Selank reconstitution calculator

Enter your vial amount and target dose. DrawDose returns the BAC water volume, syringe units, and a vial label you can copy.

What selank is and where it stands legally

Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences in collaboration with the V.V. Zakusov Research Institute of Pharmacology. The molecule is structurally a tuftsin analog — tuftsin is the Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg fragment of the heavy chain of human immunoglobulin G, an endogenous immunomodulatory peptide. Selank extends tuftsin at the C-terminus with a Pro-Gly-Pro tripeptide that confers metabolic stability and enables longer duration of action. The full sequence is Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro (TKPRPGP).

The regulatory situation is unusual among the peptides covered on DrawDose. Per the Russian Federal Supervision Agency for Use of Healthcare, selank received approval in 2009 as a prescription nasal spray (under the trade name Selanc) for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. The Russian approval represents one of relatively few synthetic neuropeptides to achieve regulatory milestone status in any country. Selank also has regulatory recognition in some former Soviet states (notably Ukraine) but has not been submitted for approval by the FDA, EMA, Health Canada, or TGA.

In Western markets, selank exists in a regulatory gray zone. It is not FDA-approved as a drug or as a dietary supplement. It is not on the 503A bulks list, meaning compounding pharmacies cannot generally compound selank under standard compounding regulations. Research peptide vendors sell selank as a research-only compound; the legal status of personal use varies by jurisdiction. Per FDA Guidance, research peptides shipped to residential addresses are presumed intended for human use regardless of label disclaimers, which creates legal exposure for both vendors and users in some interpretations.

This page covers the dosing math and protocols documented in the Russian clinical literature plus community protocol surveys for the off-label use cases. It is reportage of what the literature shows, not a recommendation to obtain or use selank outside FDA-sanctioned channels.

The East-West research gap

Selank illustrates a phenomenon that affects multiple Russian-developed neuropeptides: regulatory approval and clinical use in Russia and former Soviet states, near-zero awareness in Western clinical medicine. The published research on selank is concentrated in Russian-language journals (Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova, Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine) with limited translation into English. Western research databases (PubMed, Cochrane) capture some of the Russian work but not all of it; the systematic reviews and meta-analyses common in Western drug evaluation are absent.

The result is a drug with documented Russian clinical use spanning 15+ years and no FDA recognition. Selank has been administered to thousands of patients in Russia per the Russian healthcare system data, with a clinical safety record that the Russian regulators determined sufficient for marketing authorization. Whether that data would meet FDA approval standards is a separate question — Russian regulatory approval requires different evidentiary thresholds than FDA approval, and no party has invested in conducting the Phase 3 trials that would be needed for Western regulatory submission.

For users evaluating selank, the practical implication: the human clinical evidence base exists but is more limited and less peer-reviewed by Western standards than the evidence base for FDA-approved compounds. The Russian data is real; the question is whether it's sufficient by individual standards of evidence.

Quick answer for the most common vial sizes

The 5 mL : 5 mg ratio documented across compounding pharmacy formulation guides and Russian clinical references for selank produces a 1 mg/mL concentration, where every 100 units delivers 1 mg.

The math holds at any concentration. DrawDose accepts any vial size and any BAC water volume and returns the correct syringe draw for the dose entered.

The 1 mg/mL ratio is the standard for selank because it puts the typical 250 mcg per-injection dose at exactly 25 units — easy to draw on a 0.3 mL or 1 mL insulin syringe. For sub-200 mcg doses, a 0.3 mL (30-unit) insulin syringe gives much better visual precision than a 1 mL syringe.

Intranasal versus subcutaneous administration

Selank's Russian clinical approval is specifically for intranasal administration via nasal spray (Selanc). The intranasal route is the basis for the published Russian clinical efficacy data, including the Zozulya et al. 2008 trial comparing selank to medazepam (a benzodiazepine) in generalized anxiety disorder.

Per the Russian prescribing information for Selanc, the intranasal protocol is 250-300 mcg per nostril, 2-3 times daily for 14 days. Total daily dose ranges from 1 mg to 1.8 mg administered as nasal drops. Intranasal administration delivers selank directly to the central nervous system via olfactory mucosa, bypassing first-pass metabolism. This is the route with documented efficacy data.

