How long do rapamycin (or metformin, canagliflozin, acarbose, modafinil, astaxanthin) pills last? Can they last 10 years?

Can you predict their stability over time based on their chemical structure? When will LLMs finally give a decent [rather than risk-averse] answer to these questions?

I have A LOT of old vitamins. And a lot of old metformin. A lot of the sulfur-containing compounds (or other antioxidant compounds, like metformin or many of the vitamins) might be extra-vulnerable to oxidation, but it’s always hard to tell.
Are more complex molecules less stable too? What about molecules with loads of non-aromatic double bonds? [though medications tend not to have too many of those]

also want the answer for racetams (like piracetam), ISRIB, etc

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The expiration date is based on room temp storage.

I store all solid pills in the freezer; rapa, NP thyroid, prescriptions. powder form peptides. Its said its nearly indefinite in the freezer.

Good luck.

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Query: “Obviously, drugs don’t just quit working on the expiration date. What is the rate of loss of efficacy after the expiration date?”

From the web: "Very few medications become toxic when they are past their expiration date,” says Reissig. “Most simply lose effectiveness over time due to changes in chemical composition. However, in some situations, taking expired medications can have serious health consequences. For example, taking sub-potent antibiotics might not fully treat an infection, leading to more serious illness and possible antibiotic resistance.”

“The rate of loss of efficacy of a drug after its expiration date can vary significantly depending on the specific drug, its formulation, and storage conditions. Studies have shown that many drugs retain a substantial portion of their potency even years after their expiration dates. For example, the FDA’s Shelf Life Extension Program (SLEP) found that 88% of drug lots tested were extended at least one year beyond their original expiration date, with an average extension of 66 months, although the additional stability period was highly variable.[1]”

(The tables in this paper have some medicines that Rapamycin News forum members use. Some are good for several years after the expiration date.)

I am still using expired Biocon Rapacan Sirolimus tablets because I bought more than I could use before the expiration date.

“Rapamycin is known to be a chemically stable compound under proper storage conditions, as indicated by studies on its stability in various solvents and whole blood”

“While specific data on the degradation rate of Rapamycin tablets post-expiration is not provided, it is reasonable to infer that, like many other medications, the rate of efficacy loss would depend on factors such as storage conditions and the presence of any stabilizing agents in the formulation. Generally, drugs stored under optimal conditions may retain significant potency beyond their expiration date.”

[1] Stability profiles of drug products extended beyond labeled expiration dates
https://sci-hub.se/10.1002/jps.20636

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I really wonder about expiration dates on meds. I have bought a whole bunch of different meds from India, and they all have expiration dates of 2-3 years, regardless of the medication category. It seems like more of a custom - “what expiration date should we stamp these with, Raj?” “You have two stamps, one gives 2 years, and one 3 years, use whichever stamp is the nearest your hand at the moment!”. I’m trying to picture a bunch of scientists in a lab carefully measuring the potency of various molecule, and exclaiming to each other “Guess what, Bob, this one weakens at the two year mark again!” “Yep, Jerry, mine is two years too!”, “Hey, Lisa, is yor med team 2 years or team 3 years?” “Well, Amy, mine is team 3 years, the 55th one in a row!”.

I don’t know, I just find it strange how all of them happen to converge like that, but what do I know, maybe all meds are like that.

I don’t worry about this issue at all for the medications I take (common medications, including rapamycin), but it might be an issue for some supplements and biological drugs.

The Harvard Medical School republished a well-worn article in August that recounted a 1985 study in which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) looked to pinpoint expiration dates for more than 100 drugs in an effort to unburden the U.S. military from some of the exorbitant annual costs of replacing its pharmaceuticals.

The study showed that 90 per cent of more than 100 drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter, were fine to use well after expiry dates had passed, and in some cases more than 15 years after the expiration date had come and gone.

That being as it may, the Canadian Pharmacists Association says drug manufacturers can only guarantee the potency and safety of the various drugs until the labelled expiry date.

“Beyond that date, we don’t know what happens, we don’t know if it is still effective, we don’t know if it is potentially toxic,” said Jill Hall, a pharmacist and clinical associate professor in the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Practically speaking, Hall said there is a handful of drugs known to degrade quite quickly, such as nitroglycerin tablets, insulin and tetracycline, an antibiotic that may become toxic to the kidneys after it expires.

https://www.ualberta.ca/folio/2018/10/can-i-still-use-prescription-drugs-after-they-expire.html

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