Selank: research history and evidence

Selank research comes almost entirely from Russia. The peptide was designed and produced at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow as a synthetic analog of tuftsin, a short peptide from human immunoglobulin G. It is registered in Russia as nasal drops classed as an "other anxiolytic," but it holds no FDA or EMA authorization. Most of the evidence is from rodent and cell studies, plus a small number of Russian-language clinical studies with design limits. This page traces where Selank came from, what the studies actually tested, and how strong each layer of evidence is.

Origins: tuftsin and the Institute of Molecular Genetics

Tuftsin is a four-amino-acid peptide (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg) released from the heavy chain of human immunoglobulin G. Short regulatory peptides like it tend to break down quickly in tissue. Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow added a Pro-Gly-Pro tail to the C-terminus to improve metabolic stability, producing the seven-residue sequence now called Selank (TKPRPGP). A 2016 paper from the institute describes it as "designed and produced at the Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences."

The institute's work on short regulatory peptides also produced Semax, which the same registration holder, Peptogen, markets in Russia as nasal drops. That shared origin is why the two are often discussed together; see Selank vs Semax.

Russian registration status

Russian drug references list Selank as a registered medicine:

Registration in Russia means Russian authorities accepted the dossier for their market. It does not mean the data have been assessed by the FDA, EMA or MHRA, and much of the supporting clinical work was published only in Russian.

What the research tested

Selank studies fall into four broad layers. The useful question is not "what does Selank do?" but "what was measured, in what model?"

Other work from the same groups reported effects on Bdnf expression in rat hippocampus and on immune markers. A 2019 review by Koroleva and Myasoedov, both at the Institute of Molecular Genetics, summarized proposed anxiolytic, cognitive, immunostimulatory and anti-ulcer actions and suggested Selank acts through a network of peptide cascades involving enkephalins. That is a model proposed by the developers, not a settled mechanism.

The clinical studies, read carefully

2008, randomized vs medazepam. A Russian-language study in the Korsakov Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry enrolled 62 patients with generalized anxiety disorder or neurasthenia: 30 received Selank and 32 the benzodiazepine medazepam. PubMed indexes it as randomized; the abstract does not say it was blinded. The authors reported similar anxiolytic effects in both groups and linked lower blood leu-enkephalin stability to anxiety measures.

2015, open-label add-on study. Medvedev and colleagues ran an open, naturalistic study in 70 patients with anxiety disorders comparing phenazepam alone against phenazepam plus Selank. Response rates at day 14 did not differ significantly (23% vs 40%, p=0.14). Later findings relied on a 20-patient subgroup, and the study was supported by Peptogen, the registration holder.

Together these are early-stage data. There is no large, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Selank published in an international journal,. Claims online that Selank is "proven" for anxiety or focus go beyond what these studies can support.

Status outside Russia

We found no marketing authorization for Selank from the FDA or the European Medicines Agency. Selank is also not one of the peptides covered by the US HHS enforcement-discretion policy filed on 28 October 2026, which named BPC-157, TB-500, Epitalon, Semax, KPV and MOTS-c; see the HHS compounding policy. In the UK and EU, unauthorized peptides presented for human use fall under medicines law; see our UK guide, are research peptides legal in the UK?, and our wider peptide legal guide. Research-grade Selank powder is not the Russian registered product.

For laboratory researchers

If you work with Selank in vitro, check identity and purity on the certificate of analysis against the expected sequence, using our CoA verification guide, and use the peptide calculator for molarity of stock solutions. Our Selank compound page covers bench handling and storage.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Volkova et al., Selank administration affects the expression of some genes involved in GABAergic neurotransmission, Frontiers in Pharmacology (2016)
2. Filatova et al., GABA, Selank, and olanzapine affect the expression of genes involved in GABAergic neurotransmission in IMR-32 cells, Frontiers in Pharmacology (2017)
3. Koroleva and Myasoedov, Physiological effects of Selank and its fragments, Biology Bulletin (2019)
4. PubMed 18454096: Efficacy and possible mechanisms of action of selank in generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia (2008)
5. Medvedev et al., Optimization of anxiety disorder therapy with the peptide drug Selank, Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr (2015)
6. The inhibitory effect of Selank on enkephalin-degrading enzymes (PMID 11550013)
7. RLS Encyclopedia of Medicines: Selank nasal drops registration listing (2025)
8. Vidal.ru: Peptogen product and registration listing
9. Selank overview (sequence and developer)