- Also known as
- Selank peptide · tuftsin analogue · Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro · TKPRPGP
- Class
- Synthetic tuftsin analogue
- Form
- Lyophilised powder (10 mg vial); nasal spray 15 mg / 10 mL
- Sizes
- 10 mg
- Storage, dry
- −20 °C, dry and dark
- Storage, mixed
- 2–8 °C, use within 28 days of mixing (as generally reported for reconstituted peptides)
- BAC water per size
- 10 mg: 2 mL
What is Selank?
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide, Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, made on the basis of the endogenous peptide tuftsin with a C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro added. Russian groups developed it and describe it as a peptide anxiolytic. Most of its human data come from small Russian clinical studies in generalised anxiety disorder, neurasthenia and related anxiety disorders, often comparing it with benzodiazepines such as phenazepam and medazepam. The proposed mechanism in the laboratory work is inhibition of enkephalin-degrading enzymes in blood, which lengthens the half-life of leu-enkephalin, with further studies on cytokine balance, BDNF in rat brain and GABA-related gene expression in cultured cells. The animal work is in mice and rats, mostly by intraperitoneal injection.
What the research shows
| Study | Model | Dose used | Duration | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zozulia AA et al.2008 · Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova · PMID 18454096 | Human, randomised controlled trial, generalised anxiety disorder and neurasthenia (n=62: 30 Selank, 32 medazepam) | Not stated in the abstract | Not stated in the abstract | Anxiolytic effects of Selank and medazepam were similar on Hamilton, Zung and CGI scales, and Selank also showed anti-asthenic and psychostimulant effects. Serum leu-enkephalin half-life, low at baseline, rose during Selank treatment, mostly in patients with GAD. |
| Medvedev VE et al.2015 · Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova · PMID 26356395 | Human, randomised controlled trial, anxiety disorders (n=70: 30 phenazepam alone, 40 Selank plus phenazepam) | Not stated in the abstract | Not stated in the abstract | Adding Selank brought on the effect of phenazepam earlier on the HDRS and reduced phenazepam side effects such as attention and memory impairment, sedation and asthenia, during treatment and after withdrawal. Quality of life on the SF-36 improved. |
| Medvedev VE et al.2014 · Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova · PMID 25176261 | Human, comparative clinical trial versus phenazepam, phobic-anxiety and somatoform disorders (n=60) | Not stated in the abstract | Not stated in the abstract | The authors report a pronounced anxiolytic and mild nootropic effect of Selank, lasting a week after the last dose, and a positive effect on quality of life. |
| Panikratova YR et al.2020 · Dokl Biol Sci · PMID 32342318 | Human, placebo-controlled resting-state fMRI study in healthy participants (n=52, Selank, Semax or placebo) | Not stated in the abstract | Single administration; scans before and 5 and 20 min after | Differences were found in connectivity between the right amygdala and the right temporal cortex, with both general and specific effects of Selank and Semax. |
| Uchakina ON et al.2008 · Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova · PMID 18577961 | Human, generalised anxiety disorder and neurasthenia, plus cell culture (patient peripheral blood) | 10⁻⁷ M in vitro; in-vivo dose not stated in the abstract | 14 days (in vivo) | In vitro, Selank completely suppressed IL-6 gene expression in blood cells from patients with depression but not healthy controls. In treated patients, the serum Th1/Th2 cytokine balance changed. |
| Sokolov OY et al.2002 · Bull Exp Biol Med · PMID 12432865 | Mouse (BALB/c and C57Bl/6), open-field test and plasma enzyme assay | 100 mcg/kg | Not stated in the abstract | Selank had an anxiolytic effect in the open-field test and lengthened plasma leu-enkephalin half-life in BALB/c mice, with no effect on behaviour or enkephalinase activity in C57Bl/6 mice. |
| Konstantinopolsky MA et al.2022 · Bull Exp Biol Med · PMID 36322304 | Rat (outbred), naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal model | 0.3 mg/kg, intraperitoneal (diazepam 2 mg/kg as comparator) | Single injection | Selank reduced the total morphine withdrawal index by 39.6% and raised the tactile sensitivity threshold 9-fold, slightly less than diazepam (49.3% and 13-fold). |
| Kolik LG et al.2019 · Bull Exp Biol Med · PMID 31625062 | Rat (outbred), 30 weeks of 10% ethanol as the only fluid; object recognition test | 0.3 mg/kg a day, intraperitoneal | 7 days | Selank prevented ethanol-induced memory and attention disturbances during withdrawal and prevented the ethanol-induced rise in BDNF in the hippocampus and frontal cortex. |
What these studies don't show: The human studies are small Russian trials, and their abstracts do not give the Selank dose, route or treatment length. None report adverse-event rates. A 2021 US review describes Selank as poorly studied. The mechanism work is in mice, rats and cultured cells, mostly by intraperitoneal injection, and there are no long-term human safety data in these records.
