Selank
Neuropeptides
ABOUT
Selank is a synthetic peptide that has been studied in a small comparative clinical report for anxiety disorders. The PubMed record is an article in Russian and does not constitute a robust, independently replicated evidence base.
EVIDENCE OVERVIEW
Too little published work to judge either way
WHAT THIS MEANS
Insufficient evidence. Review the research and limitations before relying on this record.
IDENTITY
HALF-LIFE
HOW IT IS THOUGHT TO WORK
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide analogue of the immunomodulatory tetrapeptide tuftsin (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro). Reported mechanisms in rodents include activation of brain monoaminergic systems with changes in dopamine synthesis and turnover and modulation of tyrosine hydroxylase activity, prevention of ethanol-induced BDNF elevation in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, and altered cytokine and chemokine gene expression in spleen.
PHARMACOKINETICS
No pharmacokinetic data is reported. The rodent studies indexed here used intraperitoneal injection at 0.3-2000 micrograms per kilogram; the intranasal route used clinically in Russia has no published exposure profile.
REVIEW
PUBLISHED PAIR RECORDS
with Semax
Overlapping neuroactive claims, none independently replicatedSemax and Selank are commonly combined for cognitive or mood effects and are described as acting on overlapping neurotrophic and monoaminergic signalling rather than on separate targets. The shared problem is evidential rather than mechanistic: Semax is registered in Russia with an evidence base that is largely Russian-language and not independently replicated; Selank is registered in Russia, with one comparative anxiety report published in Russian. No study has examined this combination, and for a pair where neither component has a replicated effect, a combined effect cannot be inferred from adding two uncertain ones. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 21 Aug 2026with na-semax-amidate
Overlapping neuroactive claims, none independently replicatedNA Semax Amidate and Selank are commonly combined for cognitive or mood effects and are described as acting on overlapping neurotrophic and monoaminergic signalling rather than on separate targets. The shared problem is evidential rather than mechanistic: NA Semax Amidate has no clinical trial of its own anywhere; Selank is registered in Russia, with one comparative anxiety report published in Russian. No study has examined this combination, and for a pair where neither component has a replicated effect, a combined effect cannot be inferred from adding two uncertain ones. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 21 Aug 2026with na-selank-amidate
Same peptide, one chemically modified for stabilityNA-Selank Amidate is Selank with an acetylated N-terminus and an amidated C-terminus - standard chemistry to resist the exopeptidases that degrade the parent. It is the same intended target with a different degradation profile, not a second mechanism, so combining them stacks one pharmacology rather than two. Peppy keeps them as separate records because evidence does not transfer between them: what clinical use exists applies to the parent, and the modified form has never been tested in a trial anywhere. The modification is not purely additive either - for Semax, the free N-terminus that acetylation removes was itself shown to be protective against copper-induced toxicity in a cell line. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 21 Aug 2026with noopept
Overlapping neuroactive claims, none independently replicatedSelank and Noopept are commonly combined for cognitive or mood effects and are described as acting on overlapping neurotrophic and monoaminergic signalling rather than on separate targets. The shared problem is evidential rather than mechanistic: Selank is registered in Russia, with one comparative anxiety report published in Russian; Noopept is prescribed in Russia and is an unapproved new drug in the United States, with a thin, largely developer-authored trial base. No study has examined this combination, and for a pair where neither component has a replicated effect, a combined effect cannot be inferred from adding two uncertain ones. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 21 Aug 2026with Cerebrolysin
Overlapping neuroactive claims, none independently replicatedSelank and Cerebrolysin are commonly combined for cognitive or mood effects and are described as acting on overlapping neurotrophic and monoaminergic signalling rather than on separate targets. The shared problem is evidential rather than mechanistic: Selank is registered in Russia, with one comparative anxiety report published in Russian; Cerebrolysin is a porcine brain-derived peptide mixture whose Cochrane review found probably little or no benefit on all-cause death in acute ischaemic stroke, alongside moderate-quality evidence of a potential increase in non-fatal serious adverse events. No study has examined this combination, and for a pair where neither component has a replicated effect, a combined effect cannot be inferred from adding two uncertain ones. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 21 Aug 2026HUMAN EVIDENCE
Selank is registered in Russia and described as having completed phase 3 testing as a selective anxiolytic. The one comparative clinical report curated here set it against phenazepam for anxiety disorder; it is published in Russian, comes from within the same research tradition, and has not been independently replicated, so it does not constitute a robust evidence base. All the mechanistic studies available are animal, from institutes in Moscow connected to the originating group.
REPORTED EFFECTS
The claim that peptide drugs based on endogenous regulators have almost no side effects appears in the Russian literature without systematic supporting safety data. FDA removed Selank acetate from the Category 2 interim compounding list in September 2024 after the nomination was withdrawn - a procedural change, not a safety finding. No regulator has approved this substance for the use described here, so there is no label-verified dose, purity standard, or safety monitoring requirement behind it.
RESEARCH LIMITATIONS
The located report is limited in size, language accessibility, and applicability. It does not establish broad effectiveness, long-term safety, or suitability for other formulations, populations, or uses. Peppy provides no protocol or dosing guidance.
CURATED SOURCES · 4