Selank

Anxiety relief comparable to a low-dose benzodiazepine in Russian trials, without the sedation, fog or dependence.

Evidence: BHuman trials what's this?
Grade B. Russian clinical data and approval; small trials, no Western replication.
Also known as: Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro · tuftsin analogue
Class: Synthetic heptapeptide; GABA-A modulator. Approved anxiolytic in Russia.

The 30-second version

WhatTuftsin, an immune peptide cleaved from antibodies, with a stabilising tail that gives it brain activity.

Why people use itCalmer baseline, stress resilience and clear-headed focus.

The honest catchThe promising data are Russian, small and unreplicated, and effect sizes are often unreported.

What it is

Selank is the calming sibling of Semax, from the same institute. Researchers took tuftsin, a small natural immune peptide, and added a Pro-Gly-Pro tail for stability. The result had anti-anxiety and cognitive effects. It’s an approved prescription anxiolytic nasal spray (0.15%) in Russia.

How it works

GABA-A. A positive allosteric modulator that gently enhances the brain’s own calming signal.

Enkephalins. Slows the breakdown of the body’s own anti-anxiety peptides.

BDNF. Supports learning, memory and plasticity, so benefits build over days.

Monoamines. Balances serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline toward calm focus.

Immune. Mild anti-inflammatory effects inherited from tuftsin.

It modulates gently rather than pushing hard like benzodiazepines, which is thought to explain why it calms without sedating or causing dependence.

What the research shows

In people: Russian studies in generalised anxiety disorder reported anti-anxiety effects comparable to benzodiazepines without sedation. That data supports the Russian approval¹. In animals: confirmed effects on GABA, serotonin and BDNF, including protecting memory and attention under stress². A single nasal dose changed gene expression in both brain and immune tissue³.

A modulating calm, not a knockout, and that’s the point.

Evidence at a glance

Use	Grade	Best evidence	Main gap	Read
Anxiety (GAD)	BHuman trials	Benzo-comparable, no sedation¹	Small, unreplicated	Approved in Russia
GABA, BDNF mechanism	ELab & animal	Confirmed in animals^2,3	Preclinical	Well characterised
Calm focus	DCommunity use	Community reports	Secondary effect	Plausible

Dosing: what has been reported

Not a recommendation. These figures describe what was studied or what circulates in practice, kept separate so you can see how solid each one is. Speak with a qualified clinician before acting on any of it.

Setting	Figure	Route	Grade
Approved (Russia)	0.15% spray; ~200–400 mcg, 2–3 times daily	Intranasal	B
Community	200–500 mcg, 2–3 times daily; daily or as needed	Intranasal	D
Community alternative	150–250 mcg, 1–2 times daily	Subcutaneous	D

Nasal use is the evidence-backed route. Some calming can be felt within minutes. Fuller effects on mood, baseline anxiety and clarity build over 5–7 days. It’s commonly paired with Semax.

Preparing & storing

Reconstitute research Selank with bacteriostatic water for nasal drops or spray, and refrigerate.

Reported side effects

Mild nasal irritation
Occasional mild fatigue or mood change
No sedation, tolerance, dependence or withdrawal reported
Injection-site reactions with subcutaneous use

Who should avoid it

Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Benzodiazepines, other GABA drugs, SSRIs: get medical guidance first
Diagnosed anxiety or mood disorders: an adjunct to discuss with a clinician, not a replacement

Regulatory status checked Oct 2026

Body	Status	Detail
FDA (US)	Not approved	Research use only.
EMA (EU)	Not approved	—
Russia	Approved	Prescription anxiolytic, 0.15% nasal spray.
WADA	Not listed	Low doping relevance.

The NexGen read

A different kind of anxiolytic

If the Russian data hold up, Selank calms without the downsides of benzodiazepines. Its safety profile is genuinely clean. What’s missing is independent Western trials.

References

Zozulya AA, Neznamov GG, Siuniakov TS, et al. Efficacy and possible mechanisms of the peptide anxiolytic Selank in generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr. 2008;108(4):38–48.
Kolik LG, et al. Selank prevents memory and attention impairment and normalises BDNF during ethanol withdrawal. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2019.
Kolomin T, Shadrina M, Slominsky P, et al. A single intranasal administration of Selank changes gene expression in rat hippocampus and spleen. Dokl Biochem Biophys. 2010.