Rapamycin for Longevity: What UK Readers Should Know

Medically reviewed by Dr Zeeshan Afzal, MBBS — Medical Content Reviewer, Welzo. Last updated: July 2026.

Rapamycin has become one of the most talked-about molecules in longevity medicine. It is the only drug that has repeatedly and reproducibly extended lifespan in mammals, and it does so even when treatment begins in middle or old age. That track record has made it a fixture in podcasts, biohacking forums and private longevity clinics.

It is also a prescription-only immunosuppressant, licensed in the UK for a narrow set of transplant and rare-disease indications, with a side-effect profile that includes mouth ulcers, raised cholesterol, impaired wound healing and increased infection risk. Nothing about it is casual.

If you are building a broader plan, our pillar guide to longevity supplements and our complete NMN benefits, side effects and dosage guide are the best starting points. For non-prescription options, the anti-ageing and longevity and NMN supplements ranges cover the most widely studied compounds, including NMN Pro 1000.

This guide sets out what the research actually shows, where UK law and General Medical Council guidance sit, what the realistic risks are, and what evidence-based options exist for people who want to influence their healthspan without a prescription immunosuppressant.

Important: This article is educational and is not medical advice. Rapamycin (sirolimus) is a prescription-only medicine in the UK. Do not start, stop or change any medication without speaking to a qualified doctor.

Moai at Rano Raraku, Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Rapamycin was named after the island, where the soil sample containing its producing bacterium was collected. Image: Aurbina, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Table of Contents

• What Is Rapamycin?
• How Rapamycin Is Thought to Affect Ageing
• What the Animal Evidence Shows
• What the Human Evidence Shows
• Rapamycin's Legal Status in the UK
• Side Effects, Risks and Contraindications
• Monitoring a UK Prescriber Would Expect
• What Doses Research Has Actually Used
• What Rapamycin Costs in the UK
• Evidence-Based Alternatives for UK Readers
• Rapamycin Compared With Other Longevity Interventions
• Questions to Ask a Doctor
• Frequently Asked Questions
• References

What Is Rapamycin?

Rapamycin is a macrocyclic lactone produced by the soil bacterium Streptomyces hygroscopicus. It was isolated in 1972 from a soil sample collected on Rapa Nui — Easter Island — and named after the island's indigenous name. It was originally developed as an antifungal, but that programme was abandoned once its potent immunosuppressive and antiproliferative properties became clear.

Rapamycin, sirolimus and rapalogs — the naming confusion

These terms are used interchangeably in longevity content, which causes real confusion:

• Rapamycin — the original name of the molecule.
• Sirolimus — the international non-proprietary name. This is what appears on a UK prescription.
• Rapamune — the original brand name, marketed by Pfizer in the UK.
• Rapalogs — chemically modified derivatives such as everolimus, temsirolimus and ridaforolimus. Several of the most-cited human "rapamycin" ageing trials actually used everolimus, not rapamycin itself, and the two are not pharmacologically interchangeable.

The chemical structure of rapamycin (sirolimus), molecular formula C₅₁H₇₉NO₁₃. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

What rapamycin is licensed for in the UK

Rapamune is authorised in the UK for the prophylaxis of organ rejection in adult patients at low to moderate immunological risk receiving a renal transplant, and for sporadic lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a rare progressive lung disease. It is a prescription-only medicine. Longevity, anti-ageing and healthspan are not licensed indications anywhere in the world.

How Rapamycin Is Thought to Affect Ageing

The mTOR pathway

Rapamycin binds to a small intracellular protein called FKBP12. That complex then binds and inhibits mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) — the mechanistic target of rapamycin.

mTORC1 is a nutrient sensor. When amino acids, glucose, insulin and growth factors are abundant, mTORC1 switches the cell into growth mode: build proteins, divide, store energy. When nutrients are scarce, mTORC1 quietens down and the cell shifts into maintenance mode: recycle damaged components, repair, conserve.

The geroscience hypothesis is straightforward. In a modern environment of continuous nutrient abundance, mTORC1 is chronically switched on and the maintenance programme rarely runs. Partially inhibiting mTORC1 is thought to restore some of that balance, which is why rapamycin is often described as a calorie-restriction mimetic.

Autophagy and cellular housekeeping

One of mTORC1's jobs is to suppress autophagy — the process by which cells break down and recycle damaged proteins and worn-out organelles. Inhibiting mTORC1 lifts that brake. Impaired autophagy is one of the recognised drivers of biological ageing, and it is the mechanism most often invoked to explain rapamycin's effects. Our explainer on autophagy and how it relates to ageing goes into more detail.

