09/10/2026
Semax and Selank:
The Russians developed Semax and Selank as neurological and psychiatric medications, not primarily as today’s “biohacking peptides.” Both came from a strong Soviet/Russian research program focused on short regulatory peptides that might influence the brain with fewer systemic side effects.
Semax was favored primarily for neurological protection and recovery.
It was developed from a fragment related to ACTH but engineered without ACTH’s adrenal-hormone activity. Russian researchers believed it could:
* Protect brain cells during reduced oxygen or blood flow
* Support recovery following ischemic stroke or brain injury
* Improve attention, learning and memory during neurological impairment
* Increase resistance to stress, hypoxia and cerebral ischemia
Semax was incorporated into Russian treatment standards for ischemic stroke and other neurological conditions.
Selank was developed primarily as an anti-anxiety medication.
Selank is a modified version of tuftsin, a naturally occurring immune-signaling peptide. Russian researchers investigated it for:
* Generalized anxiety
* Stress-related and adjustment disorders
* Neurasthenia—fatigue, irritability and reduced ability to cope with stress
* Anxiety accompanied by mild depression or mental exhaustion
A small Russian trial involving 60 patients compared Selank with phenazepam, a benzodiazepine-type anxiety medication. The researchers were interested in whether Selank could reduce anxiety without the sedation, cognitive dulling, dependence and withdrawal concerns associated with benzodiazepines.
Semax and Selank are still manufactured, registered and available as prescription nasal-drop medications in Russia today. The manufacturer currently lists Semax 0.1%, Semax 1% and Selank 0.15% among its pharmaceutical products.
* Semax: officially registered in Russia on December 20, 1994. That gives it approximately 32 years of Russian clinical availability as of 2026. It was subsequently included in certain Russian treatment standards, particularly for ischemic stroke and neurological conditions.
* Selank: its clinical trials were completed and it became available in Russian pharmacies in 2009. That gives it approximately 17 years of clinical availability. Its current Russian Ministry of Health instructions identify it as a prescription intranasal anxiolytic for anxiety-related disorders.
