Test results (Biocon Rapacan vs Pfizer Rapamune)

I read some claims that Biocon Rapacan does not work and Rapamune had much greater effect. Have any of you tested your blood levels after ingesting Rapacan by Biocon?

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The lab test on Biocon suggested that its pretty good, same with Zydus. See here: Rapamycin / Sirolimus from India, Lab Test Report on Quality / Purity

I think people here have also gotten blood testing done after taking Biocon. You can search in the forums on “Biocon blood test” and you may find something. Or, if people are reading this now can comment that would be great.

Generally I think people’s results with Biocon and Zydus have been good. Some people mistakenly think that if they don’t “feel” anything after taking tablets of rapamycin, that it isn’t working. But that is wrong… a majority of people taking rapamycin (as seen in our polls) don’t “feel” any different after taking the rapamycin.

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Thank you, RapAdmin. Based on your extensive knowledge and experience, do you prefer Rapamune over Rapacan?

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Rapamune is the brand name drug by Pfizer, so yes, its definitely going to be the lowest risk version of rapamycin / sirolimus.

There “can” be issues with generic drugs generally, and there is probably a higher rate of recalls for generics (broadly speaking). And, there are issues with regard to FDA oversight for foreign manufacturers, as outlined in this thread: Why and How to Test Your Rapamycin for Purity, Dosage and Contaminants

That said, the issue comes down to your perceived risk/reward of the options. Rapamune is typically 4X to 10X the price of Biocon Rapacan, and Zydus Siromus (the common generic versions of sirolimus).

The absolute risk of the generic versions of sirolimus seems small to me. We don’t have a ton of data, but the data we do have is that these generic drugs seem reasonably good. If you want to pay 4X to 10X the price to go from “reasonably good” to “highly likely to be excellent” you are welcome to do that.

For me personally, the price / quality tradeoff leads me to purchase the generics. Your personal value / quality calculations may be different from mine.

If the cost of Rapamune was the same as the generics I would definitely go with the brand name drug. But given the 4X to 10X difference, I can’t justify it.

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If I want to take a blood test, what is the peak time?
I’ve read the forum but there are different information like 1-3 hours.

Is there any table available where I can check what my approximate concentration should be, say 1 hour after taking 5 mg? So I could estimate how strong/weak it is?

Thank you. Honestly, I do not worry much about the risks since I trust Biocon, for example. The main concern was the concern of bioavailability. Someone wrote here that 6 Biocon tablets is worth of 2 Rapamune. Honestly, Pfizer states that their oral solution bioavailability is 14%. Tablet has 27% more
bioavailability, therefore ~17.8%. When you google Rapacan, Biocon states: Sirolimus is rapidly but poorly absorbed following oral administration with an approximate oral bioavailability of 15%. It reaches maximum blood concentrations in 0.5-2.3 hours after dosing. To minimize variability in Sirolimus concentrations,it should be taken consistently with or without food. Its absorption is affected by high fat meals. Seems like the comparison of absorption Rapacan VS Rapamune tablets is 15% VS 18%. Not as dramatic difference as the price )

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Check out this thread. Its a very sharp, short peak so I’m not sure anyone knows for sure the best timing, and it likely varies by person, biology, what you ate with it, etc. How to get a Rapamycin (sirolimus) Blood Level Test

I also recommend you review this thread and spreadsheet - it might be helpful: Rapanycin Half Life Calculations and Graphing - Spreadsheet

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Interesting. I have not seen anything to suggest (other than a few random comments in other discussion forums where people “didn’t feel anything” after taking Biocon) that there is much difference in terms of bioavailability. I mean these drugs are regularly used with organ transplant patients so if there was a big difference in bioavailability the transplant patients would be dying from organ rejection, I suspect.

Pfizer uses a 3rd party nanocrystal formulation developed by Elan pharma to increase bioavailability: Rapamycin and NanoCrystal Formulations

The other generics use something else (because I’m sure the technology that Pfizer uses is expensive) - but we have no details on what "enteric coating’ that the generic manufacturers use. I would suspect its probably not as good as the Elan pharma technology - but I doubt its many multiples better. 5% difference maybe? it would be nice to know. You can always do blood test after using each to see if there is a different blood level in your body. I would love it if someone did and posted that information.

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And of course, there are many ways of increasing the bioavailability of any brand you take by taking it with a fatty meal, EVOO, grapefruit juice, etc.

BTW: The results of piperine/Bioperine and the bioavailability of rapamycin seem to be mixed. The only study cited by OpenAiPlayground was with rats and that had a negative correlation. I can’t actually find the study.
" In fact, it has been shown to decrease the bioavailability of rapamycin by decreasing its absorption in the gastrointestinal tract."
"Kumar, Rajesh, et al. “Effect of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of rapamycin in rats.” Planta medica 74.01 (2008): 73-77.

However checking with ChatAi, I got a different answer.
(My initial search of PubMed, etc yielded no relevant results.)

Zhang X, et al. (2015) Piperine enhances the pharmacokinetics of rapamycin in rats by inhibiting drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters. Drug Metab Dispos. 43(10):1438-44. doi: 10.1124/dmd.115.064557.

Hopefully, some of the medical professional members of the forum can provide a definitive answer: Does piperine/Bioperine increase the bioavailability of rapamycin or not?

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I don’t think anyone ever responded to the blood level testing part of your question, can anyone weigh in as to whether they have gotten a blood test after taking Biocon Rapacan?

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I found this one post of a person doing blood tests after Biocon sirolimus use. Its not a clean data point really, different times after dosing, some grapefruit juice but not a lot (only a half grapefruit)… Rapamycin / Sirolimus Blood Test - My Results - #42 by Sassenfeld

Here are two results, Rapacan 10mg, no gfj or other boosters, 120lb, 69 inch person, two hours after ingesting:

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This says “Rapamune”, isn’t that a different brand than “Rapacan” which is what Biotin makes?

Thanks! I have a prescription for Sirolimus but its SOOO expensive buying in US compared to Biocon from India

It’s a sirolimus blood test.

Why Labcorp felt compelled to stick Rapamune in the title, I dunno.

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I think someone screwed up and mistakenly entered “Rapamune” into the database or test software when they should have put in “Rapamycin”.

FWIW, I just had Zydus tablets tested. They contained the Sirolimus they claimed, and I didn’t see anything concerning in the other ingredients found. Lab Test Report - Zydus Tablets

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