Which hallmarks of ageing it touches

The 2024 systematic review in The Lancet Healthy Longevity noted that mTOR signalling is linked to at least five of the twelve defined hallmarks of ageing — deregulated nutrient sensing, loss of proteostasis, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence and altered intercellular communication. That is a broader footprint than most single-target interventions, and it is the core of the scientific interest. Our overview of the hallmarks of ageing explains each of these in plain English.

The mTORC2 problem

Rapamycin was long assumed to be selective for mTORC1. It is not. Prolonged exposure also inhibits mTORC2, and mTORC2 inhibition is what drives rapamycin's diabetes-like metabolic effects — reduced glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. Work published in Science in 2012 showed these metabolic effects are mediated by mTORC2 loss and are separable from the longevity benefit. This is the pharmacological reasoning behind intermittent rather than daily dosing in ageing research, and it is a genuine unresolved problem rather than a solved one.

What the Animal Evidence Shows

Laboratory mouse. The strongest rapamycin longevity data comes from rodent studies replicated across three independent sites. Image via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA.

The 2009 Nature study that started it

In 2009, Harrison and colleagues published results from the US National Institute on Aging's Interventions Testing Program in Nature. Genetically heterogeneous mice were fed rapamycin starting at 600 days of age — roughly equivalent to a human in their sixties. Measured at the age of 90% mortality, rapamycin produced an increase of 14% in females and 9% in males. The effect replicated across three independent test sites.

Two things made this landmark. First, it was the first demonstration that a drug could extend lifespan in a mammal. Second, it worked when started late in life — unlike dietary restriction, which produces little benefit if begun after roughly 550 days.

Replication and dose dependence

A follow-up study published in 2011 started rapamycin at 9 months of age and found median survival extended by an average of 10% in males and 18% in females, with maximum lifespan also increased at all three test sites. Notably, the same programme found no lifespan benefit from resveratrol or simvastatin — a useful reminder that most candidate compounds fail. Later work published in Aging Cell in 2020 found that late-life dosing regimens produced sex-specific results, with limited exposure benefiting males but not females.

The 2025 meta-analysis: rapamycin versus eating less

In 2025, researchers at the University of East Anglia and the University of Glasgow pooled data from 167 studies across eight vertebrate species, including fish, mice, rats and primates. It is the largest analysis of its kind. The conclusions were:

• Dietary restriction consistently extended lifespan across all vertebrate species analysed.
• Rapamycin increased lifespan to a similar extent as dietary restriction.
• Metformin showed no clear longevity benefit, despite its reputation.
• Lifespan gains were similar in males and females and did not depend on the type of dietary restriction used.

The researchers were explicit that the findings do not mean people should start taking rapamycin — only that the case for further study is strengthened. If you have been comparing the two drugs, our article on metformin and longevity and our berberine vs metformin comparison cover that evidence separately.

The Dog Aging Project

TRIAD — the Test of Rapamycin in Aging Dogs — is a nationwide, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in companion dogs run by the Dog Aging Project across US veterinary teaching hospitals. Dogs must be at least seven years old and over 44 pounds, receive rapamycin or placebo for one year, then are followed for two further years. In 2024 the project received a five-year, $7 million NIA grant to expand enrolment towards 580 dogs.

Dogs matter here because they share our environment, show comparable age-related cognitive, sensory and mobility decline, and have far more genetic and lifestyle variability than inbred laboratory mice. TRIAD is arguably the most translationally relevant rapamycin longevity trial currently running. Results are not yet complete.

What the Human Evidence Shows

This is where the picture becomes much thinner, and where a lot of online content overstates the case.

Everolimus and immune ageing (2014 and 2018)

The most-cited human data is not rapamycin at all. In 2014, Mannick and colleagues at Novartis published a trial in Science Translational Medicine in which volunteers aged 65 and over received the rapalog RAD001 (everolimus) for six weeks before influenza vaccination. Antibody response to the vaccine improved by roughly 20%, and the proportion of CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes expressing PD-1 — a marker that rises with age — fell.

A 2018 phase 2a follow-up in 264 elderly participants used a low-dose combination of two mTOR inhibitors and reported a significant reduction in the rate of self-reported infections over the following year, alongside upregulated antiviral gene expression.

