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Research

Over a Decade of Award-Winning Excellence in Supporting Academic Research

  • Established in 2013
  • 275+ Research Agreements at 200+ Institutions in 30+ Countries
  • 150+ Peer-Reviewed Publications, including 25+ Clinical Studies
  • 2 Industry Awards
  • Featured in Forbes

The ChromaDex External Research Program (CERP) is an essential component of ChromaDex’s Research and Development strategy. We value and encourage strong scientific rigor behind our products, and our relationships with academic institutions help make this happen. Through CERP, we provide ChromaDex material and technical expertise for exceptional preclinical and clinical, investigator-initiated research projects. Additionally, we fund select research studies supporting ChromaDex’s business needs. As a result, we have developed over 275 Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) globally, totaling more than $4 million in material (based on market value). These efforts have resulted in more than 152 peer-reviewed publications, including 27 clinical studies.*

 

Why Should You Apply for CERP?

Preclinical Inquiry Application CERP Brochure Clinical Inquiry Application

 

A History of Excellence

For over 20 years, ChromaDex has been an industry leader in analytical methods, reference standards, and proprietary ingredients. ChromaDex is the main owner and licensee of intellectual property (IP) related to nicotinamide riboside (NR). In collaboration with our strategic partners, ChromaDex manufactures both NR as an ingredient, Niagen®, and a finished dietary supplement product, Tru Niagen®, to the highest quality standards. We were honored with the “2019 Best of the Industry: Ingredient Supplier” award from Nutritional Outlook for our efforts to set the industry standard for excellence in commercial science and safety. We were also honored with the 2022 EU NutraIngredients Nutrition Research Award for “Developing the science behind NIAGEN®, ChromaDex’s Patented source of Nicotinamide Riboside, for cellular health”.

High Quality Safety Tested Material and Regulatory Acceptance

Our NR has been successfully notified to the FDA as both a New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) and a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) ingredient, both acknowledgments of its safety and acceptance for dietary supplement and food applications in the US. Our product has also received a positive opinion from the European Food Safety Authority and was approved as a novel food ingredient by the European Commission. Elsewhere, our product has been approved as a natural health product by Health Canada and approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia as a complementary medicine. We are the only NR-Cl product that has obtained any of these safety reviews and approvals. Our ingredient is also analyzed in an ISO accredited laboratory.

 

Our Material is Trusted

When it comes to clinical research, independent investigators overwhelmingly chose ChromaDex’s Niagen®. Approximately 70% of NR studies registered on clinicaltrials.gov are using or have used our materials.

 

We Build Relationships

One of the goals of CERP is to build community and provide support to external investigators. From the application process to MTA development to publications and beyond, we provide CERP Investigators (CERPIs) with protocol recommendations, letters of support, manuscript peer-review, intellectual property insights, and more. We want CERPIs to improve their likelihood of success while still maintaining independence and research integrity.

As you determine the source of NR that you will use for your future studies, please keep the following in mind:

  • Some forms of NR-CI are unstable. ChromaDex’s crystalline form is highly stable as a powder. Other providers may sell a highly unstable, amorphous form that quickly gelatinizes when exposed to air, resulting in degradation.
  • Isomeric purity. Our Niagen® is evaluated for the beta-NR conformation to ensure it is the bioactive form. If the NR-Cl is a mixture of alpha- and beta-NR, the efficacy may be reduced, and little is known if the alpha-NR conformation would inhibit the NAD+ biochemical pathway.
  • The successful review of Niagen® and approval by regulators worldwide is a direct reflection of the strong science, safety, quality, and consistency behind it. We possess an intimate understanding of the manufacturing process and composition of the final ingredient material. For third-party sourced NR-Cl, there is little known about the potential contaminants (by-products, solvents, impurities), which could impact study results and reproducibility.

Examples of Recent Peer Reviewed CERP Publications

Investigator Initiated Preclinical Research

Investigator Initiated Clinical Research

ChromaDex Sponsored Peer-Reviewed Research

 

Library of research articles

We are currently prioritizing partnerships with academic researchers looking to use nicotinamide riboside and other ChromaDex materials to advance knowledge in one or more of the following age related research areas**:

  • Exercise and muscle health
  • Fatigue & energy benefits
  • Cognition and brain health
  • Heart health
  • Liver health
  • Immune and inflammation health
  • Aesthetics
  • Sleep
  • Companion Animal health
  • Reproductive health

If you are interested in becoming a CERP Investigator, using ChromaDex materials for your research, please download and complete the appropriate application above. As our program is highly selective, we recommend that you finalize your protocol details and obtain the required ethical approval(s) before submitting your CERP application. An esteemed group of internal multi-disciplinary scientists will evaluate and score your application and supplementary materials. Typically, we provide a response or request for additional information within 30 days of receiving the application. If selected for the program, we will then develop a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) to issue the material(s) and provide technical expertise.

For more information and application submission, please email [email protected].

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*As of June 13, 2023
** These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.