ChromaDex Gains Rights to Make NR

IRVINE, Calif.ChromaDex Corp. gained exclusive worldwide rights to a novel manufacturing process for nicotinamide riboside (NR) developed by Cornell University, allowing the company to launch novel, proprietary ingredient that could be used in cardiovascular health, glucose control, anti-aging and cognitive function products.

"Despite its potential to deliver significant health benefits, nicotinamide riboside, or NR, is currently not available to the market as a dietary ingredient," said Frank L. Jaksch Jr., CEO of ChromaDex. "The technology we have licensed from Cornell provides a cost-effective, commercially viable manufacturing process for NR, thereby solving the key barrier to entry."

NR, a recently discovered vitamin found naturally in milk, is a more potent version of the more commonly known niacin (vitamin B3). Like niacin, NR is a precursor to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), which is elevated by a calorie-restricted diet. According to ChromaDex, increasing cellular NAD has demonstrated cell-protective and positive metabolic effects. The company also said lab tests have shown promise for its ability to improve cardiovascular health, glucose levels and cognitive function, and have demonstrated evidence of anti-aging effects.

"We chose NR as a largely unevaluated molecule for the purpose of enhancing cellular NAD levels, and our published scientific work has verified that NR is perhaps the most potent NAD enhancing agent ever identified," said Anthony Sauve, associate professor of pharmacology at Weill Cornell Medical College.

To facilitate commercialization of NR, Sauve developed an efficient synthesis of this compound, and this synthesis enables large quantities of NR to be produced for a variety of potential uses.