Quick overview of what we’ll cover in this blog post:
- What’s our Generic Rapamycin Protocol?
- What’s our Compounded Rapamycin Protocol?
- What’s the difference between the two?
- Why do we offer 2 separate protocols?
Generic Rapamycin. Compounded Rapamycin. Sirolimus.
When you first start to consider whether Rapamycin is right for you, you might see any of these terms thrown around without knowing what they mean, and without answering your most pressing question: which Rapamycin protocol is right for me?
We’re here to help explain the differences between each of our Rapamycin offerings – generic and compounded – in plain terms, so you won’t have to go out on a limb and ask your smart friend for help.
Lucky for you, we’re always happy to be your smart friend! And don’t worry, we’ll explain the confusing science-y terms, too.
Generic v Compounded: What’s the difference?
If you’ve read our blog about shipping expectations, you might already be familiar with what goes into compounding medications and how it’s different from processing. Well, Rapamycin is no different.
Our Generic Rapamycin Protocol would be among orders that only require processing. In other words, the medication has already been manufactured, so our partner pharmacies are ready to fulfill your prescription without waiting for a fresh batch to be produced.
You might also see the term “Sirolimus” when reading up on our Generic Rapamycin Protocol. While there seems to be some disagreement over the nomenclature for this particular medication, the short version of the story is that Sirolimus and Rapamycin are effectively interchangeable terms that refer to the same medication. This is to say that Generic Rapamycin prescriptions with AgelessRx are fulfilled with generic Sirolimus tablets.
For the Generic Rapamycin Protocol, the titration starts at 2mg per week and progresses up to 6mg over 3 months, ending at up to 8mg at the discretion of your prescriber.
Our Compounded Rapamycin Protocol, on the other hand, requires both processing as well as compounding by our partner pharmacies. This means that the pharmacies must produce batches of Rapamycin fresh to fulfill each prescription.
Unlike some of our other products (such as NAD+), Rapamycin doesn’t need to be matured before use, making batches more readily available for fulfillment.
Titration for the Compounded Rapamycin Protocol starts at 5mg per week and progresses up to 10mg over 3 months, ending at up to 15mg at the discretion of the prescriber.
Why should I choose one over the other?
While Rapamycin has been around for decades, it’s still a relative newcomer in the world of longevity. In fact, we’re proud to be sponsors of the PEARL trial, the first large-scale clinical trial to study Rapamycin for human longevity.
It’s clear that Rapamycin could have a profound impact on the direction of longevity science, and human healthspan in general. Nonetheless, the puzzle of Rapamycin has yet to be completed, though the pieces are in our hands.
We have enough data to know that Rapamycin can be safely absorbed by our bodies, and that the quality meets or exceeds our medical standards. However, there’s not enough data to determine if our bodies absorb compounded Rapamycin differently than generic Rapamycin.
That’s part of the reason we offer different protocols. AgelessRx is among the very first services to offer Rapamycin prescriptions, an honor and a privilege we take seriously. We’re confident in the quality and safety of Rapamycin, but we also recognize that we have a responsibility not just to our patients, but to the scientific community at large. As such, we’re actively investigating which method of Rapamycin delivery is best absorbed so we can help guide and inform more widespread prescription of Rapamycin.
So, to answer your question, choosing one isn’t necessarily more advantageous than choosing the other. Before getting started, it’s best to know whether you’re more comfortable taking generically available Rapamycin, or if you’d prefer to take Rapamycin that is compounded to order. If you’re still on the fence, our team is always happy to help you before you get started with a free visit.