechanism What was reported Evidence type
Enkephalinase Inhibits enkephalin-degrading enzymes in human serum at micromolar concentrations; longer enkephalin half-life in high-anxiety mice In vitro, animal
GABA signalling Positive allosteric modulation of GABA binding in rat brain membranes; more inhibitory synaptic activity in hippocampal slices In vitro, ex vivo
Gene expression Changed expression of dozens of neurotransmission genes in rat frontal cortex within hours Animal
BDNF Regulated BDNF expression in rat hippocampus after intranasal delivery Animal
Immune signalling Suppressed IL-6 gene expression in blood cells from patients with depression; cytokine shifts in small uncontrolled patient groups In vitro, small human reports
Antiviral activity Activity against an influenza A strain in cell culture and mice In vitro, animal

The enkephalinase work is the most cited: Selank inhibited enkephalin-degrading enzymes in human serum, with an IC50 in the 15–20 µM range.[1] The GABA findings come from radioligand binding in rat membranes and from hippocampal slice recordings.[18][19] A rat study found 45 of 84 neurotransmission genes changed at one hour, and another reported hippocampal BDNF regulation.[2][20] The immune and antiviral signals reflect the tuftsin lineage.[21][22] In rats under chronic mild stress, Selank also changed the effect of diazepam.[23]

Human Data: What Exists

The human literature consists of small Russian comparative trials:

None of these trials was placebo-controlled and double-blind, and no Selank trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.[6] The Russian label's human pharmacokinetic figures could not be traced to a published study.

Who Did the Research

Of 68 PubMed records that mention Selank in the title or abstract, at least 57 include authors from the two developer institutes, and every primary experimental or clinical study comes from Russian institutions.[25] The non-Russian work is limited to reviews and a forensic study: a Belgian laboratory found Selank and Semax in seized preparations and built a method to identify them, and a US review grouped Selank with phenibut as a poorly studied GABA-active drug sold to consumers.[26][27]

What Has Been Published on Safety

There are no long-term safety data, and the registered product is a nasal drop only; no human data exist for other routes.

Regulatory Status in 2026

Where Selank stands as of October 6, 2026.
  • Russia. Selank is a registered over-the-counter medicine, sold only as 0.15% nasal drops for anxiety-related indications in adults. Unlike Semax, it is not on Russia's essential-medicines list. No injectable, pen or Selank + Semax combination product is registered.[16][11]
  • United States. Selank is not FDA-approved and appears in none of FDA's 503A compounding categories. Its nomination was withdrawn, and a law-firm report dates its removal from Category 2 to September 2024.[29][7][30] FDA's July 2026 advisory committee reviewed Semax but not Selank.[31]
  • European Union and UAE. No registration was found.
  • Sport. Selank is not named on WADA's 2026 Prohibited List or on the 2027 List (published September 21, 2026; in force January 1, 2027). Because it holds a Russian approval, WADA's S0 clause for substances with no approval anywhere does not obviously apply, but there is no Selank-specific ruling; athletes should ask their anti-doping organisation.[32]

What the Selank Literature Does Not Yet Give You

These gaps are not arguments against studying Selank. They are arguments against overselling it.

Where Selank Fits in an RUO Research Catalog

For research use, Selank belongs with the neuropeptide research tools: a defined tuftsin analog for cell-culture and animal-model work on enkephalinase, GABA signalling and gene expression. Remy Research lists the Genovare Selank 25mg AQ pen and a Selank + Semax 50mg blend pen, both supplied for in-vitro laboratory research only. No published study has examined the two peptides combined. Neither listing is framed for human use, veterinary use or treatment.

For researchers reading this page as a starting point, the most useful adjacent references on this site are the Semax evidence review, the peptide primer, the COA and HPLC purity guide, and the Dubai legality brief.

Our Research Standards

This article prioritizes primary literature, registration records and FDA compounding records, and notes where findings come from the developer institutes. Where the human record is thin, we say so directly. No therapeutic, human-use, or veterinary-use claim is made here. Read our editorial policy →

RP
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 Research FAQ

What is Selank?

Selank is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide, Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, built from the immune peptide tuftsin plus a stabilising Pro-Gly-Pro tail. It was developed in Moscow by the Institute of Molecular Genetics and the Zakusov Institute of Pharmacology, and it is registered only in Russia, as an over-the-counter nasal drop.[8][12][16]

Is Selank approved by the FDA, in the EU or in the UAE?

No. Selank is not FDA-approved and appears in none of FDA's 503A compounding categories; its compounding nomination was withdrawn, and FDA's 2026 advisory committee did not review it. No EU or UAE registration was found.[29][7][31]

How is Selank thought to work?

Proposed mechanisms include slower breakdown of enkephalins, allosteric modulation of GABA signalling, changes in BDNF and immune-related genes, and antiviral activity. Nearly all of this comes from cell and rodent studies by the developer groups, and none has been independently replicated.[1][18][2]

What does the human research on Selank show?

