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Selank

Also known as TP-7, Selank acetate

Human trials

Synthetic heptapeptide based on the immune peptide tuftsin, registered in Russia as an anti anxiety nasal spray. Published research is mostly animal and small Russian human studies.

Not an approved medicine. Selank is not an approved medicine for this use in Australia or the United States. This page summarises published research for information only. It is not a recommendation to use Selank, and VialOwl does not sell or supply it.

Background

Synthetic seven amino acid peptide designed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences by extending tuftsin, a small immune peptide, with a Pro-Gly-Pro tail to make it more stable. It is registered in Russia as a nasal spray for anxiety.

How it is thought to work

Laboratory work suggests it changes how GABA binds to its receptors in brain tissue and slows the breakdown of enkephalins, the body's own calming opioid peptides. How much of this happens in people at the doses used is not established.

What is claimed, and the evidence

Claim	Evidence	Notes
Reduces anxiety	Small human studies	Small Russian clinical studies (about 60 to 70 patients) comparing or combining it with the benzodiazepine phenazepam; published in Russian with no large placebo controlled trials.
Reduces side effects of benzodiazepines when added to them	Small human studies	One small Russian open comparison; not independently replicated.
Improves memory and focus (nootropic)	Animal studies only	Mainly rat studies; one small brain imaging study in healthy people showed changes in connectivity, not improved thinking.
Boosts immunity or fights viral infections	No published evidence	Promoted online because of its tuftsin origin; no published controlled human evidence found.
Treats depression	Animal studies only	Rat stress models only.

Side effects

Effect	How often	Notes
Well tolerated in small Russian studies	Frequency unknown	Published human studies are small and report few side effects, but they were not designed to detect uncommon or long term harms.
Nasal irritation	Frequency unknown	Plausible with a nasal spray; no reliable frequency data published.
Immune reactions to impurities or aggregates Serious	Frequency unknown	FDA notes a possible risk of immunogenicity from aggregation and peptide related impurities in compounded products.

Warnings

Human safety data are limited to small Russian studies; long term safety is unknown.
FDA placed selank in its list of bulk substances that may present significant safety risks, citing possible immune reactions and lack of human safety information.
Unapproved products are not made to medicine standards and may be contaminated, underdosed, overdosed or contain a different substance from the label; the TGA warns that injected unapproved peptides carry risks including contamination, infection and local tissue damage.

Regulatory status

Australia: Not included on the ARTG (unapproved). Not specifically listed in the Poisons Standard (June 2026).
United States: Not FDA approved. Nomination withdrawn from 503A Category 2 (significant safety risks).

Sources

Also in Cognitive

From the VialOwl library, reviewed 26 September 2026. For education and general information. It is not medical advice and not a recommendation to use Selank.