Niagen Bioscience Surpasses 300 External Research Agreements from Leading Global Institutions on Niagen®, Contributing to 45 Published Clinical Studies

Key Terms

material transfer agreements technical

Material transfer agreements are legal contracts that set the rules for lending or receiving physical research materials—such as cell lines, chemical compounds, or biological samples—between organizations, specifying permitted uses, ownership of results, confidentiality, liability, and handling requirements. They matter to investors because they determine who can develop, patent, or commercialize discoveries made with those materials, influence project timelines and legal risk, and can limit or enable future revenue — like borrowing a specialized tool under terms that decide who keeps any improvements.

nad+ medical

NAD+ is a naturally occurring molecule that helps cells turn food into usable energy and repair damage, acting like a battery and maintenance signal inside every cell. It matters to investors because drugs, supplements, or diagnostics that raise or measure NAD+ levels are a growing area of medical and consumer interest, with potential revenue, regulatory scrutiny, and clinical risk tied to claims about aging, metabolism, and disease treatment.

orphan drug regulatory

A drug designated for an orphan disease is a medicine developed to treat a rare condition that affects only a small number of people. Regulators often give these drugs special incentives—such as reduced costs, faster review, and temporary exclusive selling rights—to encourage development, which matters to investors because those incentives can make a small market financially viable and reduce competition, much like a temporary patent on a niche product.

rare pediatric disease designations regulatory

A rare pediatric disease designation is an official label granted to an experimental drug or therapy aimed at treating serious illnesses that mainly affect children and are uncommon. It matters to investors because the designation often brings benefits such as faster review, financial incentives, or market exclusivity that can lower development risk and increase the potential commercial value—think of it as a priority pass and toolkit that can shorten and protect a company’s path to pediatric treatments.

randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial medical

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial is a medical study in which participants are randomly assigned to receive either the active treatment or an inactive look-alike pill, and neither the participants nor the researchers know who got which until the study ends. Like testing two versions of a recipe blindfolded to avoid bias, this design gives the most reliable evidence about whether a drug or intervention actually works and is safe, which matters to investors because clear, unbiased clinical results strongly affect regulatory decisions, market approval, and a company’s future revenue prospects.

intravenous medical

Intravenous means delivering a drug, fluid or substance directly into a vein so it goes straight into the bloodstream. For investors, that matters because intravenous products often act faster, require different manufacturing, regulatory steps and healthcare settings (like hospitals or clinics), and can affect pricing, adoption and revenue profiles in ways that differ from pills or topical treatments — like turning a slow-release delivery into a direct tap to the system.

galactagogue medical

A galactagogue is a medicine, herb, or food ingredient used to help increase a person’s breast milk supply. Investors watch products described as galactagogues because they can drive sales in baby care, supplements and pharmaceutical markets, and because their commercial success depends on clear evidence, safety, labeling rules and consumer trust—think of them as plant food marketed to make a specific crop grow more reliably.

By supporting investigator-initiated research worldwide, the program has helped establish Niagen Bioscience as a foundational force in advancing NAD+ understanding across the industry

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Niagen Bioscience, Inc. (NASDAQ: NAGE), the global authority on NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) with a focus on the science of healthy aging, today announced that its external research program has surpassed 300 material transfer agreements (MTAs) with investigators and research institutions around the world, marking a major milestone for what the Company believes is the most extensive dedicated NAD+ research support program in the world.

Rob Fried, CEO, Niagen Bioscience, commented, “Reaching more than 300 MTAs reflects the growing scientific momentum behind our patented nicotinamide riboside (NR) ingredient, Niagen^®. This program has contributed to 45 published clinical studies, making Niagen the most extensively researched patented NAD-boosting ingredient in the world. Across clinical and preclinical research, Niagen has consistently been shown to elevate NAD+ safely and effectively, reinforcing the strong scientific foundation behind our ingredient.”

