Selank: Benefits, side effects, dosage details, and how it works

If there were a prescription drug that promised to help us think more clearly, feel calmer, and enjoy a higher quality of life, more than just a few people would be happy to try it. Research suggests such a prescription exists — and it goes by the name of Selank.

Selank is a therapeutic peptide developed in Russia and used there for its potential nootropic, anxiolytic, and immunomodulatory benefits. Much of the research on it is in Russian, not English, so scientific literature about its effects and mechanisms can be challenging to find, much less analyze. But we took the challenge, closely read the studies, and distilled the findings here for you, to help you determine whether this peptide really meets its potential.

Over the past two decades, Innerbody Research has helped tens of millions of readers make more informed decisions about staying healthy and living healthier lifestyles.

This guide to Selank is part of our ongoing series on therapeutic peptides, an endeavor into which we’ve put more than 1,000 cumulative research hours. Our study on the subject constitutes not only the time we’ve spent reading the scientific literature but also our relationships with licensed medical providers who prescribe peptides and people who use them. This multifaceted approach allows us to present both theoretical and practical knowledge, giving you the most complete picture of peptides that’s currently possible.

Additionally, like all health-related content on this website, this guide was thoroughly vetted by one or more members of our Medical Review Board for accuracy and will continue to be monitored for updates by our editorial team.

Selank (a.k.a. TP-7) is a synthetic neurocognitive peptide, or a pharmaceutical capable of delivering cognitive and neuroprotective benefits. Apart from its central nervous system benefits, it’s also used as a drug for managing anxiety and other mood disorders.

Selank was developed in Russia by the Institute of Molecular Genetics as an analog of tuftsin, a natural peptide from a region of the antibody immunoglobulin G. While tuftsin’s role in the body relates primarily to immune system function,1 it has also exhibited in animals models the neurocognitive peptide effects more narrowly associated with Selank: enhancements related to mood and the central nervous system.2 3

Researchers have proposed two mechanisms of Selank’s actions. Its cognition-enhancing effects may be due to an ability to influence the brain’s levels of noradrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine,4 three neurotransmitters with well-documented relationships to vigilance, attention, learning,5 memory,6 and the motivation toward cognitive effort.7 Meanwhile, its anxiolytic effects appear to be GABAergic (i.e., relating to the neurotransmitter GABA). As a mood stabilizer, Selank functions similarly to benzodiazepine tranquilizers: it modulates GABA-A receptors to increase inhibitory action on neuronal excitability, facilitating a state of calm.8 9 Importantly, however, Selank doesn’t cause the same side effects as benzodiazepines — amnesia, withdrawal, dependence— so it’s theoretically a safer alternative.8

In and around Russia, Selank is most commonly used as a nootropic or an anxiolytic due to its actions on neurotransmitters and the GABAergic system. Below, we discuss the scientific support for such uses.

Although the word on Selank’s safety is positive, dedicated safety studies — English-language ones, at least — are absent, and the few details we have are mentioned in passing. For example, in a 2013 review on synthetic peptides that spans nearly 30 pages, we get only these statements on Selank’s side effect profile:20

• “Selank has a prolonged effect and no side effects and, on the whole, is [efficiently delivered] in young and elderly monkeys.”
• “The action of Selank is not accompanied by undesirable characteristics (hypnosedation and myorelaxation) and side effects (amnesia, withdrawal, and dependence).”
• “According to the results of preclinical and clinical studies of Semax and Selank, it can be concluded that both peptides are safe and highly effective.”

That makes Selank look pretty good from a safety perspective, but the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) would disagree with the claim that the peptide is free of side effects. Specifically, the FDA warns that compounded drugs containing Selank pose a risk for immunogenicity, a state in which the body perceives a substance as a threat and mounts a potentially life-threatening immune response against it.21 22 The FDA qualifies the risk to “certain routes of administration” but doesn’t specify which routes, and also notes a lack of safety information concerning Selank administered to humans.21

Our relationships with peptide providers have given us additional insights into this topic, but the side effects they’ve shared with us are no different from most therapeutic peptides we’ve covered (injection site reactions, stomach discomfort, nausea, headaches, and dizziness). The contraindications, too, aren’t uncommon (pregnancy, breastfeeding, and active cancer).

