VIBRANT Trial: Weekly Rapamycin to Slow Ovarian Aging (NYP / Columbia)

Tier 1: Established: peer-reviewed research or government health authority
Publisher: NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center · Published: August 29, 2026 · Accessed: August 29, 2026

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Claims this source supports

• The VIBRANT trial (Validating Benefits of Rapamycin for Reproductive Aging Treatment), led by Dr. Zev Williams, aims to evaluate a low dose of the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin as a way to slow the release of eggs from the ovarian reserve, thereby slowing ovarian aging.
• The pilot includes 50 healthy women ages 38-45 with regular menstrual periods who are not interested in conceiving; participants are randomized to weekly oral rapamycin (5 mg) or placebo for three months, then followed for an additional nine months, with both participants and investigators blinded.
• This is the first time rapamycin, already approved to prevent organ rejection in renal transplant patients, will be evaluated in humans for the purpose of slowing ovarian aging.
• In mice, rapamycin restored normal ovarian function in premature ovarian failure models and extended reproductive lifespan; it appears to slow the number of eggs leaving the resting pool each cycle.
• Researchers say delaying menopause could reduce the associated increases in cardiovascular disease and dementia risk and extend a woman's number of healthy years; Williams notes menopause is by far the rare exception across the animal kingdom.