- Zydus (Siromus)
- Biocon (Rapacan)
- Kacchela (Siroboon)
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I’ve been doing some digging for the pros and cons of each on this forum and this is what I’ve found so far:
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It seems like in terms of cost, it’s Zydus > Biocon > Kacchela. On indiamart.com Zydus is mostly out of stock, but the one seller who did offer it to me offered it for $1/pill. Another seller offered me ~$0.60/pill for Rapacan, and most sellers offer Siroboon for very cheap. Siroboon is less than $0.6/pill in bulk.
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This post claims that a lab test done in 2019 (n=1) shows that both Rapacan and Siromus contain the amount of rapamycin as promised. This is definitely a pro for Rapacan since it is cheaper.
I have not found any tests done for Siroboon on this form, which makes me skeptical of its effectiveness. I have also seen some users anecdotally claim that Rapacan didn’t work for them, symptoms wise or blood concentration wise.
- What concerns me most about Rapacan is that it might be coated with titanium dioxide, which is a pigment that might be carcinogenic. Though rapamycin is a cancer preventative drug in itself, I am still concerned about the costs and benefits of taking a drug that has a known carcinogen in it. Titanium dioxide is currently still FDA approved, but the EU recently banned it from use.
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Thank you for starting this thread. I am shopping right this minute and am very confused. My DR. is also on rapamycin and I told him I would do some research to find more affordable options. I just started making queries but am skeptical about ordering from India.
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I have taken both Zydus and Rapcon at high doses and had exactly the same results. Diarrhea at high doses i.e. 20 mg.
Also, my lipids were negatively affected by both brands.
Biocon - India’s largest biopharmaceutical company
“A global pioneer. We are a global biopharmaceutical company changing patients’ lives in over 120 countries by finding new and affordable ways to treat diabetes, cancer and autoimmune diseases.”
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picky correction: looks like Biocon is indeed one of India’s largest/top pharma cos but it’s not the biggest pharma. Zydus is bigger. https://www.moneyworks4me.com/best-index/bse-stocks/top-pharma-companies-in-india/
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Sorry, don’t you remember the dot.com debacle? Stock market cap does not equate to actual company size. Many nothing companies have huge market caps.
Even Zydus does not claim to be any higher than fourth in the Indian drug company rankings.
“Zydus group is headquartered in Ahmedabad, India, and ranks 4th in the Indian pharmaceutical industry.”
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Market cap is usually a predictor of profitability, potential and/or quality.
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Not in the least. If that were true everybody could get rich.
But, in fact, Biocon, is the bigger manufacturer of pharmaceuticals in India.
You are right about the Zydus tab being in short supply. I order mine from Pravin Lahoti and he has always taken care of me. I ordered 240 tabs in early August and was told the earliest date for availability was September 20. That turned out to be optimistic and it was October 7 before he was able to obtain a supply and ship them.
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So it looks like there is no evidence that consuming titanium dioxide is carcinogenic, which is good. The concerns about it being carcinogenic are mostly if it is inhaled as a powder or applied on the skin cosmetically. Titanium Dioxide in Food — Should You Be Concerned?
plus, it seems that all of the options have TD in them, Pfizer’s Rapamune included. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2003/021083s006lbl.pdf
this stuff is in lots of food, especially in candy and gum. that makes me somewhat less afraid of it
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I just learned that Zydus’ rapamycin generic Siromus is FDA approved! Zydus gets US FDA nod for Sirolimus tablets, Duloxetine capsules - The Hindu BusinessLine
This is a large boon for Zydus in my opinion and it hence deserves the price premium it has (which isn’t by terribly much to be truthful). I just bought my first batch of Siromus from Indiamart.
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I view that as a small win, but the FDA doesn’t really do much in the way of international factory evaluation… So not sure it means much.
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It’s better than nothing.
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I have used both Zydus and Rapacon and have noticed no difference. I have a supply of both. I use Zydus in making a spray skin lotion because it has a little less filler material to get rid of. Rapacon has many of its drugs approved by the FDA and has a presence in the U.S. Since rapamycin use is small compared to other drugs, it is not on the top 100 prescription drug list, so it is probably not a priority for them.
After using both for quite some time, I really don’t see any need to pay more for Zydus.
Their subsidiary Syngene has a U.S. office and has Amgen, Zoetis, GlaxoSmithKline, and Bristol Myers Squibb as clients.
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That’s actually a pretty good point. I might switch my order to Rapacan then. Thanks for sharing!
I have the same feelings about Biocon. It’s a major player that sells many generics to the US and has received FDA approval for many of its drugs. It’s at least as reputable as a brand as any other generic. Doesn’t mean that it has no risk, just that there’s no reason to believe it’s any worse than Zydus.
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I have not yet started but this is important information. I would like to know which blood tests do you regularly have tested. And how often?
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Hi - welcome to the site! I recommend you review this long discussion on the topic of rapamycin and blood testing: What blood tests are people taking?, Any rapamycin specific ones?
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I take Zydus brand and I can confirm it is the real deal.
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DeStrider, how do you know? The physical changes that noticeable? What dose and how are you dosing. And how old are you?
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