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# What Is Selank? Research, Form, Status

Selank explained: the synthetic tuftsin-analog peptide from Moscow, what in vitro and Russian research has studied, how it is prescribed, and its FDA status.

URL: https://peptides.build/learn/what-is-selank/

Guide · Cognitive

# What is Selank?

Published October 12, 2026 · Educational, not medical advice

## Short answer

Selank is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide built from tuftsin, an immune peptide, plus a Pro-Gly-Pro tail. It was developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow and is an approved medicine in Russia. Published research includes an in vitro study of GABA-related gene expression. In the US it is available only as a compounded medication prescribed by a licensed provider; compounded medications are not FDA-approved, and Selank is not FDA-approved for any use.

-   [Where does Selank come from?](#origin)
-   [What has Selank been studied for?](#research)
-   [How is Selank prescribed?](#prescribed)
-   [Is Selank FDA-approved or allowed in sport?](#status)
-   [How are Selank doses measured?](#units)
-   [FAQ](#faq)
-   [References](#references)

<table class="ln-facts pb-body"><caption class="pc-sr">Selank quick facts</caption><tbody><tr><th scope="row">Type</th><td>Synthetic heptapeptide (7 amino acids), analog of tuftsin</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Origin</th><td>Institute of Molecular Genetics, Moscow; approved medicine in Russia</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Also known as</th><td>TP-7, Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Evidence to date</th><td>In vitro gene-expression work and Russian clinical studies, mostly not randomized; no Western randomized trials</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Form in this catalog</th><td>Subcutaneous injection, paired with Semax, supplied already reconstituted</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Regulatory status</th><td>Compounded medication; not FDA-approved for any use</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Anti-doping</th><td>Not named on the WADA Prohibited List; the S0 non-approved substances category can apply</td></tr></tbody></table>

Evidence snapshot**What kind of research is cited for Selank?**2 cited sources: 1 human clinical trial, 1 animal or lab study. Counts describe study type, not strength of result.

Sources cited for Selank, by study type
| Study type | Sources |
| --- | --- |
| Human clinical trials | 1 |
| Other human studies | 0 |
| Animal and lab studies | 1 |
| Review articles | 0 |

## Where does Selank come from?

Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro. The first four residues, Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg, are tuftsin, a natural four-amino-acid peptide first described in immunology research, and the Pro-Gly-Pro tail is the same addition found on Semax. The result is an analog of an immune peptide rather than of a hormone fragment, which is the simplest way to tell the two Moscow peptides apart.

Selank was developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow, the institute that also produced Semax, and it is an approved medicine in Russia. That shared history means most of its clinical literature is Russian-language and most of it is not randomized. The alias TP-7 appears in some of that literature and in catalog listings.

## What has Selank been studied for?

Selank research cited here is a 2016 in vitro gene-expression study, published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, which examined how Selank affected the expression of some genes involved in GABAergic neurotransmission. GABA is the main inhibitory signaling chemical in the nervous system, and the study is about which genes in that system shifted when the peptide was applied, not about what a person would feel. In vitro means cells or tissue in a laboratory, several steps removed from a clinical result.

Selank also has a body of Russian clinical studies, most of them not randomized, which is the same evidence pattern as Semax, and no Western randomized trial has been published. This site does not position Selank for stress, mood or any diagnosed disorder: the GABAergic finding describes a pathway, not an indication. A diagnosed condition is a clinician conversation first, before any protocol is considered.

What the published research covers
| Area | Type of evidence | What the studies describe |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GABAergic neurotransmission | In vitro gene-expression study, 2016 | Changes in the expression of some genes in the GABA system |
| Clinical use in Russia | Clinical studies, mostly not randomized | An approved medicine there; reports are largely uncontrolled |
| Humans outside Russia | No randomized trials published | No Western controlled data |
| Pairing with Semax | Catalog practice, not a trial | No published study of the combination |

Prescribed, pre-mixed

## Get Semax / Selank prescribed, pre-mixed

 US-supervised · all 50 states

[Semax / Selank](https://peptides.build/protocols/semax-selank/)Blend: outside the HHS policy

**$183**/mo*$1,099 billed every 6 months*

Pay over time at checkout![Klarna](/media/payments/klarna.png)![Afterpay](/media/payments/afterpay.png)![Affirm](/media/payments/affirm.png)

Prescription required. Your provider decides if it is appropriate. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved.

## How is Selank prescribed?

Selank is prescribed in the US as a compounded medication, prepared by a licensed 503A pharmacy for one patient after a licensed provider writes the prescription. Through Peptides.build it is prescribed only within the Semax / Selank protocol, alongside the ACTH-fragment analog whose 1997 Russian stroke study sits next to Selank's gene-expression study in the catalog references. The two peptides ship in separate vials, each already reconstituted, with its own concentration on the label.

Selank is given as a subcutaneous injection in this catalog. The provider decides during intake whether the pairing fits your history, writes the protocol, and adjusts it over time. Doses are not published on this site.

## Is Selank FDA-approved or allowed in sport?

Selank is not FDA-approved for any use. Approval as a medicine in Russia does not carry over; in the US the compounded form is prepared by a 503A pharmacy, and compounded medications are not FDA-approved.