These are real, well-conducted results. They are also narrow: they show improved immune function in older adults over weeks to a year. They do not show lifespan extension.

The PEARL trial (2024–2025)

PEARL — Participatory Evaluation of Aging With Rapamycin for Longevity — is the longest randomised trial of rapamycin in healthy adults to date. It was a decentralised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 114 participants aged 50 to 85, run over 48 weeks, registered as NCT04488601. Results were published in Aging in 2025.

What it found:

• Adverse events and serious adverse events were similar across all groups.
• Blood biomarker changes remained within normal reference ranges.
• The primary endpoint — change in visceral adipose tissue on DEXA — was not met (p = 0.942).
• Lean tissue mass and self-reported pain improved significantly in women in the higher-dose group.
• Self-reported emotional well-being and general health improved in the lower-dose group.
• No other significant effects were observed.

The honest reading is that PEARL is a safety and hypothesis-generating study. It suggests that low-dose intermittent rapamycin was reasonably well tolerated over a year in a healthy, health-conscious cohort. It did not demonstrate that rapamycin slows ageing, and the authors themselves flagged the small sample, the unusually healthy participants, and the fact that the compounded formulation used had lower absorption than commercial versions.

The Lancet Healthy Longevity systematic review (2024)

Lee, Kuerec and Maier screened over 18,000 records and included 19 studies reporting on 22 human trials of rapamycin and rapalogs in ageing contexts. Their conclusions:

• Improvements were seen in physiological parameters of the immune, cardiovascular and integumentary (skin) systems.
• No significant effects were found on the endocrine, muscular or neurological systems.
• Effects on the respiratory, digestive, renal and reproductive systems were not assessed at all.
• No serious adverse events were attributed to rapamycin or rapalogs in healthy individuals.
• However, increased infection rates and increases in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were reported.

What the human evidence does not show

To be direct: there is no human trial demonstrating that rapamycin extends lifespan, reduces all-cause mortality, or slows biological ageing as measured by validated clocks. There is no trial of adequate size and duration to detect those outcomes, and given that such a trial would need to run for decades, there may never be one in the conventional sense. Anyone who tells you the human case is settled is not describing the literature accurately. If you want to understand how ageing is measured in the first place, see our guides to biological age and how to lower your biological age.

Rapamycin's Legal Status in the UK

Rapamycin is a prescription-only medicine in the UK. Image via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

Prescription-only, always

Sirolimus is classified as a prescription-only medicine (POM) in the UK. It cannot legally be sold over the counter, in a health food shop, or as a supplement. Any UK website offering rapamycin without a prescription is operating outside the law, and there is no way to verify what is in the product.

Off-label prescribing and GMC guidance

A UK doctor may prescribe a licensed medicine outside the terms of its licence, but the GMC sets clear conditions. Under Good practice in proposing, prescribing, providing and managing medicines and devices, a doctor must be satisfied there is sufficient evidence or experience of using the medicine to demonstrate its safety and efficacy for that purpose, take personal responsibility for prescribing and for overseeing the patient's care, monitoring and follow-up, and make a clear record of their reasons.

That first condition is the sticking point for longevity prescribing. The evidence base for rapamycin as a healthspan intervention in healthy adults consists of one 48-week trial that missed its primary endpoint plus a set of short immune-function studies. Reasonable clinicians disagree about whether that meets the bar. In practice, NHS prescribing for anti-ageing does not happen; a small number of private UK clinics will prescribe it off-label after assessment.

Why buying it online is a bad idea

Rapamycin sourced from overseas pharmacies, "research chemical" suppliers or grey-market sites carries several distinct risks:

• Unknown content. No certificate of analysis, no verified dose, potential contaminants. Our guide to reading a certificate of analysis explains what legitimate testing looks like.
• No monitoring. Rapamycin requires blood monitoring. Self-prescribing removes the safety net entirely.
• No interaction screening. Sirolimus is a CYP3A4 substrate with a long list of clinically significant interactions.
• No recourse. If something goes wrong, there is no prescriber, no records and no clear route to care.

Side Effects, Risks and Contraindications

Most published side-effect data comes from transplant patients on continuous, high-dose therapy — a very different exposure from weekly low-dose use. That said, it is the most complete safety data available, and dismissing it is not sensible.

