Biohacker Bryan Johnson recently shared his decision to abandon a supposed anti-ageing drug, despite his continuous efforts to extend his lifespan indefinitely.
At 47, Johnson claims to possess the heart health of a 37-year-old and invests up to $2 million annually in research and experiments aimed at lowering his biological age.
His endeavors have involved DNA editing and blood-sharing with family members. Additionally, he has detailed his intake of various supplements and medications to combat ageing.
Among the drugs he used was rapamycin, commonly prescribed for conditions like cancer or lung issues, but also researched for its potential in anti-ageing. Johnson was intrigued by this latter use and engaged in nearly five years of experimentation with the drug for its potential to extend life.
In a recent Twitter post, Johnson revealed he ceased taking rapamycin in September 2024.
The biohacker explained to his audience that he had been experimenting with the drug in various ways, adjusting dosages and schedules to maximize rejuvenation and minimize adverse effects.
Despite promising results from pre-clinical trials, Johnson discovered a troubling potential issue: the drug might have actually accelerated the ageing process due to its side effects.
He enumerated the symptoms he encountered while on rapamycin, such as ‘intermittent skin/soft tissue infections, lipid abnormalities, glucose elevations, and increased resting heart rate’.
Research referenced by the National Library of Medicine has shown a correlation between higher resting heart rates and an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease, suggesting that Johnson’s symptom could pose long-term health risks.
He cited research published in October indicating that rapamycin was among a few purported longevity treatments that accelerated ageing in humans across 16 epigenetic ageing clocks.
Given this information, Johnson stated: “My team and I concluded that the benefits of lifelong rapamycin dosing do not outweigh the significant side effects.”
He further explained, “With no other underlying causes identified, we suspected rapamycin, and since dosage adjustments had no effect, we decided to discontinue its use completely.”
He added, “Longevity research on these experimental compounds is constantly evolving, requiring ongoing and thorough monitoring of the research and my biomarkers, which my team and I do regularly.”
Although Johnson has chosen to discontinue rapamycin, he remains committed to his goal of reversing ageing and continues to update his followers with new insights and progress.