Selank
Cognitive · Russian peptide
Tier C+
Bottom line
Read Off Label grades Selank as C+ (5.7/10) based on weak evidence, variable benefit magnitude, and a low-risk safety profile.
Claimed to reduce anxiety without the sedation or dependence of benzodiazepines.
Studied, labeled, or reported-use context: 300-1500 mcg intranasal daily — Research chemical; not individualized guidance.
Frontier potential — editorial judgment, not evidence
This is a separate axis from the grade above. It asks a different question: if this worked in humans, how much would it matter? It is our judgment, it is not part of the composite score, and it cannot raise a grade. A high number here is a statement about the idea, not about whether it works or whether anyone should take it.
What the ceiling rests on
A tuftsin analogue registered in Russia as an anxiolytic, with animal work suggesting GABAergic and BDNF-related effects and, unusually for an anxiolytic, no sedation or dependence signal.
Why it may not get there
The same problem as Semax and more so: the evidence base is one national research tradition, small, and not independently replicated. There are no Western controlled trials, and the anxiolytic field has an especially poor record of small unblinded results surviving proper blinding.
What would change this An independent placebo-controlled trial.
What the evidence says
Claimed to reduce anxiety without the sedation or dependence of benzodiazepines. Russian trials in generalized anxiety disorder. Very limited Western replication. Often stacked with Semax.
Mechanism
Synthetic analog of tuftsin; anxiolytic via GABAergic modulation; increases BDNF; enkephalin modulation — atypical anxiolytic without sedation
Studied, labeled, or reported dose & route
300-1500 mcg intranasal daily
This records doses and routes described in studies, approved labeling, clinical practice, or documented use. It is not individualized guidance and does not establish safety; context changes with indication, formulation, health history, monitoring, and other medicines.
Citations
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Common questions
- What does the evidence show about Selank's effects?
- Read Off Label rates the evidence for Selank as Weak and the benefit magnitude as variable, producing an overall grade of C+ (5.7/10). Claimed to reduce anxiety without the sedation or dependence of benzodiazepines.
- What safety findings are reported for Selank?
- Selank has a low risk profile in the database. Low (reported) Legal status: Research chemical (Russia Rx).
- What doses or routes are reported for Selank?
- 300-1500 mcg intranasal daily This is context from studies, approved labeling, clinical practice, or documented use; it is not individualized guidance and does not establish safety.
- How does Selank work?
- Synthetic analog of tuftsin; anxiolytic via GABAergic modulation; increases BDNF; enkephalin modulation — atypical anxiolytic without sedation
This is an independent synthesis of published research by a non-clinician. Scores are opinions supported by citations, not prescriptions. See the full disclaimer and methodology for how this score was produced and what it does and doesn't mean.