Commonly reported adverse effects

Serious risks

• Interstitial pneumonitis. A recognised and potentially serious pulmonary complication of mTOR inhibitors. It is not dose-dependent and is more common in people with underlying lung disease.
• Impaired wound healing. Clinically important — anyone facing planned surgery or dental work needs to discuss this with their prescriber well in advance.
• Immunosuppression. The core pharmacology. The Lancet review found increased infection rates even in the low-dose ageing trials.
• Metabolic derangement. Lipid and glucose changes are among the most consistently reported effects across the human literature.

Who should not take rapamycin

Rapamycin is inappropriate for anyone who is pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding; has an active infection; has significant liver or kidney impairment; has poorly controlled diabetes or dyslipidaemia; has underlying lung disease; is immunocompromised; has an upcoming surgical procedure; or is taking interacting medication. This is not an exhaustive list — assessment must be individual.

Interactions

Sirolimus is metabolised by CYP3A4 and is a substrate of the P-glycoprotein efflux pump. CYP3A4 inhibitors — including certain antifungals, macrolide antibiotics, some antivirals and grapefruit juice — can raise blood levels substantially. CYP3A4 inducers such as rifampicin, carbamazepine and St John's wort can reduce them. Oral bioavailability is also low and highly variable between individuals, with reported eight-fold differences in exposure at the same dose. This variability is exactly why therapeutic drug monitoring exists in clinical use.

Monitoring a UK Prescriber Would Expect

Blood sample tubes. Rapamycin use requires structured laboratory monitoring. Image: Tom Mallinson, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Any clinician prescribing rapamycin off-label should establish a baseline and a monitoring schedule. Typically that includes:

• Full blood count — for anaemia, thrombocytopenia and leucopenia
• Fasting lipid profile — the effect most reliably seen in human trials
• Fasting glucose and HbA1c — for glucose intolerance
• Liver function tests
• Renal function and electrolytes
• Review of infection history, vaccination status and planned surgery
• A documented conversation about off-label status, uncertainty and consent

Suspected adverse reactions to medicines in the UK should be reported through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.

What Doses Research Has Actually Used

People ask about dose constantly, so it is worth stating clearly what published trials have used — and equally clearly that this is not a protocol.

PEARL randomised participants to weekly rapamycin at two dose levels alongside placebo over 48 weeks. The 2014 Novartis immune study used everolimus at 0.5 mg daily, 5 mg weekly or 20 mg weekly for six weeks. Transplant regimens, by contrast, use continuous daily dosing titrated to trough blood levels, typically 10–20 ng/mL — a fundamentally different exposure.

There is no established safe or effective dose of rapamycin for longevity. The optimal dose, interval, duration and target population are all unknown. Higher weekly regimens circulating in online communities deliver substantially greater exposure than any arm of PEARL and are not supported by trial data. Anyone considering rapamycin needs a prescriber making an individual judgement, not a number from an article.

What Rapamycin Costs in the UK

There is no NHS route for anti-ageing use, so any cost falls to the individual privately. Realistically that means a private consultation fee, baseline and follow-up blood panels, the medication itself, and ongoing review appointments. Across a year, a supervised private protocol typically runs to several hundred to well over a thousand pounds once monitoring is included.

For comparison, our breakdown of what a longevity stack actually costs in the UK and our budget longevity stack guide set out the non-prescription end of the spectrum.

Evidence-Based Alternatives for UK Readers

For the large majority of people, the sensible position is that rapamycin is a fascinating research compound that is not yet ready for healthy adults outside a trial. That does not leave you with nothing to do.

The interventions with the strongest evidence

Nothing in the supplement or pharmaceutical world currently outperforms these, and they are free:

• Resistance training — the single best-evidenced intervention for preserving lean mass, bone density and functional independence.
• Aerobic base training — see our guide to Zone 2 training and longevity.
• Sleep regularity — particularly relevant if you work irregular hours; see shift work and supplementation.
• Dietary pattern — the population-level evidence is covered in our piece on Blue Zones and longevity.

Non-prescription compounds with published human data

Several supplements target overlapping pathways with a far more favourable risk profile, though none has rapamycin's animal lifespan data:

• NAD+ precursors (NMN, NR) — the most studied category. Start with our NMN benefits, side effects and dosage guide and the NAD+ supplement guide. Products are listed in our NMN supplements collection, including NMN Pro 1000.
• Spermidine — an autophagy inducer with observational human data. See spermidine vs NMN and where to buy spermidine in the UK.
• Urolithin A — targets mitophagy with randomised human trial data. See urolithin A in the UK and urolithin A vs NMN.
• Creatine — arguably the best risk-adjusted supplement in the category. See creatine for longevity.
• Taurine — an emerging candidate with animal lifespan data; see taurine and longevity.

