Peptide · Fact sheet
Selank
Also known as Selank acetate · TP-7
Selank is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide studied mainly in Russia for anxiety-related outcomes. It is not FDA approved for anxiety, cognition, focus, stress, or any other use.
What is Selank?
Selank is derived from a short sequence related to the immune peptide tuftsin and has been explored for effects on anxiety and brain signaling.
Mechanistic papers describe possible effects on neurotransmitter and gene-expression pathways, but mechanism is not clinical proof.
Benefits people look for
Online nootropic communities promote it for calmness, focus, learning, and stress without the sedation associated with some anxiety medicines.
The published clinical literature is small and difficult to evaluate against current standards, and FDA says important human safety information is lacking.
What the evidence supports
- A small randomized study reported anxiety-related outcomes, but limited accessible detail and replication constrain confidence.
- Laboratory and animal work offers mechanistic hypotheses, not evidence of a dependable nootropic effect in people.
All research areas
- Anxiety disorders
- Stress and emotional regulation
- Cognitive and memory claims
- Neurotransmitter and immune signaling
- Anxiety-related symptoms
- Cognitive and stress-response outcomes
Anecdotal reports & lived experiences
Reports describe what someone noticed. They cannot establish cause, typical results, or how often a side effect happens.
Calmness alongside vomiting and a racing heart
A commenter described feeling unusually calm but also vomiting, hot/cold sensations and intermittent elevated heart rate after a first exposure.
The person was nervous beforehand; product identity and the cause of the symptoms are unverified. This cannot establish either an anxiety treatment effect or a typical adverse reaction.
Read the comment in the Selank discussion ↗No noticeable benefit and a mild headache
Another poster described little noticeable effect from several products labeled Selank or modified Selank, apart from a small headache.
The thread discusses both Selank and Semax variants, which are not interchangeable. Its brief, uncontrolled experiences cannot establish that a particular molecule was ineffective.
Read the no-benefit account ↗Side effects & risks
- FDA identifies potential immune reactions and risks related to aggregation or peptide impurities.
- Human safety data are too limited to define reliable adverse-event rates or long-term risks.
- Unapproved products add quality, identity, strength, sterility, and labeling uncertainty.
This is a summary of the cited evidence, not a complete product label. A lack of human safety data does not establish safety.
Clinical research: how strong is it?
Limited or unclear evidenceA small randomized Russian-language study and mechanistic literature exist, but there is no broad, independently replicated evidence base establishing effectiveness for anxiety or cognitive enhancement.
Selected research to read
Small Russian-language randomized trial with limited accessible reporting and generalizability.
Mechanistic review that does not substitute for confirmatory clinical trials.
FDA approval & research status
Selank has no FDA-approved drug product or use. FDA's current compounding safety summary states that important human safety information is lacking and describes peptide-quality and immune-reaction concerns.
No FDA-approved use is documented in the records summarized on this page.
No active FDA approval path identified
Selank is not FDA approved. Limited human and mechanistic research does not establish an active FDA drug-development program or an approved anxiety treatment.
This summarizes the cited product or research record. Trial phases do not establish successful completion of earlier stages, and a stopped program is not ongoing development. Approval applies only to the labeled product, use and population.
What we still don’t know
- Whether anxiety or cognition findings replicate in larger independent trials
- Long-term neurologic, immune, and reproductive safety
- How outcomes compare with established anxiety treatments
- Whether marketed products contain the claimed peptide consistently
The takeaway
Selank's promise rests on a narrow and uncertain literature. Until larger independent human trials and better safety data exist, it should be described as an unapproved research peptide, not an established anxiolytic or nootropic.
Sources & further reading
Medical evidence and regulatory sources are listed here. Personal reports are linked separately in the experiences section.
- 1fdaFDA: safety risks for selected compounded bulk substances
FDA's current substance-specific summary of evidence gaps and potential safety risks.
- 2pubmedRandomized study of Selank in anxiety disorders
Small Russian-language randomized trial with limited accessible reporting and generalizability.
- 3pubmedReview of Selank biological mechanisms
Mechanistic review that does not substitute for confirmatory clinical trials.
- 4fdaFDA: understanding the risks of compounded drugs
FDA overview explaining that compounded drugs are not reviewed before marketing for safety, effectiveness, or quality.