Selank is not named on the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List. The list's S0 category can cover non-approved substances, so not being named is not clearance; drug-tested athletes should check with their governing body.

## How are Selank doses measured?

Selank prescriptions are written in micrograms, and the amount drawn depends on the concentration the pharmacy prints on the label, which may be stated in mcg/mL rather than mg/mL; a figure in mcg/mL is the same strength as that figure divided by one thousand in mg/mL. Because the Semax vial in the same protocol carries a different label strength, each vial gets its own calculation. The free Semax / Selank calculator converts a prescribed dose and a label strength into U-100 syringe units; it is arithmetic only and does not recommend a dose.

Prescription, not research grade

## Prescribed Selank vs research peptides: what is different?

Prescribed Selank is not a research chemical. It is a prescription medication: a licensed US provider reviews your intake first, and a licensed 503A pharmacy compounds it for you by name. Vials sold online as “research use only” skip both steps. What you pay for here is that review, a pharmacy you can name, and a label that says what is in the vial.

A research seller’s certificate of analysis is a document the seller controls: it chooses the lab and the sample, and a PDF can be reused, edited or re-dated. No regulator checks it.

Prescribed Selank compared with research-use-only peptides
| Point | Prescribed through Peptides.build | Research use only |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Access | Online intake reviewed by a licensed US provider; prescribed only when appropriate. | No prescription and no clinical review of whether it suits you. |
| How it's labeled | A prescription medication compounded for you by name. | Commonly sold labeled “research use only, not for human consumption.” |
| Who prepares it | A licensed 503A US compounding pharmacy under state and federal oversight. | Unregulated suppliers, often with no verifiable chain of custody. |
| Testing | Third-party tested. | Certificates of analysis are self-reported when provided at all. |
| Purity and identity | Prepared to a prescription for a specific patient. | Purity, strength, and even identity are unverified by any independent party. |

This compares two care models, not two products. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved, and we do not claim otherwise. What a prescription adds is a licensed provider deciding whether a protocol is appropriate for you and a licensed pharmacy preparing it. [Read the full guide to research vs prescription peptides](https://peptides.build/learn/research-peptides-vs-prescription-peptides/).

Common questions

## Selank FAQ

### Is Selank for anxiety?

Selank is not positioned on this site for anxiety or any diagnosed disorder. The verified pathway work describes GABAergic gene expression in vitro, which is a mechanism, not an indication. If anxiety is affecting your life, that is a conversation for a clinician first.

### What is the difference between Selank and Semax?

Selank is a tuftsin analog; Semax is an ACTH-fragment analog. They share a Moscow origin and a Pro-Gly-Pro tail but come from different natural peptides and have been studied for different pathways, which is why the catalog pairs them rather than treating them as interchangeable.

### Is Selank a sedative?

No. Selank is a synthetic regulatory peptide, not a sedative drug or a tranquilizer. The verified research describes gene-expression changes in a laboratory setting, not sedation in people.

### Is Selank legal in the United States?

Selank is not FDA-approved for any use. It reaches US patients only as a compounded medication prescribed by a licensed provider and prepared by a licensed 503A pharmacy; compounded medications are not FDA-approved.

### Is Selank banned in sport?

Selank is not named on the WADA Prohibited List. The S0 category for non-approved substances can apply, so drug-tested athletes should check with their governing body before using it.

### Does Selank come as a nasal spray through this site?

No. Through Peptides.build, Selank is prescribed as a subcutaneous injection that ships already reconstituted. Nasal products are measured in sprays rather than syringe units, and the calculator on this site covers only the injectable form.

Prescribed, not mixed at home

## Semax / Selank through Peptides.build

A licensed US provider reviews a short online intake and decides whether a protocol is appropriate. A US 503A pharmacy prepares it already reconstituted, labels the concentration and ships it cold-chain. Dosing is set by the provider and is not published on this site.

-   [Semax / Selank protocol: pricing, who it is for, FAQ](https://peptides.build/protocols/semax-selank/)
-   [All cognitive protocols compared](https://peptides.build/protocols/cognitive/)
-   [Semax / Selank Calculator: units, reconstitution and dosing chart](https://peptides.build/tools/semax-selank-calculator/)
-   [What is Semax?](https://peptides.build/learn/what-is-semax/)
-   [Semax vs Selank: what is the difference?](https://peptides.build/learn/semax-vs-selank/)
-   [What is DSIP?](https://peptides.build/learn/what-is-dsip/)

Sources

## References

1.  Selank administration affects the expression of some genes involved in GABAergic neurotransmission. *Frontiers in Pharmacology*, 2016. [doi:10.3389/fphar.2016.00031](https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2016.00031)Study type: In vitro study (gene expression)
2.  Usage of neurospecific peptide substance Semax in acute period of ischemic insult. *Neurology Bulletin (Nevrologicheskiy Vestnik)*, 1997. [doi:10.17816/nb80150](https://doi.org/10.17816/nb80150)Study type: Clinical study (acute ischemic stroke; not randomized)

Citations are listed with their study type so the evidence can be weighed. Review articles summarize other studies; animal and in vitro findings do not describe outcomes in people.

This article is educational and is not medical advice. Selank is not FDA-approved for any use, and compounded medications are not FDA-approved. No results are implied or guaranteed. Talk to a licensed provider about your own history before starting any protocol.
