On November 17, 2020, the FDA issued warning letters to the sellers of Niagen and Nadovim, supplements that contain different forms of niacin, for selling products with unsupported claims that they can treat coronavirus (COVID-19).

• Tru Niagen 300mg, Tru Niagen 150mg, and Tru Niagen Stickpacks (by Chromodex) contain nicotinamide riboside (NR), which, according to the company, can increase levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) in the body. According to the FDA, Chromodex made claims that having low NAD levels can worsen COVID-19 and promoted Niagen products with statements such as "early preclinical data suggests that increasing cytoplasmic NAD levels through a NAD precursor, such as NR, may support innate immunity to coronaviruses and other viruses" and "As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, ChromaDex seeks to be of service to public health. We are pleased to announce the initiation of a preclinical study on the effects of raising NAD+ levels on COVID-19 animal models."
• Nadovim (by The Innovative Medicine LLC) was promoted with statements such as "Why Science Suggests NAD+ Might Give Us A Fighting Chance Against the Coronavirus (COVID-19)" and "The Coronavirus hijacks the mTOR cellular pathways to initiate it's [sic] viral replication. The Sirt1 protein blocks the mTOR pathway. NAD+ activates Sirt1."

(See the Niacin section of ConsumerLab's B Vitamin Supplements Review for more information about Niagen and NAD+.)

The FDA has previously stated: "There currently are no vaccines, pills, potions, lotions, lozenges or other prescription or over-the-counter products available to treat or cure coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)."

The agency instructed the companies to send emails to COVID-19-Task-Force-CDER@fda.hhs.gov within 48 hours of receipt of the warning, describing the specific steps they have taken to correct these violations.

See ConsumerLab's answers to the questions:

Does nicotinamide riboside (as in Niagen and Basis) really have anti-aging or other health benefits?

What are natural remedies for coronavirus (COVID-19)? Do supplements like zinc, vitamin C, or herbals work?

For more information, use the links below.

Warning Letter: ChromaDex

Warning Letter: Innovative Medicine LLC

See Related Warnings:

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