Subcutaneous administration is the off-label community route for users without access to the Russian nasal spray formulation. Per community protocol surveys aggregated from r/Peptides, r/Nootropics, and Russian-language nootropics forums, subcutaneous selank dosing typically ranges from 250 mcg to 500 mcg per injection, once or twice daily. The subcutaneous route has not been studied in published controlled trials for efficacy — the Russian clinical work was exclusively intranasal — so the subcutaneous dosing is community convention rather than evidence-based.

For users with access to either formulation, the intranasal route is the better-evidenced choice. The lyophilized vials sold in research peptide markets can be reconstituted and used either as nasal drops (drawing the reconstituted solution into a small dropper or nasal spray bottle) or as subcutaneous injection. The choice depends on user preference and access; the calculator handles the math identically for either route.

How to reconstitute lyophilized selank

The procedure follows the standard sterile-injection prep workflow documented in compounding pharmacy formulation guides and peptide stability literature.

Bring the vial and BAC water to room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before mixing. Cold liquid hitting cold powder slows dissolution and increases the chance of clumping. Wipe both vial tops with an alcohol swab and let them dry. Draw the BAC water into a 1 mL syringe.

Insert the needle into the selank vial at an angle so the water runs down the inside wall, not directly onto the powder pellet. Direct impingement on lyophilized peptide generates foam and can affect peptide structure. Once the water is in, swirl the vial gently for 20 to 30 seconds. Do not shake. Selank dissolves clearly when properly reconstituted; cloudiness or particulate that does not clear within a minute indicates a sourcing concern.

For intranasal use, the reconstituted solution can be transferred to a small nasal spray bottle or dropper. Sterile technique still matters — single-use draws into a syringe before administration are cleaner than dipping into the vial repeatedly with a dropper.

Why concentration determines syringe units

The relationship between vial size, BAC water, and syringe draw is fixed by concentration math. A 5 mg vial with 5 mL of water gives 1 mg/mL — every 100 units delivers 1 mg, so a 250 mcg dose draws as 25 units. The same 5 mg vial with 2.5 mL of water gives 2 mg/mL, where 100 units delivers 2 mg. To hit the same 250 mcg target dose, the draw at 2 mg/mL is 13 units (rounding from 12.5).

Standard reconstitution practice keeps the draw between 10 and 100 units on a 1 mL insulin syringe. Selank's typical 250-500 mcg per-injection dose at 1 mg/mL produces draws in the 25-50 unit range, which is the precision band. DrawDose computes this automatically; the auto-selected BAC water volume on the result panel is tuned to keep the draw in a measurable band.

Documented dosing protocols

The strongest dosing data for selank comes from the Russian clinical literature, primarily the Zozulya et al. 2008 trial published in Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova (the Korsakov Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry).

The Zozulya trial compared intranasal selank to medazepam (a benzodiazepine anxiolytic) in patients with generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia over 14 days of treatment. Selank produced anxiolytic effects comparable to medazepam with additional reported antiasthenic and psychostimulant properties — meaning patients experienced reduction in anxiety alongside subjective improvements in fatigue and cognitive function. The trial reported good tolerability with no serious adverse events.

The Russian prescribing information for Selanc specifies the approved dosing as 250-300 mcg per nostril, 2-3 times daily, with treatment courses typically lasting 14 days. Some Russian protocols extend treatment courses to 21 days for refractory cases.

Community protocol surveys aggregated from r/Peptides, r/Nootropics, and Russian-language nootropics forums describe selank dosing for off-label subcutaneous administration as follows.

The standard subcutaneous dose is 250 to 500 mcg per injection, administered once or twice daily. The most common pattern is 250 mcg twice daily for 7-14 day cycles, repeated as needed for situational anxiety or stress management. Some users dose acutely (single 500 mcg injection before high-stress events) rather than running daily protocols.

Cycle length in community practice runs 7 to 21 days of active dosing followed by an off period of 1 to 4 weeks. The clinical-practice rationale is to align with the Russian intranasal treatment course duration; the rationale for off-period length is unclear, with little published data on selank tolerance development.

Mechanism of action

Per the Volkova et al. 2016 study published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, selank modulates GABAergic neurotransmission via gene expression changes affecting GABA-A receptor subunit composition. The mechanism differs from benzodiazepines, which directly potentiate GABA-A receptor function via allosteric binding. Selank's effects on GABA signaling appear indirect, mediated through transcriptional regulation rather than direct receptor binding.

