Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Head-to-head comparison of Pinealon and Selank — mechanism, dosing, side effects, legal status, and pricing.
Pinealon is a synthetic tripeptide (Glu-Asp-Arg) from the Khavinson bioregulator series, studied for its potential role in regulating pineal gland function and neuroprotective signaling pathways in preclinical models.
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide analog of the endogenous immunomodulatory tetrapeptide tuftsin, extended with a Pro-Gly-Pro C-terminus for metabolic stability. Developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics (Russian Academy of Sciences), it is registered as an anxiolytic drug in Russia but is not approved by the FDA or EMA.
Pinealon
Selank
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Dose Range
Route
Frequency
COA-verified vendors · trust score ≥70 required · single-vial price — bulk/bundle deals may be lower
Pinealon
Selank
COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
Pinealon
30
COAs
98.7%
Avg purity
9
Labs
Selank
81
COAs
99.6%
Avg purity
18
Labs
Selank is among peptides under FDA review for the Category 1 (503A) list; if added, it would require a prescription to be compounded by registered 503A/503B pharmacies — not yet authorized. Pinealon remains research-only. In April 2026 the FDA removed 12 peptides from Category 2, which does not place them on the Category 1 list or authorize compounding. The FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee is advisory and meets July 23–24, 2026 to review nominations and make recommendations to the FDA.
Khavinson et al. (Rejuvenation Research, 2011, PMID 21978084) reported that Pinealon suppressed reactive oxygen species accumulation, reduced cell death, and modulated cell-cycle progression across multiple cell types under oxidative stress, with the authors suggesting direct genome-level interaction. Arutjunyan et al. (International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 2012, PMID 22567179) reported that Pinealon administered to pregnant rats on a methionine (hyperhomocysteinemia) diet improved spatial learning and reduced ROS accumulation in cerebellar neurons of offspring. The evidence base is dominated by Khavinson's St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology and has not been independently replicated in Western clinical trials. No Phase II or III trials exist; Pinealon is not FDA-approved.
Selank's clinical evidence base is almost entirely Russian. Zozulia et al. (2008, Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova; PMID 18454096) compared selank to medazepam in 62 patients with generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia, reporting comparable anxiolytic efficacy plus antiasthenic/psychostimulant effects, together with changes in serum enkephalin-degrading enzyme activity. Mechanistic work includes Inozemtseva et al. (2008, Dokl Biol Sci; PMID 18841804) showing intranasal Selank increases hippocampal BDNF mRNA and protein in rats, Volkova et al. (2016, Front Pharmacol; PMID 26924987) demonstrating modulation of GABAergic gene expression, and Vyunova et al. (2018, Protein Pept Lett; PMID 30255741) proposing a positive allosteric GABA-A mechanism. No US or EU regulatory clinical trials have been conducted; safety data outside Russia is limited.
Pinealon and Selank are both in the Cognitive category and may have overlapping mechanisms. Researchers should review both profiles carefully, understand the mechanisms of action, and monitor the relevant biomarkers when combining compounds in the same class. As always, consult a licensed healthcare provider before making any decisions about combining research compounds.
This platform provides informational tools only, not medical advice. This comparison is for educational purposes only. Consult a licensed provider.
Dosing Notes
Half-life
Side Effects
Contraindications
Lab Testing
Disclosed Labs