Rapamycin
Off-label, weekly, physician-supervised. The most plausible longevity drug currently in use — still experimental in humans.
Approved Verified 27 August 2026
What it does
Extends lifespan in every mammal it has been tested in; the human evidence is much thinner. Used off-label at low weekly doses under physician oversight — treated as a serious medication, not a supplement.
Inhibits mTORC1, slowing the nutrient-sensing pathways that drive cellular growth and aging processes — the same pathway underlying caloric restriction's lifespan effects in animals.
What the evidence shows
Overall evidence strength: Low certainty
Who it's for, who should skip
Experimental longevity use only, at low weekly doses with physician oversight. Approved as sirolimus; longevity dosing is off-label. Pause around infection, surgery, or live vaccines.
Skip it if
- active infection — Pause around active infection — rapamycin is immunosuppressive.
- planned surgery — Pause around surgery — impaired wound healing.
- immunocompromised — Immunosuppression compounds existing immune compromise — discuss with a physician.
Running it
- Form
- oral
- Dose
- ~2–10 mg · once weekly (off-label)
- Titration
- physician-supervised; pause around infection or surgery
Safety
- immunosuppression, impaired wound healing, altered lipid profiles, mouth ulcers
Access & cost
Prescription or clinician order — typically via physician (off-label longevity dosing).
Last reviewed 27 August 2026. Regulatory status verified 27 August 2026.