Is Metformin plus rapamycin legal?
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
- US: Prescription only, each drug separately; no approved combination
- UK: Prescription only, each drug separately; no licensed combination
- AU: Prescription only, each drug separately; no registered combination
- CA: Prescription only, each drug separately; no authorized combination
The US comes first because most people ask about it. Each country has its own page. It names the agency, the law or rule, and what the legal category means in real life.
All four countries, side by side
| What we list | United States · FDA | United Kingdom · MHRA | Australia · TGA | Canada · Health Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Prescription route | Prescription route | Prescription route | Prescription route |
| Legal category | Prescription only, each drug separately; no approved combination | Prescription only, each drug separately; no licensed combination | Prescription only, each drug separately; no registered combination | Prescription only, each drug separately; no authorized combination |
| Note | Each drug separately. Using the two together for ageing is off-label, meaning the label does not cover it. | Each drug separately. Using them together is off-label. | Each drug separately. Using them together is off-label. | Each drug separately. Using them together is off-label. |
| Agency | Check FDA directly | Check MHRA directly | Check TGA directly | Check Health Canada directly |
US FDA status: Both drugs are FDA-approved for other uses (metformin for type 2 diabetes, rapamycin as sirolimus for transplant rejection and other uses). The combination is not approved for anything. The lifespan result is in mice, and the study did not test rapamycin alone at the same time to compare.. Reviewed Sep 2026.
Country by country
Is Metformin plus rapamycin legal in the United States?
Metformin plus rapamycin is available in the United States only through a prescriber. Its legal category is "Prescription only, each drug separately; no approved combination". It is not sold over the counter. Using it rests on the prescriber's judgment, not on an approval to sell it. Vials sold "for research use only" fall outside that route, and the label does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, no completed trial in people is cited on its profile (2 human records with no result or no dose given).
The full United States answerIs Metformin plus rapamycin legal in the United Kingdom?
Metformin plus rapamycin is available in the United Kingdom only through a prescriber. Its legal category is "Prescription only, each drug separately; no licensed combination". It is not sold over the counter. Using it rests on the prescriber's judgment, not on an approval to sell it. Vials sold "for research use only" fall outside that route, and the label does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, no completed trial in people is cited on its profile (2 human records with no result or no dose given).
The full United Kingdom answerIs Metformin plus rapamycin legal in Australia?
Metformin plus rapamycin is available in Australia only through a prescriber. Its legal category is "Prescription only, each drug separately; no registered combination". It is not sold over the counter. Using it rests on the prescriber's judgment, not on an approval to sell it. Vials sold "for research use only" fall outside that route, and the label does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, no completed trial in people is cited on its profile (2 human records with no result or no dose given).
The full Australia answerIs Metformin plus rapamycin legal in Canada?
Metformin plus rapamycin is available in Canada only through a prescriber. Its legal category is "Prescription only, each drug separately; no authorized combination". It is not sold over the counter. Using it rests on the prescriber's judgment, not on an approval to sell it. Vials sold "for research use only" fall outside that route, and the label does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, no completed trial in people is cited on its profile (2 human records with no result or no dose given).
The full Canada answerMetformin plus rapamycin in sport and the military
Whether Metformin plus rapamycin is banned in sport is set by the World Anti-Doping Code and by military rules, not by its legal status. Before you compete or get tested, look up Metformin plus rapamycin by name on the Prohibited List, or look up a named product in Global DRO. Under the World Anti-Doping Code, category S0 bans, at all times, any drug-like substance that meets two tests. No other section of the List covers it. And no government health regulator anywhere has a current approval for it as a treatment in people. Many substances that are approved somewhere are banned by name in another section. So approval does not mean a substance is allowed in sport.
- WADA Prohibited List
- Global DRO (check a named product)
- USADA (US athletes)
- Operation Supplement Safety (US service members)
The rules you compete or serve under decide this, not this page.
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General information, current as of Sep 2026. Not legal advice. Legal status changes. For your own situation, check with the agency or a lawyer. Educational use only. This database summarizes published research and is not medical advice. Where a dose appears it is a record of what a trial or clinic ran, or what people describe doing, with its source attached. Nothing here is a recommendation for personal use. Sellers named on the price pages are ranked by certificate tier, then price, and any affiliate income is disclosed there. Naming a seller is not a recommendation to buy or use anything.