What doctors say about Rapamycin, the magic pill that can ‘extend your life’

Bryan Johnson is a 47-year-old ‘tech entrepreneur and millionaire’. In 2013, he sold his company, Braintree, to PayPal for USD 800 million, but only years later, he really found his calling when he went on a quest. A quest for longevity, with the aim of living ‘forever’.
To achieve this goal, he leaves no room for error. He wakes up at 4 am every day, starting his morning by checking his body temperature and undergoing UV therapy. His day begins with supplements – about 100 each day. A strict vegan diet and exercise regime are also integral parts of his “live forever” plan, on which he spends nearly USD 2 million every year.

Rapamycin has gained significant attention from ‘longevity experts’ like Bryan . Photo: Blueprint

The results? According to Johnson and his ‘Blueprint’ website (where he shares his routine with others), the plan seems to be working. He claims to have reversed his epigenetic age by 5.1 years.
But out of all the supplements and drugs he takes for ‘living healthy forever’, one key medicine that Bryan and other ‘longevity enthusiasts’ swear by is Rapamycin.
“Taking 13 mg of Rapamycin today with my super veggie and 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of extra virgin olive oil,” he tweets.
Who doesn’t want to live forever (except Ashwatthama)? While immortality might be a stretch, living a long and healthy life is a dream most humans share. Following strict diets, ensuring we get the right nutrients, regular doctor’s visits, and sweating it out during workouts are just some of the steps we take to extend our lives more healthily.

Studies show that Rapamycin could extend the lifespan of mice by 25 per cent by mimicking the effects of caloric restriction. Photo: Getty Images

Recently, Rapamycin has gained significant attention from ‘longevity experts’ like Bryan as a potential key to a longer, healthier life.
Dr Samrat Shah, an internal medicine expert at Apollo Spectra Hospital, Pune, explains that Rapamycin is an immunosuppressant (medication that reduces the body’s immune response) commonly used for organ transplant patients to prevent organ rejection.
Dr Shrey Kumar Srivastav, a senior consultant at Sharda Hospital, tells India Today that Rapamycin, also known as sirolimus, was initially discovered by a bacterium on Easter Island (Rapa Nui).
It works by inhibiting a protein called mTOR, which plays a crucial role in regulating cell growth, proliferation, and survival. Experts also note that the drug is now gaining popularity as an anti-ageing medicine due to this property.
A recent February 2024 review published in The Lancet, summarised Rapamycin’s effects on ageing-related changes in adults. They analysed 18,400 articles, and 19 studies and showed that Rapamycin improved immune, cardiovascular, and skin health in both healthy and ageing individuals, with no significant effects on the endocrine, muscular, or neurological systems.

Rapamycin works by inhibiting a protein called mTOR. Photo: Getty Images

Dr Srivastav says that this is because the drug seems to decrease inflammation and enhance a cellular waste removal process known as autophagy.
“Rapamycin may slow down the ageing process itself; it also increases longevity by delaying or even preventing the onset of deadly age-related diseases, as it appears that Rapamycin and its derivatives improve physiological parameters associated with ageing in the immune, cardiovascular, and integumentary systems of healthy individuals or those with ageing-related diseases,” he adds.
But here’s the thing. India Today spoke to various experts, and according to them, even though the drug looks promising at the moment, it comes with side effects, and it is not clinically proven to work on humans.
Just like any other clinical drug, to prove it’s effective, it can only be proven effective once it is proven in human trials. However, as of now, it has shown some promising results in only animal trials.
“There has been a growing interest in Rapamycin as a potential anti-ageing compound due to its effects on cellular processes related to ageing. However, it’s important to note that research in humans is still limited, and while preliminary results are promising, definitive conclusions about Rapamycin’s effectiveness for anti-ageing in humans have yet to be established,” says Dr Paparao Nadakuduru, an internal & general medicine physician at Citizens Speciality Hospital, Hyderabad.

Long-term side effects of Rapamycin include reduction in blood cell counts. Photo: RPI

He notes a 2009 study by the National Institute on Ageing Interventions Testing Program that showed rapamycin could extend the lifespan of mice by 25 per cent by mimicking the effects of caloric restriction, which is known to have beneficial effects on longevity.
This study was partly responsible for this sudden interest in its potential anti-ageing effects. Other similar research done on organisms like yeast, flies, and worms when treated with Rapamycin also shows a similar effect.
“Even though there are claims that this drug works for anti-ageing, it is not tried and tested on people. There are no studies, evidence, or research available to verify this claim,” says Dr Shah.
Dr Nadakuduru says Rapamycin comes with side effects. He lists some of them:
Dr Shah mentions that the drug’s long-term side effect can also be reduced blood cell counts, including white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets.
“Lower doses, like those being considered for anti-ageing, may have fewer side effects, but this has not been definitively proven in large clinical trials,” he adds.
Unlike Ozempic, another viral drug for weight loss, Rapamycin is available in India as an immunosuppressant, and it can be purchased for as low as Rs 290 per strip. Now, even though Rapamycin is a drug currently gaining popularity in the West, if travelling trends are any indication, it will soon reach India.
So, it is important to remember that Rapamycin should only be taken after consulting an expert, even if you are considering it for experimental anti-ageing benefits.