Rapamycin, a drug currently undergoing clinical studies at Columbia University, could delay ovary aging and, in turn, delay menopause, while also reducing future symptom severity. 

The Columbia clinical study marks the primary time the drug has been tested on humans, because it has previously been tested on animals at several clinics, which showed that it could extend lifespan and slow aging. The trial, led by Dr. Zev Williams, chief of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Columbia University Fertility Center, and Dr. Yousin Suh, director of the reproductive aging program at Columbia, is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study taking a look at the consequences of weekly low dose rapamycin on women ages 35 to 42 over the course of three months. After three months, patients shall be monitored for an extra nine months.

“We’ll be measuring over this time different measures of ovarian reserve and performance. We selected that age group specifically because that’s the age at which there’s still an excellent ovarian reserve, nevertheless it still can be helpful for them to give you the option to delay aging,” Williams explained.

This latest study comes on the heels of the ever-growing menopause category, as 1 billion individuals are expected to be in menopause in 2025. Moreover, there’s a $600 billion category opportunity, in line with a report from the Female Founders Fund. 

While monitoring the speed of aging basically may be difficult because it takes place over a few years and there aren’t blood or imaging tests, Williams is optimistic about this study as ovarian aging, specifically, is less complicated to trace. 

“In reproductive medicine, we’ve gotten quite good at with the ability to measure ovarian aging using a mixture of bloodwork and ultrasound, and as a substitute of it spanning many years, you might measure pretty significant declines over a period of just a few years,” he said. “It’s a super goal for this initial sort of study because within the short term, we are able to get data by way of the flexibility of this medication to decelerate aging, the long term we would give you the option to truly help improve the health of girls.”

By delaying the onset of menopause, symptoms can be greatly reduced and lifespan might be prolonged.

“The later that a girl goes through menopause, the milder the symptoms can be,” Williams said. “Lifespan actually relies on the age of menopause and so in cases where women have early menopause, let’s say for surgical reasons, or other reasons…lifespan is affected. The ovaries have such a crucial role by way of overall health.”

While the drug could possibly delay menopause, slowing down the aging of ovaries has a bigger impact on a girl’s health overall, in line with experts. 

“We now know that the ovary has a big selection of essential health advantages to the girl, including reducing the danger of heart disease, reducing the danger of heart problems, reducing the danger of dementia and Alzheimer’s,” Williams said. “Should you can delay the onset of menopause, the goal is definitely to try to extend the health span for ladies.”