In short
A Russian-developed nasal peptide studied for anxiety, mainly as an add-on to a benzodiazepine. Not authorized in Canada.
Also known astuftsin analog
CategoryBrain & sleep
Canada statusNot authorized in Canada
Human evidence Limited: small or low-quality human studies
Last reviewedNovember 10, 2026
How strong is the human evidence?
- Cell & animal
- Small human studies
- Some randomized trials
- Large randomized trials
What is Selank?
Selank is a synthetic analog of tuftsin, a small immune-related peptide. It was developed in Russia.
Is Selank legal in Canada?
Not authorized: no product found in Health Canada's Drug Product Database.
What the research shows
- Medvedev et al. (2015, Russian): in 70 patients with anxiety disorders, adding selank to phenazepam was reported to speed the effect and reduce side effects compared with phenazepam alone.
- Rat studies report anti-anxiety effects (e.g. Kasian et al. 2017).
What it doesn't show
- No large independent trials of selank on its own; no evidence for stress or focus use in healthy people.
Common questions
Is selank legal in Canada?
It is not authorized by Health Canada.
Does selank work for anxiety?
Small Russian studies suggest possible benefit as an add-on; independent high-quality trials are lacking.
Sources
- Health Canada Drug Product Database (searched Nov 10, 2026)
- Medvedev VE et al. Optimization of the treatment of anxiety disorders with selank. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr 2015
- Kasian A et al. Selank enhances diazepam's effect in reducing anxiety in rats. Behav Neurol 2017
Related
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