One of the interesting thing about the RAPACAT study was that while all cats on Rapamycin who finished the trial showed improvement, or stayed the same, the cats on the lower dosage improved the most. The study did mention that because there were so few cats involved, they couldn’t tell if the lower dose was actually more effective, or if it was an artifact.
An example of more not necessarily being better.
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I did some experimenting, and 1/2 of a Zydus 1 mg tablet does fit inside one of the #4 Biocon extended release tablets, which fits easily inside of a pill pocket.
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Hello, my young cat just reached 5lbs. What dosage of Rapamycin should she be given for the “low dose” referenced by TriviumVets info, and how often?
Also, how can I get low dosage Rapamycin without a prescription?
How would I make sure it’s “delayed release”? Is that important?
Regarding the pharmacokinetics of their formulation, there’s some data included with their patent application:
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Interesting that the patent says that the drug might contain either Rapamycin, or Everolimus. So as Admin said, they aren’t making distinctions between Rapamycin or its analogues. I also wonder if they have designed a better or thicker enteric coating than the human versions, as cats and dogs have more acidic stomachs.
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I find it interesting… I mean why do they think there is a unique market for rapamycin for pets? I guess part of it is the dosing. Most human dosing tablets may be too large a dose (e.g 1 to 2 mg), especially for cats. They give examples of dosing tablets of .4mg, 1.2 mg and 2.mg.
The method of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises about 0.4 mg to about 3 mg rapamycin, about 1% to about 10% binder, 40% to 75% polymer of the dispersion, and about 20% to about 40% sugar.
And they are providing flavoring in the tablets to help make them palatable for the pets:
In particular embodiments, the composition comprises a flavor or flavoring agent, such as a beef, chicken, lamb, or fish flavor.
I haven’t scanned the entire patent, but haven’t seen anything yet about better coating for better stomach acid protection.
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I think it’s a gold mine. As many as 15% of all cats show some sign of HCM. Many it doesn’t bother during their lifetimes- but in others it progresses. It’s a cheap drug, and if it can be marketed as a miracle drug to prevent , slow the progress of, or even reverse HCM, then vets will be lining up to prescribe it, and cat owners will be lining up to give it to their cats. And if it can slow the progress of ckd (chronic kidney disease) in cats, even more so.
Cats are notoriously difficult to pill- it’s the subject of many cartoons, and internet jokes. Crete a version of Rapamycin that’s a one pill dosage, once a week, that cats will accept easily- well that’s another marketing plus.
The last piece of the puzzle is an inexpensive, easy to administer test to screen for HCM- not a $500.00 echocardiogram or a blood test. Cats are REALLY good at hiding their symptoms, and I don’t know if this drug will help if the cat begins to show clinical signs of HCM
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Does Dr. Toman do phone consults?
I think this is great news for the feline HCM community. Dr Kevin emailed me- he has found a way to prescribe Rapamycin for cats in a liquid suspension that does away with the absorption problem. He has only a limited ability to get it, he said, and it isn’t cheap, but it is a way forward for cats parents anxious to help their pets. I found he is very helpful and responsive if you contact him by email, and he can give you further information as to what he would need.
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Hey, all – Dr. Kevin here, from HelpingPetsLiveLonger.com. Checking in on you guys with my inaugural post 
I see lots of questions about dosing in the Trivium study, and I can help you with that. The “low dose” that they found effective was 0.3 mg/kg given once weekly. Trivium’s product, when introduced, will be a 1 mg delayed release tablet designed for weekly use. I will learn more about their launch date mid-Feb while attending a conference.
I have been prescribing rapamycin for dog patients for about 5 years, and am convinced of its safety and benefits. We learned along the way that most rapamycin products are degraded to a variable extent by stomach acid, and so we now use ONLY acid-resistant caps for our dog patients. These are #1 caps, and so are too big for use in cats.
I have just begun prescribing rapamycin for cats, using an oil-based oral solution that also minimizes stomach acid degradation. I can get it flavored, and the weekly dose for the average 7 lb cat is only 0.5 cc so is easily administered to most cats. A 3 mo supply is currently about $285, but I hope that price will drop as we use more.
I can sell this to you either with your local vet’s prescription or by doing a consult with you, as California has recently modernized their thinking on telemedicine consults for vets.
Lastly, after over 30 years in veterinary practice I can say that anyone interested in helping their cat live their longest and best life ought to consider not just rapa, but also dental and kidney health.
Give your cats a treat for me, Kevin
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hope your cat is healthy and happy. How is it doing now?
Hi Kevin. I live in Europe and I’m desperate to find a place to buy Rapa for my cat. Do you know where to buy it online, or is it by any chance possible for you to help me buying from anywhere in the world? My vet told me that she heard about Rapa, but they can’t recommend it yet here in my country, but she told me to ask around in Facebook groups and online, to find a place to buy it.
Best, Camilla
Hi Camilla: Dr. Kevin here. I am happy to send rapamycin suspension for cats your way with either your local vet’s prescription or after a concierge consult with me. However, you should understand that while we ship at no charge with guaranteed delivery within the US, we charge extra and CANNOT guarantee delivery to the EU because of recent changes in customs regulations. The best approach for you would be to purchase it and have us ship to a US address for you, either a friend or during a visit by you. Best wishes, Dr. Kevin
Where do you live?
I am vet cardiologist in Poland and I use rapamune for about 1,5 years now and it’s easily avaiable in my country. I’m not sure about it in other countries. In Poland 1 package of 30 tablets costs about 120 euros.
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Justin, I am curious- if you have been prescribing for that long, have you seen any improvements in cats that have been prescribed Rapamycin?
I have unfortunately lost some cats during my treatment (lost contact), but some that have been continuously controlled over a period of 8-9 months personally I do not see much difference. These cats do not progress any further, but I do not see any spectacular improvements. Every cat with HCM is different and we need a lot more research and data (I think it could take up to several years of research). I am treating rapamune with about 10 cats at the moment and additionally a few that unfortunately I have lost contact with their owners and they do not come back for checks anymore and I do not know what is happening with them. I remember one British cat who had been receiving the drug for over 10 years, started when he was 1.5 years old and was still in the mild stage of the disease (B1 HCM). I use low doses with intermittent treatment
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Hi Denis: Dr. Kevin here, from www.HelpingPetsLiveLonger.com. The low dosage used by Trivium in their study was 0.3 mg/kg given once weekly. We carry the liquid suspension which can be flavored to taste and are happy to help, but best wishes either way. Dr. K
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Hi there: Dr. Kevin here, from www.HelpingPetsLiveLonger.com. We carry rapamycin in acid resistant capsules, strengths 0.5 mg -1.0 mg- 2.0 mg and 3.0 mg. Happy to help you out. Dr. K