Selank vs Noopept: evidence, cost, and legality

Which is better, Selank or Noopept?

They tie on evidence (both human observational, from open Russian studies without placebo control) and both lack a reliable lawful source, so the choice depends on the goal. Selank was studied for anxiety, including a comparison with phenazepam; Noopept was studied for cognitive impairment after stroke or brain injury, including a comparison with piracetam. For either goal, approved treatments with placebo controlled evidence should come first. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

How do Selank and Noopept compare?

Selank and Noopept compared by dimension
Dimension	Selank	Noopept
What it is [7] [8]	Heptapeptide analog of the immune peptide tuftsin with a Pro-Gly-Pro tail.	Synthetic dipeptide-like piracetam relative metabolized to cycloprolylglycine.
Main use studied [1] [3] [4]	Generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia.	Mild cognitive impairment of vascular or traumatic origin, including after stroke.
Proposed mechanism [7] [9]	GABA-A modulation and inhibition of enkephalin degrading enzymes in rodent and cell work.	BDNF and NGF induction and alpha-7 nicotinic receptor effects on hippocampal interneurons in rodent work.
Active comparator studied [2] [3]	Phenazepam (a benzodiazepine): similar anxiety relief with less sedation reported, not placebo controlled.	Piracetam: broader and faster improvement reported, no placebo arm.
Route and dose in the literature [1] [4]	Intranasal 0.15% solution, roughly 0.3 to 2.7 mg per day for 10 to 14 days.	Oral 10 mg twice daily (20 mg per day) for 2 months.
Theoretical interactions [7] [9]	Possible additive effects with benzodiazepines, alcohol, and other GABAergic drugs, and with opioids via enkephalinase inhibition (untested).	Possible additive effects with other nootropics, stimulants, or nicotinic drugs (untested).
FDA and compounding status [5] [6] [10] [11]	Nomination withdrawn, so no longer in Category 2, but not on the bulks list and not recommended by PCAC in July 2026; most 503A pharmacies will not compound it.	Never nominated; not compoundable under 503A or 503B. Sold as a supplement ingredient, which is not an approved use.
Typical cost [5] [11]	No lawful compounded price: selank is not on the 503A bulks list and was not recommended by PCAC in July 2026.	Sold online as an unapproved supplement that is not verified for identity or purity; no licensed pharmacy or telehealth channel.
WADA status [12]	Not named on the WADA Prohibited List; whether it falls under S0 (non-approved substances) is unclear, so tested athletes should confirm with their anti-doping organization.	Not named on the WADA Prohibited List; status unclear, so tested athletes should confirm with their anti-doping organization.

Evidence grade and regulatory status

Pulled from each peptide’s own record, so it stays in step with the peptide pages.

Selank and Noopept: grade, status, and cost
Attribute	Selank	Noopept
Class	Synthetic heptapeptide analog of the immune tetrapeptide tuftsin (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg) extended with Pro-Gly-Pro, a Russian anxiolytic peptide	Synthetic dipeptide-like nootropic (proline-glycine ethyl ester with a phenylacetyl group), structurally related to piracetam
What it is	Anti-anxiety nasal peptide registered in Russia, with small open label trials against a benzodiazepine; not FDA approved and not on FDA advisers' 2026 list.	A dipeptide-like memory drug approved in Russia, with small open-label human studies, no placebo-controlled RCT indexed in English, and no FDA review.
Evidence	Evidence: Human observational evidence	Evidence: Human observational evidence
FDA status	Regulatory: Removed from Category 2 (Apr 2026)	Regulatory: Unscheduled
Compounding	Selank was placed on the FDA 503A Category 2 list (substances with significant safety risks) in 2023. The FDA Category 2 page current as of April 22, 2026 now lists selank acetate under bulk drug substances nominated but withdrawn, so it is no longer in Category 2, but it is not on the 503A bulks list and was not among the peptides the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee recommended on July 23 to 24, 2026. With no active nomination and no listing, a 503A pharmacy has no federal basis to compound it from bulk, and state boards cannot authorize what federal law does not. It is not an FDA approved drug and is not eligible for 503B outsourcing. It is a registered prescription drug in Russia.	Noopept has never been nominated to or reviewed for the FDA 503A or 503B bulks lists and does not appear on the FDA Category 2 page (current as of April 22, 2026). It is not a component of any FDA approved drug. In the United States it is sold as a dietary supplement ingredient, but it is a synthetic drug substance approved in Russia and does not meet the definition of a dietary ingredient, so its sale as a supplement is not an approved use. It is not compoundable under 503A or 503B.
WADA	WADA: WADA status unclear	WADA: WADA status unclear
Routes	Intranasal drops (Russian product and most sold forms), Subcutaneous injection (as sold, no published human data)	Oral tablet (Russian prescription product, 10 mg), Oral capsule or powder (sold in the United States as an unapproved supplement ingredient), Sublingual and intranasal use reported anecdotally (no studies)
Typical cost	No lawful compounded price: selank is off 503A Category 2 but is not on the 503A bulks list and was not recommended by PCAC in July 2026. Advertised clinic prices are not a comparable price. Products sold as research chemicals are not lawful for human use and are not verified for identity or purity.	Sold as an unapproved supplement in the United States at roughly 15 to 40 USD per month; not available through licensed pharmacy or telehealth channels.
Last verified	Sep 22, 2026	Sep 22, 2026

Has Selank been tested directly against Noopept?

No published trial has compared Selank and Noopept directly. The dimensions above come from separate studies and labels, and cross-trial comparisons are less reliable than a direct trial.

What do Selank and Noopept cost?

Typical cost of Selank and Noopept
Dimension	Selank	Noopept
Typical cost	No lawful compounded price: selank is off 503A Category 2 but is not on the 503A bulks list and was not recommended by PCAC in July 2026. Advertised clinic prices are not a comparable price. Products sold as research chemicals are not lawful for human use and are not verified for identity or purity.	Sold as an unapproved supplement in the United States at roughly 15 to 40 USD per month; not available through licensed pharmacy or telehealth channels.
Price detail	Selank price by channel	Price index in progress

Where a price index exists, the range is the cash price per month across branded, compounded, and telehealth channels, without insurance. The cost pages give each channel separately with its sources. Otherwise the typical cost from the peptide record is shown. Legal access depends on your state: see peptide legality by state.

Frequently asked questions

Should I take selank or Noopept for anxiety?

Selank is the one studied for anxiety, in small Russian studies without placebo control. Noopept's human studies measured cognition, though anxiety scores also improved in the piracetam comparison. Neither has proven benefit by Western trial standards. [1] [2] [3]

Which is better for cognition?

Noopept has the more relevant data: an open study of 60 stroke patients reported better MMSE scores after 2 months at 20 mg per day versus untreated controls. Selank's cognitive claims rest mostly on rodent work. [4] [7]

Can I get either from a US pharmacy?

Rarely. Selank is off Category 2 but not on the bulks list and was not recommended by the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, so most pharmacies will not compound it. Noopept has never been nominated and cannot be compounded. [5] [6] [10]

Is Noopept legal as a supplement?

It is widely sold that way, but it is a synthetic drug substance approved as a medicine in Russia and does not meet the definition of a dietary ingredient, so supplement sales are not an approved use. [11]

Conditions studied

From the blog

Selank withdrawal: dependence, benzodiazepines, and alcohol
Does selank cause withdrawal? What studies measured on dependence, how it compares with benzodiazepines, the rodent alcohol and opioid withdrawal studies, and the untested alcohol interaction.

Sources

Numbered citations above point to these primary sources. PubMed entries link to the indexed abstract.

Cite this page

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Selank vs Noopept

The short answer