Generalized anxiety disorder
Zozulya 2008 randomized 62 patients with GAD or neurasthenia to selank or medazepam (a benzodiazepine) and reported comparable anxiolytic efficacy with selank also showing antiasthenic and stimulant-like effects. Mechanism (Kost 2001) involves enkephalin-degrading enzyme inhibition, raising endogenous enkephalin tone — a different pathway than benzodiazepines.
2 human studies · 12 animal studies
Key findings & citations
- Zozulya 2008: selank comparable to medazepam on Hamilton anxiety scale (n=62).
- Selank produced antiasthenic and pro-stimulant effects medazepam did not.
- Mechanism: enkephalinase inhibition, distinct from GABA-A modulation.
- Russian research base — limited Western RCT replication.
Our take
Genuine signal in Russian-language clinical work. Western RCT replication is the missing piece — until that exists, treat as 'promising but unproven by FDA-style standards.'