Since its founding more than eleven years ago, Niagen Bioscience’s external research program has advanced the science of Niagen and evolved into a unique, industry-leading platform for independent NAD+ research. Surpassing 300 MTAs signals accelerating scientific interest in NAD+ and reflects how NAD+ biology has moved into the mainstream of healthy aging research, not only among consumers but across leading academic and clinical institutions worldwide. These agreements have helped generate 45 peer-reviewed published clinical studies on Niagen, with over 90% investigator-initiated and third-party funded, underscoring the rigor, independence, and credibility of the science.

Yasmeen Nkrumah-Elie, PhD, Global Director of External Research, stated, “As NAD+ becomes increasingly recognized as fundamental to cellular health, scientific interest in effective NAD+ augmentation continues to grow. Through our external research program, investigators worldwide are turning to Niagen as the trusted NAD+ booster for rigorous, independent research, and we are proud to support both established and next-generation scientists exploring its potential across aging and disease.”

Through the program, third-party investigators from leading institutions worldwide, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Mayo Clinic, Harvard University, and Cambridge University, request Niagen for clinical and preclinical research because it is the most efficient, effective, and high-quality NAD+ booster available. The program’s body of work has deepened understanding of NAD+’s role in cellular health, metabolic health, inflammation, cardiovascular health, neurodegeneration, liver health, muscle health, and rare diseases such as Ataxia Telangiectasia (AT), and demonstrates how Niagen supports NAD+ augmentation across these areas. Ongoing studies through the program continue to expand into high-impact areas of unmet need, including premature cardiovascular aging associated with adverse childhood experiences, inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis, and maternal health, including the potential galactagogue effects of Niagen in mothers with premature births.

Noteworthy scientific milestones to date include:

• Guzmán-Vélez et al., 2025 found that Niagen supplementation in the first-ever randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in individuals with long COVID significantly increased NAD+ levels and showed within-group improvements in fatigue, depression, and sleep quality.
• Presterud et al., 2023 demonstrated the potential of Niagen in ataxia telangiectasia (AT), with improvements in AT scores, immunoglobulins, whole-blood NAD+ levels, neuromotor coordination, and eye movements; this body of research through the external research program helped lead Niagen Bioscience to receive exclusive U.S. FDA Orphan Drug and Rare Pediatric Disease designations for NR for the treatment of AT.
• Han et al., 2023 demonstrated that elevating NAD+ with Niagen reduced inflammatory signaling in healthy subjects and immune cells derived from psoriasis patients, contributing to what has now grown to 7 clinical studies demonstrating the anti-inflammatory benefits of Niagen in both healthy and disease populations (Elhassan et al., 2019, Zhou et al., 2020,Remie et al., 2020, Wu et al., 2022, Brakedal et al., 2022, Wang et al., 2022, Han et al., 2023).

The program now includes agreements with more than 200 institutions across 34 countries and has contributed to more than 225 peer-reviewed publications, including 45 published human clinical studies on Niagen. Niagen Bioscience estimates the program has generated more than $200 million in third-party research value or funding, underscoring the substantial outside investment researchers and institutions have made in studying Niagen and NAD+ biology. The program has also resulted in a patent portfolio of over 50 granted patents related to Niagen and other NAD+ precursors.

Niagen Bioscience's external research program is believed to be the only program in the U.S. dietary supplement space supporting investigators, physicians, scientists, and academic institutions at this scale to advance the science of NAD+ and Niagen. What began as an early commitment to scientific rigor has evolved into a global research ecosystem that benefits not only Niagen Bioscience but the broader NAD+ category.

The Company expects the external research program to continue expanding into new institutions, geographies, therapeutic areas, and delivery modalities as interest in NAD+ biology grows and researchers seek to better understand the role of Niagen in health, resilience, and aging. The program is also expected to expand into new areas of investigation, including topical applications, intravenous and injectable administration with pharmaceutical-grade Niagen, and the evaluation of additional novel NAD+ precursors.