Every study links to its PubMed record. See all Selank studies in the research library →
Selank price in Australia: 10mg vial
Buy Selank in Australia in a 10mg vial, plus a nasal spray and a starter kit. Prices are in AUD, you pay by PayID or bank transfer, and orders are dispatched from Australian stock.
| Size | Price | Per mg | BAC water (example) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 mg | $94.99 | $9.50/mg | 2 mL |
The BAC water column is an example volume for the maths only. Open the calculator (pre-set for Selank).
Other formats and kits
Is Selank available in Australia?
Selank is not registered on the ARTG, and there is no TGA-approved Selank product in Australia. Tasman supplies Selank as a research chemical for laboratory research only, not for human or veterinary use. The clinical studies on Selank come from Russia, which has no bearing on its status here. How the TGA treats research peptides →
Side effects reported in studies
The Selank abstracts give no adverse-event rates; the one tolerability finding is from a 70-patient Russian trial, where adding Selank to phenazepam reduced phenazepam's own side effects on the UKU scale. The measured outcomes are anxiety scale scores, quality of life, serum enkephalin and cytokines in small Russian trials, and behaviour, BDNF and tissue changes in mice and rats. Read more →
Doses used in studies
The Russian human trial abstracts in these records do not state the Selank dose, route or schedule, so no human dose can be reported from them. The doses that are stated come from rodent studies, reported here only as the doses those studies used: 100 mcg/kg in mice and 0.3 mg/kg intraperitoneally in rats, with 100–1000 μg/kg tested in a rat stress model. None of this is a dosing recommendation. Read more →
Reconstitution
| Vial | BAC water (example) | Concentration |
|---|---|---|
| 10 mg | 2 mL | 5 mg/mL |
Selank FAQ
Where can I buy Selank in Australia?
Tasman supplies research-grade Selank from Australian stock, as a 10 mg lyophilised vial and as a 15 mg / 10 mL nasal spray. Each batch is tested by HPLC before dispatch. It is sold for laboratory research only, not for human or veterinary use, and Selank is not registered on the ARTG.
How much is Selank per mg?
The size table on this page lists each format with its current price, so the cost per mg can be read straight from it. Note that the two formats hold different amounts: the vial holds 10 mg of dry powder, while the nasal spray holds 15 mg already dissolved in 10 mL.
What is Selank studied for?
Selank has mainly been studied in anxiety disorders, in small Russian trials comparing it with benzodiazepines such as medazepam and phenazepam. Laboratory work looks at its inhibition of enkephalin-degrading enzymes, cytokine balance, BDNF in rat brain after chronic ethanol, morphine withdrawal in rats, stress-related liver changes in rats and influenza infection in cells and mice.
Is Selank legal in Australia?
Selank is not registered on the ARTG, and there is no TGA-approved Selank product. Tasman supplies it only as a research chemical for laboratory use. Its clinical use in Russia does not create any approval in Australia.
What is the difference between the Selank vial and the nasal spray?
The vial holds 10 mg of freeze-dried Selank that is reconstituted in the lab, and it keeps longest stored dry at −20 °C. The spray holds 15 mg already dissolved in 10 mL, which is 1.5 mg per mL (0.15%), and needs no mixing but should be kept refrigerated.
How should Selank be stored?
Store the dry powder at −20 °C, sealed, dry and away from light. Once reconstituted, keep it at 2–8 °C and use it within 28 days, as is generally reported for reconstituted peptides. Keep the nasal spray refrigerated at 2–8 °C and out of direct light.
Selank vs Semax: what is the difference?
Selank and Semax are both synthetic heptapeptides ending in Pro-Gly-Pro, but they come from different parent molecules. Selank is built on tuftsin and is described as an anxiolytic, while Semax is built on an ACTH fragment and is described as a nootropic. In human serum, both inhibited enkephalin-degrading enzymes, with IC50 values of 20 μM for Selank and 10 μM for Semax.
How does Selank work?
The main proposed mechanism is inhibition of the enzymes that break down enkephalins in the blood. Studies found Selank inhibited plasma enkephalin hydrolysis (IC50 15 μM) and lengthened leu-enkephalin half-life in mice and patients. In IMR-32 cells, Selank alone did not change the expression of GABA-system genes, but it altered the gene response to GABA.
Is Selank a benzodiazepine?
No. Selank is a seven-amino-acid peptide, not a benzodiazepine. Russian trials compared it with the benzodiazepines medazepam and phenazepam, and a cell study found it did not directly change GABA-system gene expression, although it may affect how GABA acts on GABA-A receptors. A 2021 review groups it with GABAergic agents and calls it poorly studied.
Is there a Selank starter kit?
Yes. The Selank 10 mg vial is also offered as a starter kit, and the product page lists exactly what the kit includes. Like the vial on its own, the kit is supplied for laboratory research only.
