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Why Bryan Johnson Quit Rapamycin

Bryan Johnson took rapamycin for almost five years chasing its longevity promise, then stopped on September 28, 2024. The first year-long randomized trial of rapamycin for healthy aging (PEARL) missed its primary goal of reducing visceral fat, though it modestly improved lean mass, pain and self-reported wellbeing in some participants. Johnson's own stated reason for quitting was that side effects he was tracking, including skin infections and metabolic changes, no longer felt worth it for unproven benefit.

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5 min
Difficulty
Beginner
Sources
2
What the evidence says
Know what PEARL actually tested

Understand the study design

Healthy older adults randomized to placebo, 5mg/week, or 10mg/week rapamycin for 48 weeks

This is the first completed long-term randomized controlled trial of rapamycin for longevity in healthy humans, so its result matters more than anecdote.

PEARL Trial, PMC12074816 (2025)
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Know what it found

See what the trial showed

Missed its primary visceral-fat-reduction endpoint; improved lean tissue mass and pain in women on 10mg/week, improved self-reported wellbeing on 5mg/week, no significant difference in adverse events over one year

A trial missing its primary endpoint is the honest headline, even though some secondary measures moved in a favorable direction.

PEARL Trial, PMC12074816 (2025)
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Know why Johnson personally stopped

See his stated reasoning

Stopped September 28, 2024 after nearly 5 years of use, citing side effects he tracked himself: intermittent skin/soft-tissue infections, lipid abnormalities, elevated glucose, and a higher resting heart rate

His own account is a single self-report (n=1), not controlled evidence, but it's a real, first-person data point from the most measured rapamycin user in public life.

Bryan Johnson, Blueprint blog, "I stopped taking rapamycin"
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What this means if you're curious

Understand what rapamycin actually is

A prescription immunosuppressant, originally for organ-transplant patients; off-label longevity use in healthy people is not FDA-approved and rests on one 48-week RCT plus animal and cell data

This is not a supplement decision; it carries real prescription-drug risk and requires a physician.

PEARL trial + standard rapamycin labeling context
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What it is

The honest evidence on rapamycin and longevity: the first completed year-long RCT missed its primary endpoint, and Bryan Johnson, its highest-profile self-experimenter, stopped taking it after nearly five years.

Why it worksâ–¼
Rapamycin is a prescription immunosuppressant, originally used to prevent organ-transplant rejection, that gained a longevity following on the strength of animal-lifespan data and small human trials. The PEARL trial randomized healthy older adults to placebo, 5mg/week, or 10mg/week rapamycin for 48 weeks, the first completed long-term RCT of rapamycin for longevity in healthy humans. It missed its primary goal of reducing visceral fat, though secondary results included improved lean tissue mass and pain in women on the 10mg dose and improved self-reported wellbeing on the 5mg dose, with no significant difference in adverse events over the year. Separately, and independently of that trial, Bryan Johnson stopped his own nearly five-year personal use on September 28, 2024, citing side effects he tracked himself that he judged no longer worth the uncertain benefit.
The evidence
Sources 2
Primary sources behind this page, cited straight to the source: peer-reviewed papers and reporting. Select any to view it here.
1
PEARL Trial: Rapamycin in Generally Healthy Older Adults (PMC, 2025)
Paper
2
I Stopped Taking Rapamycin (Bryan Johnson, official blog)
Article · blueprint.bryanjohnson.com
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Is this for you?
Good fit if
  • Anyone curious why Bryan Johnson stopped taking rapamycin
  • Longevity enthusiasts considering off-label rapamycin
  • Anyone repeating rapamycin hype without knowing the trial evidence
  • Readers who want the honest evidence picture, not the hype
Cautions
  • Rapamycin is a prescription immunosuppressant; off-label use for aging is not FDA-approved and carries real infection and metabolic risk
  • This is based on one 48-week randomized trial; long-term safety and benefit in generally healthy people remain unknown
  • Johnson's personal experience is a single self-report (n=1), not controlled evidence
  • Educational only, not medical advice; never start or stop a prescription medication without a physician
Common questions
Why did Bryan Johnson stop taking rapamycin?▾
He stopped on September 28, 2024 after nearly five years of use, citing side effects he tracked himself, including intermittent skin/soft-tissue infections, lipid abnormalities, elevated glucose, and a higher resting heart rate, that he judged no longer worth it for unproven longevity benefit.
Does the evidence support rapamycin for longevity?▾
It's mixed. The first completed year-long RCT in healthy older adults (PEARL) missed its primary goal of reducing visceral fat, though it modestly improved lean mass, pain and self-reported wellbeing in some participants. That's a suggestive, not proven, result.
Is rapamycin safe to take for anti-aging?▾
It's a prescription immunosuppressant, originally for organ-transplant patients. Off-label use in healthy people is not FDA-approved, and PEARL is the only completed year-long RCT in this population; long-term safety and benefit are unknown.
Should I take rapamycin because Bryan Johnson used to?▾
No. His experience, including why he stopped, is a single self-report, not controlled evidence. Any decision to start or stop a prescription medication belongs with a physician.
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Not medical advice. This page is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical care. Consult a qualified clinician before changing your health routine.
Editorial disclosure. This protocol is written and fact-checked by the YourProtocol.ai editorial team directly from the primary sources cited below; it is not written or reviewed by any outside expert.

Why Bryan Johnson Quit Rapamycin
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