For additional information on Niagen, visit www.niagenbioscience.com.

About Niagen Bioscience:

Niagen Bioscience, Inc. (NASDAQ: NAGE) is the global leader in NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) science and healthy-aging research. As a trusted pioneer of NAD+ discoveries, Niagen Bioscience^™ is dedicated to advancing healthspan through precision science and innovative NAD+-boosting solutions.

The Niagen Bioscience team, composed of world-renowned scientists, works with independent investigators from esteemed universities and research institutions around the globe to uncover the full potential of NAD+. A vital coenzyme found in every cell of the human body, NAD+ declines with age and exposure to everyday lifestyle stressors. NAD+ depletion is a key contributor to age-related changes in health and vitality.

Distinguished by state-of-the-art laboratories, rigorous scientific and quality protocols, and collaborations with leading research institutions worldwide, Niagen Bioscience sets the gold standard for research, quality, and innovation. There’s a better way to age.

At the heart of its clinically proven product portfolio is Niagen® (patented nicotinamide riboside, or NR), the most efficient, well-researched, and high-quality NAD+ booster available. Niagen powers the Company’s consumer supplement, Tru Niagen®, the number one NAD+ boosting oral supplement in the United States† (available at www.truniagen.com), and Niagen Plus™, featuring pharmaceutical-grade intravenous (IV) and injectable Niagen products (www.niagenplus.com). Pharmaceutical-grade Niagen IV and injections are compounded and distributed by U.S. FDA-registered 503B outsourcing facilities and are available exclusively at clinics with a prescription.

Niagen Bioscience’s robust patent portfolio protects NR and other NAD+ precursors. Niagen Bioscience maintains a website at www.niagenbioscience.com, where copies of press releases, news, and financial information are regularly published.

^†Based on revenue per largest U.S. e-commerce marketplace (Jan. 2025 – Dec. 2025)

Forward Looking Statements:

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements that are not a description of historical facts constitute forward-looking statements and may often, but not always, be identified by the use of such words as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends” “estimates,” “plans,” “potential,” “possible,” “probable,” “believes” “seeks,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “predicts,” “projects,” “continue,” “would” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, inflationary conditions and adverse economic conditions; our history of operating losses; the growth and profitability of our product sales; our ability to maintain and grow sales, marketing and distribution capabilities; changing consumer perceptions of our products; our reliance on a single or limited number of third-party suppliers; risks of conducting business in China; including unanticipated developments in and risks related to the Company’s ability to secure adequate quantities of pharmaceutical-grade Niagen in a timely manner; the Company’s ability to obtain appropriate contracts and arrangements with U.S. FDA-registered 503B outsourcing facilities required to compound and distribute pharmaceutical-grade Niagen to clinics; the Company’s ability to remain on the U.S. FDA Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503B of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act Category 1 list; the Company’s ability to maintain and enforce the Company’s existing intellectual property and obtain new patents; whether the potential benefits of NRC can be further supported; further research and development and the results of clinical trials possibly being unsuccessful or insufficient to meet applicable regulatory standards or warrant continued development; the ability to enroll sufficient numbers of subjects in clinical trials; determinations made by the FDA and other governmental authorities, including with respect to products seeking to compete in our market; mislabeling or other misleading marketing practices by competitors; economic and market instability, including as a result of tariffs or trade conflicts; and the risks and uncertainties associated with our business and financial condition in general, described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including, without limitation, our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q as filed with the SEC.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and actual results may differ materially from those suggested by these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and Niagen Bioscience undertakes no obligation to revise or update this release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

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Niagen Bioscience Media Contact:

Kendall Knysch, Senior Director of Media Relations & Partnerships

310.405.5227

kendall.knysch@niagenbio.com

Niagen Bioscience Investor Relations Contact:

Valter Pinto, Managing Director

KCSA Strategic Communications

212.896.1254

Niagen@kcsa.com

Source: Niagen Bioscience, Inc