Selank Dosage: What the Nasal Route Changes

Selank is a synthetic analogue of tuftsin, a fragment of an immunoglobulin, studied mainly for anxiolytic effects. It is approved in Russia and nowhere in the US, EU, or UK, and is usually sold as a nasal spray rather than an injectable.

That route is what makes its dosing arithmetic different from every other compound on this site.

What it is proposed to do

Selank is described as anxiolytic without the sedation and dependence associated with benzodiazepines. Its mechanism is discussed in terms of GABAergic modulation alongside effects on immune signalling — and notably it appears in mainstream pharmacology reviews of GABA-receptor-affecting agents, which is unusual for a compound in this category.

It is frequently paired with Semax, which derives from ACTH rather than tuftsin and is studied for different effects.

The nasal arithmetic

For an injectable, the number that matters is concentration in mg/mL and the volume drawn. For a nasal spray, it is the amount delivered per actuation — and that depends on the sprayer, not just the solution.

1. Concentration: mg of peptide ÷ mL of solution = mg/mL, exactly as usual.

2. Metered volume: most nasal pumps deliver a fixed volume per press, commonly 0.05 mL or 0.1 mL. Check the sprayer.

3. Per actuation: concentration × metered volume = amount per spray.

Worked example

Why nasal absorption is variable

• Mucosal condition. Congestion, inflammation, or dryness all change absorption.

• Technique. Angle and depth affect where the spray lands.

• Runoff. Some of any nasal dose is swallowed rather than absorbed nasally.

• Formulation. Whether the solution includes anything aiding mucosal uptake.

The consequence is that nasal delivery is less consistent than subcutaneous injection — a real trade-off against its convenience. See oral peptides for how the routes compare.

Storage for a nasal solution

A multi-use nasal bottle is repeatedly opened, so the same beyond-use thinking applies as to a punctured vial. If made up with bacteriostatic water, the 28-day limit applies; refrigerate, and label it with the date and concentration.

Storage is the same as any reconstituted vial: 2–8 °C, protected from light, never frozen, and bounded by the shorter of peptide stability and the 28-day limit on bacteriostatic water. The bacteriostatic water guide covers the detail.

Frequently asked questions

How much Selank is in one spray?

Concentration multiplied by the pump’s metered volume. Without knowing the sprayer specification, the milligram figure on the vial does not answer it.

Is nasal better than injection?

It avoids injection and is the route used in most of the original research. It is also more variable in how much is absorbed.

How does it compare with Semax?

Different origin and different proposed effects — Selank from tuftsin, Semax from ACTH. See Semax vs Selank.