Three small Russian trials of 60–70 patients each reported anti-anxiety effects similar to benzodiazepines, and a 52-person fMRI study looked at healthy volunteers. None of the trials was placebo-controlled and double-blind, one was open-label and partly manufacturer-funded, and no Selank trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.[3][4][5][6]

How does Selank differ from Semax?

Selank extends the immune peptide tuftsin, while Semax extends a fragment of ACTH; both share the Pro-Gly-Pro tail and the same Moscow origin. In Russia, Selank is an over-the-counter anti-anxiety nasal drop, while Semax is a prescription nasal drop on the essential-medicines list. FDA's July 2026 advisory committee reviewed Semax but not Selank.[10][16][31]

Has the Selank and Semax combination been studied?

No published study of the two combined was found. Papers that mention both test them separately, including a 2020 fMRI study with separate Selank, Semax and placebo groups. No combination product is registered in Russia, the only country where either is registered.[24][16]

Is Selank on the WADA Prohibited List?

It is not named on the 2026 List or on the 2027 List, which takes effect on January 1, 2027. WADA's S0 clause covers substances with no current government approval for human use, and Selank holds a Russian registration, but there is no Selank-specific ruling. Athletes should ask their anti-doping organisation rather than assume it is permitted.[32]

What safety information exists for Selank?

The Russian label lists allergic reactions and an unpleasant taste, and contraindicates use in pregnancy, breastfeeding and under-18s. FDA flags immunogenicity risk from aggregation and impurities and says it lacks human safety data. No long-term or independent safety studies were found.[11][7]

Sources

  1. 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 ↩
  2. 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 ↩
  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 searches for Selank, run October 6, 2026 (0 registered Selank trials; the raw keyword hits do not mention Selank). clinicaltrials.gov ↩
  7. 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 "nominated but withdrawn"; page updated April 2026). fda.gov ↩
  8. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 11765600, Selank. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/11765600 ↩
  9. National Library of Medicine. MeSH descriptor D014405, Tuftsin. meshb.nlm.nih.gov ↩
  10. 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 ↩
  11. Selank nasal drops 0.15%: official Russian package leaflet (State Register of Medicines, 2025). grls.rosminzdrav.ru ↩
  12. Peptogen (registration holder). Selank 0.15% product page, describing development by the Institute of Molecular Genetics and the Zakusov Institute of Pharmacology. peptogen.ru ↩
  13. 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 ↩
  14. Seredenin SB, Kozlovskaia MM, Blednov IuA, et al. The anxiolytic action of an analog of the endogenous peptide tuftsin on inbred mice with different phenotypes of the emotional stress reaction [in Russian]. Zh Vyssh Nerv Deiat Im I P Pavlova. 1998;48(1):153-160. PMID: 9583175 ↩
  15. 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 ↩
  16. Russian State Register of Medicines record for Selank nasal drops 0.15% (registration LP-No.(010951)-(RG-RU) of July 15, 2025; earlier LSR-003338/09 of April 30, 2009), via the pharmcontrol.ru registry export. pharmcontrol.ru ↩
  17. Peptogen. Notice that Selank nasal drops became a non-prescription medicine, August 2, 2017. peptogen.ru ↩
  18. Vyunova TV, Andreeva L, Shevchenko K, et al. 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 ↩
  19. Povarov IS, Kondratenko RV, Derevyagin VI, et al. Effect of Selank on Spontaneous Synaptic Activity of Rat Hippocampal CA1 Neurons. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2017;162(5):640-642. doi: 10.1007/s10517-017-3676-3 · PMID: 28361410 ↩
  20. 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 ↩
  21. 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 ↩
  22. 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 ↩
  23. 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 ↩
  24. 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 ↩
  25. PubMed title/abstract search for "selank", run October 6, 2026 (68 records; at least 57 with authors from the two developer institutes). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↩
  26. 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 ↩
  27. 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 ↩
  28. 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 ↩
  29. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Bulk drug substances nominated for use in compounding under section 503A: Categories 1–3 (updated May 14, 2026). fda.gov/media/94155 ↩
  30. Reed Smith (via Lexology). Report of FDA removing selank acetate and other peptides from Category 2 after nominators withdrew, September 2024. lexology.com ↩
  31. 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 ↩
  32. World Anti-Doping Agency. 2026 Prohibited List (Selank is not named; class S0 covers substances with no current governmental approval for human therapeutic use). wada-ama.org. 2027 Prohibited List, published September 21, 2026, in force January 1, 2027 (Selank is not named). wada-ama.org ↩

For catalog details, see the Genovare Selank 25mg AQ pen and the Selank + Semax blend pen. For compliance context, continue to the Dubai legality brief and the research standards page.

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