Equally important is knowing what to skip. Our article on longevity supplements that don't work and our guidance on third-party tested supplements will save you money. If you are starting from zero, how to start longevity supplements and the minimal supplement stack are the practical entry points.

Rapamycin Compared With Other Longevity Interventions

Questions to Ask a Doctor

If you are considering a private consultation about rapamycin, useful questions include:

• What specific evidence are you relying on to justify prescribing this off-label for me?
• What baseline tests will you run, and what monitoring schedule do you propose?
• How will my current medications and supplements interact with sirolimus?
• What would make you stop treatment?
• How will this be recorded, and will my GP be informed?
• What are the realistic outcomes I should expect, and how would we measure them?
• Who do I contact if I develop mouth ulcers, an infection, breathlessness or a wound that will not heal?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is rapamycin legal in the UK?

Yes, but only as a prescription-only medicine. Sirolimus is licensed in the UK for kidney transplant rejection prophylaxis and sporadic lymphangioleiomyomatosis. It is legal to be prescribed and to possess with a valid prescription. It is not legal for UK retailers to sell it without one, and importing it from grey-market suppliers carries both legal and safety risks.

Can I get rapamycin on the NHS for anti-ageing?

No. The NHS prescribes sirolimus for its licensed transplant and rare-disease indications only. There is no NHS pathway for rapamycin as a longevity or anti-ageing intervention, and there is currently no NICE guidance supporting such use.

Can a private doctor prescribe rapamycin for longevity in the UK?

Some do, off-label. GMC guidance permits off-label prescribing where a doctor is satisfied there is sufficient evidence or experience of safety and efficacy, takes responsibility for monitoring and follow-up, and documents their reasoning. Whether current longevity evidence meets that threshold is genuinely debated among UK clinicians. Any doctor prescribing it should insist on baseline and ongoing blood monitoring.

How much does rapamycin cost in the UK?

All costs are private. Expect a consultation fee, baseline blood panels, the medication, and repeat monitoring bloods and reviews. A supervised year typically totals several hundred to well over a thousand pounds. Unsupervised online purchases are cheaper but unverified and unsafe.

Does rapamycin actually extend human lifespan?

There is no evidence that it does. Rapamycin extends lifespan reproducibly in mice, and a 2025 meta-analysis of 167 studies across eight vertebrate species found its effect comparable to dietary restriction. In humans, the available trials measure immune function, body composition and quality-of-life endpoints over weeks to one year. No human trial has measured lifespan or mortality.

What dose of rapamycin is used in longevity research?

Published ageing trials have used intermittent weekly dosing rather than the continuous daily dosing used in transplant medicine. PEARL used weekly dosing at two levels over 48 weeks; the 2014 Novartis immune study used everolimus at 0.5 mg daily or 5 mg weekly for six weeks. There is no established safe or effective longevity dose, and these figures are not a protocol. Dosing decisions belong with a prescribing clinician.

What are the side effects of rapamycin?

Commonly reported effects include mouth and lip ulcers, diarrhoea, raised cholesterol and triglycerides, acne, delayed wound healing, anaemia and low platelets. More serious risks include increased infection rates, glucose intolerance and, rarely, interstitial pneumonitis. Most safety data comes from continuous high-dose transplant use; the 2024 Lancet review found no serious adverse events attributed to rapamycin in healthy individuals, but did find increased infections and raised LDL cholesterol.

Is it safe to buy rapamycin online without a prescription?

No. Products from unregulated suppliers have no verified content, purity or dose. Rapamycin has an eight-fold variation in absorption between individuals even with pharmaceutical-grade tablets, meaningful drug and food interactions including grapefruit, and requires blood monitoring. Buying it online removes every safeguard that makes supervised use defensible.

Rapamycin vs metformin — which has better longevity evidence?

On animal data, rapamycin is clearly ahead. The 2025 University of East Anglia and University of Glasgow meta-analysis found rapamycin extended lifespan almost as consistently as dietary restriction, while metformin showed no clear longevity benefit. On human safety and accessibility, metformin has decades of use in millions of patients. Neither has human lifespan data. See our metformin and longevity guide for the full comparison.

What are the best alternatives to rapamycin for longevity in the UK?

