Rapamycin (Sirolimus)
Macrolide mTOR (mTORC1) inhibitor originally approved as an immunosuppressant for renal transplant and later for lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Flagship off-label longevity compound: intermittent weekly dosing (typically 5-10 mg once weekly) is theorized to preferentially inhibit mTORC1 while sparing mTORC2, avoiding glucose intolerance and immunosuppression seen with daily use. Low oral bioavailability (~14%), extensively metabolized by CYP3A4 and a P-gp substrate, yielding many drug interactions. Grey-market use for healthspan/lifespan extension based on robust rodent longevity data.
Projected serum levels — 5 mg, weekly
Maintenance schedule: 5 mg weekly (oral).
Modeled steady state after ~7 days: peak ≈ 0.79 mg, trough ≈ 0.11 mg body load. Population-based estimate over 21 days for a 5 mg dose at a 70 kg reference body mass — the interactive app scales curves to your doses, timing, and body mass.
Key facts
- Category
- Longevity
- Route modeled
- Oral
- Model confidence
- inferred
- Half-life
- 2.6 days
- Common dose
- 5 mg
- Suggested maximum
- 10 mg/day
- Reference dose range
- 2.5–10 mg (single dose)
- Suggested cadence
- weekly
- Validated against
- 2 mg oral — Cmax 0.000 mg/L at 1.4 h
Documented interactions
-
contraindicated
Efavirenz (Sustiva) + Rapamycin (Sirolimus)
Efavirenz (Sustiva) inducer of CYP3A4 predicted to change Rapamycin (Sirolimus) AUC by ~0.15x
-
contraindicated
Rifampin + Rapamycin (Sirolimus)
Rifampin inducer of CYP3A4 predicted to change Rapamycin (Sirolimus) AUC by ~0.15x
-
danger
7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) + Rapamycin (Sirolimus)
Rapamycin (Sirolimus) reversible_inhibitor of CYP3A4 predicted to change 7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) AUC by ~2.20x
-
danger
Alfuzosin (Uroxatral) + Rapamycin (Sirolimus)
Rapamycin (Sirolimus) reversible_inhibitor of CYP3A4 predicted to change Alfuzosin (Uroxatral) AUC by ~3.33x
-
danger
Alprazolam (Xanax) + Rapamycin (Sirolimus)
Rapamycin (Sirolimus) reversible_inhibitor of CYP3A4 predicted to change Alprazolam (Xanax) AUC by ~3.33x
-
danger
Amlodipine (Norvasc) + Rapamycin (Sirolimus)
Amlodipine (Norvasc) reversible_inhibitor of CYP3A4 predicted to change Rapamycin (Sirolimus) AUC by ~2.36x
Serum checks 274 modeled interaction pairings for rapamycin (sirolimus) across your whole stack — absorption conflicts, enzyme inhibition, and nutrient depletion included.
Research behind this entry
-
mTOR inhibition improves immune function in the elderly
Landmark RCT showing low-dose RAD001 (rapamycin analog) improved influenza vaccine response by ~20% in elderly adults, providing first human evidence that mTOR inhibition reverses age-related immune decline.
-
Rapamycin-induced insulin resistance is mediated by mTORC2 loss and uncoupled from longevity
Established that chronic rapamycin disrupts mTORC2 causing insulin resistance, while lifespan extension is mediated by mTORC1 inhibition, supporting the rationale for intermittent dosing protocols.
-
Rapamycin, the only drug that has been consistently demonstrated to increase mammalian lifespan
Review summarizing evidence that rapamycin extends lifespan in all tested model organisms including mice and discusses translation to human geroscience applications.
3 published studies referenced in the app, each with a plain-language summary.