Per Wikipedia and the broader research literature, selank also modulates expression of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and affects T helper cell cytokine balance, reflecting the immunomodulatory heritage from its tuftsin parent peptide. The compound has also been documented to influence concentrations of monoamine neurotransmitters (serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine) and to elevate brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the hippocampus.

The combination of GABAergic modulation, monoamine effects, and BDNF elevation produces a pharmacological profile that distinguishes selank from benzodiazepines. Per the Zozulya 2008 trial and subsequent comparative studies, selank's anxiolytic effects do not produce sedation, motor impairment, dependence, or withdrawal — properties that distinguish it favorably from benzodiazepine anxiolytics on the safety profile but that have not been validated in large Western trials.

Adverse reactions and safety profile

Per the Zozulya et al. 2008 trial and the Russian clinical safety data, selank is well-tolerated at the approved intranasal doses (250-300 mcg per nostril, 2-3 times daily for 14 days). The trial reported no serious adverse events. Mild adverse events documented in the Russian literature include occasional headache, transient nasal irritation (intranasal route), and rare allergic reactions.

Subcutaneous community use of selank has minimal published safety data. Survey data from r/Peptides describes the most common subjective effects as transient flushing or warmth in the first 30 minutes after injection, occasional mild headache, and rarely a brief "head pressure" sensation that resolves within an hour. Severe adverse events are rare in survey data.

Theoretical safety concerns documented in the broader peptide literature include immunogenicity (synthetic peptides can occasionally provoke antibody responses; the FDA has flagged immunogenicity as a regulatory consideration for non-approved peptides) and unknown long-term effects of chronic administration. The Russian clinical use spans 15+ years without major safety signals, but the long-term human data extends primarily to 14-21 day treatment courses with intermittent use rather than continuous chronic administration.

Pregnancy, severe psychiatric conditions, and concurrent benzodiazepine use are listed as contraindications across Russian prescribing references and clinical-practice guides. The benzodiazepine interaction is theoretical — both compounds modulate GABA signaling, raising questions about additive effects — but has not been characterized in published interaction studies.

WADA prohibited status

Selank is not currently listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List as of April 2026. The compound's mechanism (GABA system modulation, anxiolytic effects without sedation) does not fall under any current WADA prohibited category. This may change as the prohibited list updates annually; verify the current list before assuming status.

Common reconstitution errors

Compounded peptide forums and pharmacy QA literature document a recurring set of errors specific to selank.

Confusing selank with semax. Both peptides were developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, both are heptapeptides, both are used in nootropic and neurological contexts. Selank is anxiolytic (anti-anxiety, anti-stress); semax is more cognitive/neurotrophic (focus, memory, neuroprotection). The molecular sequences differ: selank is Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro; semax is Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. Mass spec confirmation against the molecular weight (751.86 Da for selank, 813.93 Da for semax) is the QC check.

Drawing too small a volume on too large a syringe. A 250 mcg dose at 1 mg/mL is 25 units on a 1 mL insulin syringe. Some users default to 1 mL syringes regardless of draw volume; for sub-500 mcg doses, a 0.3 mL (30-unit) insulin syringe gives much better visual precision.

Using subcutaneous dosing for intranasal administration. The Russian clinical efficacy data is for intranasal use specifically. Subcutaneous selank is community practice without published efficacy validation. Translating subcutaneous protocols to intranasal use, or vice versa, without considering the route difference can produce dosing errors.

Reusing reconstituted vials beyond 4 weeks. Per peptide stability literature, reconstituted selank remains stable for approximately 2 to 4 weeks at 2 to 8°C with bacteriostatic water containing benzyl alcohol preservative.

Storage and shelf life

Per peptide stability literature, reconstituted selank stays stable for 2 to 4 weeks at 2 to 8°C (36 to 46°F) when reconstituted with bacteriostatic water. Sterile water without preservative produces a 24-hour shelf life from first puncture.

Lyophilized selank stores for 24 months or longer at -20°C and 12 months or longer at 2 to 8°C, per the same stability literature. Heat exposure during shipping is the most documented threat to potency.

