Selank
Clinical reviewer: Jacob Moore, MD · Last checked September 18, 2026
What is Selank?
Selank is a synthetic peptide analog of tuftsin, studied in rats and in small Russian studies of anxiety patients, and sold online for anxiety. Its FDA compounding nomination, filed as "selank acetate," was withdrawn, and it is not FDA-approved. A related peptide, Semax, was discussed at FDA's July 2026 compounding advisory committee meeting.
What is Selank and what has it been studied for?
Selank is described in the research literature as "a peptide tuftsin analogue" [2]. In a single-dose rat study, an intraperitoneal injection of 0.3 mg/kg reduced a morphine-withdrawal severity index by 39.6%, a result the authors compared with diazepam [2]. In people, a 2008 Russian study of 62 patients with generalized anxiety disorder or neurasthenia reported anxiety relief similar to the benzodiazepine medazepam [4]. Later Russian studies in anxiety patients were also small. Selank is marketed online as a nootropic or anxiety product.
Is Selank FDA-approved or regulated as a compounding ingredient?
No. FDA's compounding page lists "Selank acetate (TP-7)" among nominations withdrawn by their sponsors, stating that "compounded drugs containing selank acetate may pose risk for immunogenicity for certain routes of administration due to the potential for aggregation and peptide-related impurities" [1]. Selank is not listed in any of FDA's compounding categories, and it is not an FDA-approved drug. A related peptide, Semax, was discussed at FDA's July 23-24, 2026 Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee meeting [3].
Related terms
Sources
- FDA — Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks (Category 2), current as of April 22, 2026
- Selank and morphine withdrawal in rats, Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2022
- FDA meeting page, July 23-24, 2026 Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee
- Zozulia et al, Selank in generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia, Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii, 2008
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