Selank vs Semax
Two Russian heptapeptides out of the same research tradition, split by target: Selank was studied for anxiety, Semax for stroke and cognition. Neither has Western trial data.
Selank
A GABA-modulating anxiolytic that matched benzodiazepines in small Russian trials; the mechanism is credible but the evidence base is thin and single-country.
Full Selank evidence reviewSemax
A BDNF-raising ACTH(4-10) analog registered as a drug in Russia — but the human evidence is small, single-country and mostly uncontrolled.
Full Semax evidence reviewSide by side
| Selank | Semax | |
|---|---|---|
| Marketed for | Anxiety, focus | Cognition, focus, neuroprotection |
| Evidence grade | Clinical data | Clinical data |
| Family | Nootropic / cognitive | Nootropic / cognitive |
| Regulatory status | Not FDA-approved | Not FDA-approved |
| How it's obtained | Research-only | Research-only |
| Key human source | Medvedev, Korsakov J 2015 | Semax MND trial, Korsakov J 2007 |
marks a row where the two differ. Evidence grades come from our evidence matrix, which grades each molecule on the human data for the use it is marketed for.
Our verdict
Both sit in the same evidentiary spot: real human studies that are small, single-country, and mostly uncontrolled or non-randomized, with no large Western double-blind trial for either. Selank's edge is that its trials put it directly against benzodiazepines; Semax's is a better-worked-out BDNF and dopamine mechanism plus decades of Russian clinical use. Neither is FDA-approved, and what is sold in the US is unregulated research-only material rather than the trialed drug. They have never been compared with each other.
Selank fits if
Selank is the closer fit if your question is anxiety, since its small Russian trials at least measured it against benzodiazepines.
Semax fits if
Semax is the closer fit if the interest is cognition, stroke recovery, or neuroprotection, where its BDNF mechanism and Russian clinical use sit.
Where to get it
Where to get peptide therapy
Clinician-led telehealth services that prescribe compounded peptides. The specific peptides offered vary by provider — confirm Selank availability before ordering.