What to verify on a Certificate of Analysis

The COA reports the actual peptide content of a specific lot. Net peptide weight is the measured milligrams of peptide in the vial, separate from any excipients (mannitol, sodium chloride) included for stability. Purity by HPLC reflects the percentage of UV-absorbing material that is the target peptide; 95% is the research-grade minimum, and 98% is the standard most reputable vendors publish for selank.

Mass spec confirmation matches the expected molecular weight (751.86 Da for selank) and verifies the peptide's identity against substitution with semax (813.93 Da) or other Russian neuropeptides. Mass spec is particularly important for selank because the related compounds developed at the same Russian research institute have similar names and similar molecular weights.

Documented combinations

Selank is occasionally combined with semax in nootropic protocols, with the rationale that the two peptides target complementary aspects of neurological function — selank for anxiolytic and stress-modulation effects, semax for cognitive enhancement and neuroprotection. The combination is documented in Russian neurology literature for some indications (post-stroke recovery, cognitive disorders) but has not been studied in controlled trials as a co-administered protocol for off-label use.

Selank is not commonly combined with benzodiazepines or other GABAergic compounds because of theoretical additive effects on GABA signaling. Russian prescribing references for Selanc list benzodiazepine co-administration as a contraindication.

Selank is not typically combined with the peptides covered on other DrawDose pages (BPC-157, TB-500, GH-stack peptides, GLP-1 agonists). The use cases differ — selank is for anxiety and stress modulation, the others are for tissue repair, growth hormone elevation, or weight management — and there's no published rationale for co-administration. Users running multiple peptide protocols simultaneously generally treat selank as a separate intervention rather than stacking it with other compounds.

FAQ

Is selank approved by the FDA?

No. Selank is approved in Russia (since 2009) as a prescription nasal spray for generalized anxiety disorder under the trade name Selanc. It has not been submitted to the FDA, EMA, Health Canada, or TGA for approval. In Western markets, selank exists in a regulatory gray zone — sold as a research compound, not approved as a drug or dietary supplement.

How is selank different from benzodiazepines?

Per the Zozulya et al. 2008 comparative trial and subsequent Russian clinical literature, selank produces anxiolytic effects comparable to benzodiazepines like medazepam without producing sedation, motor impairment, dependence, or withdrawal symptoms. The mechanism differs: benzodiazepines directly potentiate GABA-A receptor function; selank modulates GABAergic neurotransmission indirectly via gene expression effects on GABA-A receptor subunit composition. The lack of sedation and dependence is the primary advantage; the more limited Western clinical evidence base is the primary disadvantage.

Should I use intranasal or subcutaneous selank?

Intranasal is the route with documented Russian clinical efficacy data. The 250-300 mcg per nostril, 2-3 times daily protocol is the basis for Russian regulatory approval. Subcutaneous is community-driven practice without published controlled trial validation. For users with access to either, intranasal is the better-evidenced choice.

Why isn't selank approved in the US?

The compound was developed in Russia and has not been submitted for FDA approval. Per peptides.fyi and the broader pharmaceutical regulatory literature, the cost of FDA approval (Phase 1, 2, 3 trials, NDA submission, post-market monitoring) typically exceeds $1 billion for a new drug. No party has invested in conducting these trials for selank, in part because the compound's availability through research peptide markets reduces commercial incentive for regulatory investment. The compound is also a small molecule peptide that is difficult to patent broadly, further reducing commercial incentive.

Is selank banned by WADA?

No. As of April 2026, selank is not on the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List. The compound's mechanism (GABA modulation, anxiolytic effects without sedation) does not fall under any current WADA prohibited category. Verify the current list annually.

How long does selank take to work?

Per the Russian clinical literature, intranasal selank produces measurable anxiolytic effects within hours of administration, with peak effect typically appearing within 30-60 minutes after a dose. Subjective effects on anxiety, stress tolerance, and cognitive function are reported by users in community surveys typically within the first 1-3 days of starting a 14-day course. Long-term cognitive effects (BDNF elevation, neuroprotection) are documented in animal studies but have not been validated in long-term human trials.

Can selank be used long-term?

Russian clinical use spans 15+ years without major safety signals, but the long-term human data extends primarily to 14-21 day treatment courses with intermittent use rather than continuous chronic administration. The published Russian protocols typically use cycle-and-rest patterns (14 days on, weeks to months off) rather than continuous indefinite use. Whether continuous long-term selank is safe is undetermined; conservative practice follows the Russian approved cycle structure.