Research-grade vs. pharmaceutical-grade Selank

Any drug classified as pharmaceutical-grade has met chemical purity standards that make it fit for human use and has been approved or indexed for such by the FDA.23

Research-grade drugs, however, have not met those standards and are, therefore, not suitable for human consumption. Because of their relatively low purity levels and attendant immunogenetic risk, they’re relegated to laboratory use only.24

Selank is not FDA-approved, and pharmaceutical-grade versions are hard to come by in the United States, so most of what you’ll find (usually online, through vendors without validated reputations) is research-grade.

That doesn’t mean proper pharmaceutical-grade Selank isn’t available, only that you may need to take additional steps to procure it. We discuss the matter further at the end of this guide, under “Where to find Selank.”

The medical providers we know have themselves prescribed Selank to patients and have shared with us important details about the user experience that most online sources don’t mention. We relay them to you in the following sections.

Dosing and administration of Selank

As an injectable, Selank has a standard dose of 0.5mg, though a user’s exact dose may depend on individual variables like age and weight. Selank may also be available as an intranasal spray, in which case doses usually start at 300mcg.

Injectable Selank, like other injectable peptides, comes as a powder in a vial alongside the accessories you need to reconstitute the powder into a solution and administer your doses — bacteriostatic water and needle syringes. Though instructions for reconstitution may vary somewhat, they typically entail adding a specific measure of bacteriostatic water to the powder to dissolve. Generally, you should avoid shaking the solution because agitation can degrade the peptide.

Intranasal Selank requires no such preliminary steps and is ready to use as is.

Injectable Selank normally has a dosing protocol of five days per week, whereas the intranasal variant may require once- or twice-daily administration. The dose can be taken at any time of day, but morning administration would allow the user to take greater advantage of Selank’s nootropic benefits.

With therapeutic peptides, providers often recommend a cycling protocol, whereby the user alternates between the time spent “on” and “off” the treatment. A common Selank cycle is one month on followed by one month off, amounting to six cycles per year.

Selank storage

After reconstitution, injectable Selank should last around one month under appropriate conditions. The U.K.’s National Institute for Biological Standards and Control states that the ideal temperature for peptides is 4°C, or 39°F.25 That’s about as cool as an ordinary home refrigerator.

Timeline of benefits from Selank

Selank’s nootropic and anxiolytic effects should become apparent quite early. Within 1-2 weeks, users tend to notice increased mental clarity, increased calmness, and reduced stress. At 4-6 weeks, the nootropic effects become more robust as users may experience an improved ability to learn, remember, and recall information. At 8-12 weeks is when the long-term cognitive and mood-stabilizing effects take hold, along with the less outwardly expressed benefits of the peptide (i.e., reduced inflammation, improved immune function, and neuroprotection).

With its nootropic, anxiolytic, and specific immunomodulatory actions, Selank is best suited to people who have:

• Cognitive disorders or impairments (e.g., difficulty focusing, age-related memory lapses)
• Chronic anxiety or stress
• Chronic inflammation

But that’s not to say that Selank is a guaranteed solution for clinical diagnoses such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), general anxiety disorder, or rheumatoid arthritis. The current (English-language) scientific literature on Selank is too meager to say conclusively that the peptide can yield significant benefits in such cases, and most of the research we’ve seen has been conducted not in humans but in animals. At this time, Selank appears to be a potential remedy primarily for people whose cognitive, mood, or immune system complaints are toward the mild end of the mild-to-severe spectrum.

Additionally, as we’ve discussed, Selank (like many other therapeutic peptides) isn’t suitable for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, as there isn’t enough research to verify the safety of the developing fetus or child; nor should it be taken by people with active cancer diagnoses, per our known medical providers.

Even though Selank isn’t an FDA-approved medication, you can still get it through an accredited U.S. compounding pharmacy as long as:26

• You have a prescription from a licensed clinician
• The prescription indicates that Selank is necessary to treat your health concern

Meeting these criteria requires that your physician deems not only that Selank can remedy your specific health concern but also that no other available treatment would be an appropriate substitute. Truthfully, with the variety of effective FDA-approved prescriptions for things like cognition and anxiety, the odds aren’t all that in your favor unless Selank’s seemingly lower side effect profile is a chief factor informing the decision.

As for online channels, none of the most reputable telehealth platforms (e.g., Hims, Hers, Strut Health) carry Selank, and lesser-known vendors who do have it are likely to be selling research-grade material. No matter how keen you are to try Selank, we urge you not to go the research-grade route, as (again) research-grade peptides are not suitable for human consumption, and the risk is too high.

The peptide landscape, in terms of legality, is constantly evolving, so it’s possible that Selank will one day become more widely available outside of Russia. Should that happen, we’ll update this guide accordingly and point you in the best direction for getting some for yourself.