Resistance training, aerobic base training, sleep regularity and dietary quality remain the highest-yield interventions and are free. Among non-prescription compounds, NAD+ precursors such as NMN, spermidine, urolithin A and creatine all have published human data and far lower risk. Our longevity stack guide sets out how to combine them sensibly.

References

1. Harrison DE, Strong R, Sharp ZD, et al. Rapamycin fed late in life extends lifespan in genetically heterogeneous mice. Nature. 2009;460(7253):392–395. https://www.nature.com/articles/nature08221
2. Miller RA, Harrison DE, Astle CM, et al. Rapamycin, but not resveratrol or simvastatin, extends life span of genetically heterogeneous mice. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2011;66(2):191–201. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20974732/
3. Strong R, Miller RA, Bogue M, et al. Rapamycin-mediated mouse lifespan extension: late-life dosage regimes with sex-specific effects. Aging Cell. 2020;19(11):e13269. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7681050/
4. Mannick JB, Del Giudice G, Lattanzi M, et al. mTOR inhibition improves immune function in the elderly. Sci Transl Med. 2014;6(268):268ra179. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.3009892
5. Mannick JB, Morris M, Hockey HP, et al. TORC1 inhibition enhances immune function and reduces infections in the elderly. Sci Transl Med. 2018;10(449):eaaq1564. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.aaq1564
6. Lee DJW, Kuerec AH, Maier AB. Targeting ageing with rapamycin and its derivatives in humans: a systematic review. Lancet Healthy Longev. 2024;5(2):e152–e162. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhl/article/PIIS2666-7568(23)00258-1/fulltext
7. Moel M, Harinath G, Lee V, et al. Influence of rapamycin on safety and healthspan metrics after one year: PEARL trial results. Aging (Albany NY). 2025;17(4). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12074816/
8. ClinicalTrials.gov. Participatory Evaluation of Aging With Rapamycin for Longevity Study (PEARL), NCT04488601. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04488601
9. Electronic Medicines Compendium. Rapamune 1 mg coated tablets — Summary of Product Characteristics. https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/10398/smpc
10. General Medical Council. Prescribing unlicensed medicines — professional standards. https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/good-practice-in-prescribing-and-managing-medicines-and-devices/prescribing-unlicensed-medicines
11. University of East Anglia. Anti-aging drug Rapamycin extends lifespan as effectively as eating less. 2025. https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/article/anti-aging-drug-rapamycin-extends-lifespan-as-effectively-as-eating-less
12. Sultanova Z. Anti-ageing drug rapamycin may extend life almost as effectively as restricting calories. The Conversation. 2025. https://theconversation.com/anti-ageing-drug-rapamycin-may-extend-life-almost-as-effectively-as-restricting-calories-our-new-research-259169
13. Lamming DW, Ye L, Katajisto P, et al. Rapamycin-induced insulin resistance is mediated by mTORC2 loss and uncoupled from longevity. Science. 2012;335(6076):1638–1643. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3324089/
14. Arriola Apelo SI, Lamming DW. Rapamycin: an inhibiTOR of aging emerges from the soil of Easter Island. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2016;71(7):841–849. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4906330/
15. Johnson SC, Rabinovitch PS, Kaeberlein M. mTOR is a key modulator of ageing and age-related disease. Nature. 2013;493(7432):338–345. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3687363/
16. Dog Aging Project. TRIAD — Test of Rapamycin in Aging Dogs. https://dogagingproject.org/triad
17. American Veterinary Medical Association. $7M grant rescues dog study investigating rapamycin for canine aging. 2025. https://www.avma.org/news/7m-grant-rescues-dog-study-investigating-rapamycin-canine-aging
18. Chung CL, Lawrence I, Hoffman M, et al. Topical rapamycin reduces markers of senescence and aging in human skin. GeroScience. 2019;41(6):861–869. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6925069/

Medical Disclaimer

This article is for general information and education. It is not medical advice and does not replace consultation with a qualified healthcare professional. Rapamycin (sirolimus) is a prescription-only medicine in the United Kingdom and is not licensed for anti-ageing or longevity use. Welzo does not sell, supply or facilitate access to rapamycin. Do not start, stop or alter any medicine or supplement based on this article. If you are considering rapamycin, speak to a GMC-registered doctor who can assess your individual circumstances. Reviewed for clinical accuracy by Dr Zeeshan Afzal, MBBS.