What it is
Selank is a synthetic peptide of seven amino acids, Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro. The first four are tuftsin, a small immune-signalling fragment of the antibody protein immunoglobulin G. The last three, Pro-Gly-Pro, were added to make it more stable in the body. The same Pro-Gly-Pro tail appears on its sister peptide Semax.
It was developed by Russian Academy of Sciences researchers, the same network behind Semax. It is sold there by the manufacturer Peptogen as 0.15% nasal drops for anxiety and stress-related conditions, and the company states it has been available without a prescription since August 2017.
Outside Russia it has no approval from any major regulator, and almost all of its research is in Russian-language journals.
How it works
Three mechanisms have been proposed, all from animal and lab work:
- GABA modulation. A 2016 rat study found that Selank changed the activity of dozens of genes involved in nerve signalling in the frontal cortex within an hour, in a pattern that correlated with the effect of GABA itself. The authors suggested it acts as an allosteric modulator of the GABA system, the same system benzodiazepines act on.
- Enkephalin protection. Earlier work reported that Selank inhibits the enzymes that break down enkephalins, the body's own calming opioid peptides. In the 2008 clinical study, patients with anxiety had lower measures of enkephalin stability than expected, and Selank raised them.
- Immune signalling. Because it is built on tuftsin, Selank has also been studied for effects on cytokines and immune gene expression.
None of these has been confirmed in human brain studies.
What the research found
Human studies
- Zozulia and colleagues (2008) compared Selank with the benzodiazepine medazepam in 62 patients with generalised anxiety disorder or neurasthenia (30 on Selank, 32 on medazepam). The anti-anxiety effect was similar between the two. The authors reported that Selank also had anti-fatigue and mildly stimulating effects that medazepam lacked.
- Medvedev and colleagues (2014) compared Selank with phenazepam, another benzodiazepine widely used in Russia, in 60 patients with anxiety and somatoform disorders. They reported a pronounced anti-anxiety effect with a mild nootropic effect, some benefit lasting a week after stopping, and improved quality of life.
Both were small, both compared Selank against an active drug rather than placebo, and both came from the Russian research network that developed it. The abstracts do not give doses or detailed side effect counts. There is no large placebo-controlled trial, and no trial from outside Russia.
Animal studies
Rat studies have reported reduced anxiety behaviour, protection against memory impairment from alcohol, milder signs of morphine withdrawal, and an enhanced anti-anxiety effect when combined with diazepam. These are consistent with the proposed GABA and opioid mechanisms but do not substitute for human data.
Side effects reported in studies
The Russian clinical papers describe Selank as well tolerated and highlight the absence of sedation, which is the main drawback of benzodiazepines. The published abstracts do not give numbers, so claims about how often side effects occur cannot be checked. Nasal irritation is a plausible issue with any nasal drop, but there is no published rate for Selank. Long-term safety has not been studied in a Western-standard trial.
Selank vs Semax
| Selank | Semax | |
|---|---|---|
| Built on | Tuftsin (immune peptide) | ACTH fragment |
| Developed for | Anxiety, stress | Stroke, cognition |
| Proposed mechanism | GABA and enkephalin systems | BDNF, monoamines |
| Russian product | 0.15% nasal drops | 0.1% and 1% nasal drops |
For more detail see Semax vs Selank. For sleep-related peptides see DSIP.
Status in the Philippines
No Selank product is registered with FDA Philippines, so it cannot be sold here as a medicine. It is not a controlled substance under RA 9165. It reaches the country through research-chemical suppliers, usually as lyophilised powder rather than the finished Russian nasal drops, and it has a following among Manila office workers interested in anxiety without sedation. Anyone with a diagnosed anxiety disorder in the Philippines has approved treatments available through a licensed physician, and stopping a prescribed benzodiazepine abruptly to switch to an unregistered peptide is risky.
Local stock Selank 10mg at Primara Labs, delivered in Metro Manila and nationwide. Research use only.
Storage
Lyophilised powder is best kept refrigerated and away from light. Once mixed, keep it at 2 to 8°C in the main body of the fridge, not the door. Brownouts can take a household fridge out of that range within hours, so plan around them. See the beginner guide for handling basics.
