Rapamycin vs Everolimus
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
The short answer
The same pathway. One drug is taken off label, and the other gave the first believable human ageing result. In a trial, everolimus improved flu shot response in older adults. That is a measured human result, not a guess from mice.
- Rapamycin people
- 25
- Rapamycin nulls
- 0
- Everolimus people
- 1,024
- Everolimus nulls
- 0
Dose
Approved medicine. No human dose established for unlabelled uses
Labeled amounts sit on the prescribing information. This page records what trials measured, not a personal dose.
FDA-approved (Rapamune); use for longevity is off-label (not what it is approved for) and investigational
Dose
Approved medicine. No human dose established for unlabelled uses
Labeled amounts sit on the prescribing information. This page records what trials measured, not a personal dose.
FDA-approved as Afinitor for several cancers, and as Zortress to prevent organ transplant rejection. Not approved for any ageing use, including ageing of the immune system.
First-hand reports are counted on each profile and never added together. This page sets two published records side by side. It does not pick a winner.
Column A
RapamycinRapamycin (Sirolimus, mTOR inhibitor)
An approved drug that blocks mTOR, a growth switch in cells. It makes many kinds of animals live longer. Some people take low, spaced-out doses for ageing, off-label. Studies in people are small.
Column B
EverolimusEverolimus, mTOR inhibitor and rapamycin analogue
The rapamycin copy behind the first believable human result in ageing research. In older adults, it improved the immune response to a flu vaccine compared with a dummy pill.
Side by side, on the facts we can check
| What we compare | Rapamycin | Everolimus |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Longevity | Longevity |
| FDA status | FDA-approved (Rapamune); use for longevity is off-label (not what it is approved for) and investigational | FDA-approved as Afinitor for several cancers, and as Zortress to prevent organ transplant rejection. Not approved for any ageing use, including ageing of the immune system. |
| Half-life | ~60 hours | Roughly 30 hours, substantially shorter than rapamycin's 60 or more, which is the practical reason it was chosen for intermittent low-dose geroscience trials. |
| Molecular weight | 914.2 Da | 958.2 Da. A macrolide, not a peptide. |
| How it works | It blocks the mTOR pathway. That copies part of what eating less does to cells, and it boosts cell clean-up and upkeep. | Everolimus is a copy of rapamycin, a so-called rapalog. It grabs a protein called FKBP12, and together they block mTORC1. mTORC1 is the cell's main sensor for food and growth signals. When it is on, cells build protein and hold back their cleanup system, called autophagy. When it is blocked, cleanup and stress resistance go up. Eating less works through this same pathway. That is the whole reason to expect blocking mTOR to affect ageing. Everolimus differs from rapamycin by one small chemical group. That makes it absorb better by mouth and leave the body faster, which is why it is easier to dose now and then instead of every day. |
| Studies in people | 3 | 3 |
| Evidence | Limited: 2 completed trials, 25 people given it | Strong: 3 completed trials, 1,024 people given it |
| Legal status, US | FDA-approved (for its labeled use), prescription only | FDA-approved, prescription only |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Rapamycin and Everolimus?
Rapamycin: An approved drug that blocks mTOR, a growth switch in cells. It makes many kinds of animals live longer. Some people take low, spaced-out doses for ageing, off-label. Studies in people are small. Everolimus: The rapamycin copy behind the first believable human result in ageing research. In older adults, it improved the immune response to a flu vaccine compared with a dummy pill.
Which has stronger research evidence, Rapamycin or Everolimus?
Each compound gets a band worked out from facts we counted, with the math shown. Rapamycin is Limited (2 completed trials, 25 people given it). Everolimus is Strong (3 completed trials, 1,024 people given it). That counts how much has been done in people. It does not rate whether either one works, and neither one is called the winner.
Are Rapamycin and Everolimus FDA-approved?
Rapamycin: FDA-approved (Rapamune); use for longevity is off-label (not what it is approved for) and investigational. Everolimus: FDA-approved as Afinitor for several cancers, and as Zortress to prevent organ transplant rejection. Not approved for any ageing use, including ageing of the immune system..
Related posts
Blog articles that cover Rapamycin or Everolimus, newest first.
- Longevity / Sep 27, 2026 / 12 minPeptides for Longevity: What the Evidence Actually Shows in 2026
- Longevity / Sep 27, 2026 / 9 minSenolytics in 2026: Dasatinib plus Quercetin, Fisetin, and What Human Trials Have Shown
- Longevity / Sep 27, 2026 / 9 minThe Rapamycin Dosing Debate: What PEARL Tested, the Bioavailability Problem, and What Is Unproven
Reviewed Sep 2026. This page puts two published records side by side. It is for learning, and it is not medical advice. When this site shows a dose, it is the dose a trial or a clinic actually used, or what people say they did, with the source attached. None of it tells you what to take.