Autoimmune Support

Rapamycin

Sirolimus

Rapamycin is generic sirolimus, sold as 1mg tablets, taken once a day to stop a transplanted kidney being rejected and to treat a rare lung disease.

All strengths and pack prices
Rapamycin: price of every strength and pack size
Strength Pack Price
1mg 10 tablets $46.70
1mg 20 tablets $86.60
1mg 30 tablets $127.50
1mg 60 tablets $252.60
1mg 90 tablets $367.20
1mg 120 tablets $475.20
Category
Autoimmune Support
Active ingredient
Sirolimus
Route
Oral
Form
Tablet
Strengths
1mg

You will receive a quality generic equivalent, depending on stock.

Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.

Details

Conditions
Organ transplant rejection
Therapeutic Class
Immunosuppressant
Pharmacological Class
mTOR inhibitor
Minor Side Effects
Nausea, Fatigue
Moderate Side Effects
High blood cholesterol, Increased infection risk
Dosage Forms
Tablet
Administration Route
Oral
Originator
Pfizer
Onset Time
Rapid
Duration
Continuous
Storage Instructions
Protect from light.
Drug Interactions
Cyclosporine, Ketoconazole
Age Restrictions
Not for children unless transplant directed.

What you will receive

Rapamycin is the originator brand name, made by Pfizer. We use it to identify the medicine; the pack you receive is a generic equivalent, not the original Rapamycin.

  • The same active ingredient (Sirolimus) at the same strength.
  • The exact brand supplied depends on what is in stock when your order ships.

FAQ

What Rapamycin strengths and pack sizes can I order?

You can order generic sirolimus 1mg tablets in packs of 10, 20, 30, 60, 90 or 120. It is generic sirolimus, not the original Rapamycin. Larger packs cost less per tablet.

How is Rapamycin delivered to Hong Kong?

Generic sirolimus can be sent by tracked courier in 5 to 9 business days with online tracking, or by standard airmail in 14 to 21 business days, untracked. Orders can be cancelled within 24 hours if not yet dispatched. Support answers 24/7 in English and Cantonese by live chat.

What are the alternative names for Rapamycin and sirolimus?

Rapamycin is a branded generic of sirolimus. Sirolimus is also sold as Rapamune and Hyftor. Here, sirolimus can be bought online as Rapamycin. These are generics, not the original brand.

Is Rapamycin the same as Rapamune?

Both contain the same active ingredient, sirolimus, in 1mg tablets. Rapamune is the original branded version of the medicine; the tablets sold here are generic sirolimus, offered under the name Rapamycin. They are taken in the same way, once a day at a fixed time.

Can I drink grapefruit juice while taking sirolimus?

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice block one of the liver enzymes that clears sirolimus, so the amount in the blood can climb and side effects become more likely. Leaving grapefruit out of your diet while you take these tablets stops that from happening.

What happens if I stop taking sirolimus?

The protection it gives a transplanted kidney lasts only while the medicine is taken. Once sirolimus clears from the body, the immune system begins working against the new organ again and the kidney can be damaged. This is why treatment is planned to run for the long term rather than as a short course.

Does sirolimus cause mouth ulcers?

Yes, they are among the commonest effects. Sores on the lips and inside the cheeks typically show up in the first few weeks and tend to ease as treatment goes on. While they heal, soft, cool foods go down more easily than salty or acidic ones.

About Rapamycin

What the 1mg tablets are for

Sirolimus was first known as rapamycin, and these tablets hold 1mg each. They are mainly used after a kidney transplant, when the immune system tends to see the donor kidney as foreign. Sirolimus restrains that response so the kidney keeps filtering. It is usually started with other anti-rejection medicines and carried on for the long term.

There is a second licensed use. In lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a rare lung disease where unusual muscle-like cells grow through the lungs and breathing gradually worsens, sirolimus slows the loss of lung function.

How it works and how the tablets are taken

Cells carry a signalling pathway called mTOR that tells them when to grow and divide. Sirolimus blocks that signal, which leaves the immune cells that would attack a transplanted kidney quieter and holds back the unusual cell growth seen in LAM.

One tablet a day, at the same time each day. Food changes how much sirolimus the body absorbs, so keep the routine steady — the same way every day, rather than a heavy meal one day and an empty stomach the next. Blood tests measure the level in the body, because the amount needed to reach the right range differs from person to person.

Side effects

Sores in the mouth are what people notice most, often within the first few weeks. Raised blood pressure and cholesterol, low red cells or platelets (tiredness, easy bruising), infections, an acne-like rash, diarrhoea, aching joints and swollen ankles also turn up. Blood tests pick up changes in blood counts and cholesterol early.

Serious problems are less common but need attention: severe infections, blood clots, wounds that heal slowly, fluid collecting around the lungs, and kidney damage. Sudden breathlessness, chest pain or a swollen, painful calf can be a clot, and a swollen face, lips or tongue with difficulty breathing needs urgent treatment.

Interactions and storage

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice raise the level of sirolimus in the blood, as do the antifungals ketoconazole and itraconazole, the antibiotic clarithromycin and some HIV medicines. Rifampicin, carbamazepine, phenytoin and St John's wort push the level down and can leave the tablets working less well. Live vaccines are not given during treatment.

Keep the tablets in their foil blister inside the carton, somewhere cool and dry and away from direct sunlight.

Sources

  1. Rapamune 1mg coated tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc) — electronic medicines compendium (emc) / Pfizer Limited
  2. Immunosuppressants (Anti-rejection Medicines) — National Kidney Foundation