Dr. Huberman Explains the FDA’s NMN Ban

Last week, Stanford neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman (FAQs) spent much of his appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast explaining the FDA’s recent ban of NAD+ boosting supplement NMN (FAQs, Anecdotes). Dr. David Sinclair recently tweeted about the ban HERE. And, here’s Dr. Huberman explaining the situation to Joe Rogan:

ROGAN:

“But now it’s (NMN) banned officially?

HUBERMAN:

This last year, something was sent to the FDA…

There’s a company called Metro International Biotech.

This is a company that has a trial — they’re studying something similar to NMN, it’s a slight variation on NMN.

It’s an experimental drug.

And, the way the FDA works is, if something is being explored as an experimental, potential prescription drug or pharmaceutical, it can’t be sold as a supplement.

So, it’s a question of what went in first.

Now, this happened a few years ago for something called NAC.

And NAC is still available despite it initially getting banned.

And I’ll tell you how it was rescued.

It turns out that Metro International Biotech, a company that has a pretty impressive advisory board — Li-Huei Tsai from MIT, who I know.

David Sinclair is part of the company. It’s either his company or he’s certainly on the advisory board. That’s what the website says.

So, there are a lot of people that are a bit inflamed because this thing was popularized by the discussion of NMN and its potential virtues.

And, now, the FDA sent out a ruling early this year that supplement companies cannot sell it.

Many supplement companies responded to that and said “ok, we won’t sell it”.

Other companies such as Renue by Science have continued to sell it.

…So people are upset because they feel like they were turned onto this stuff and it’s now…

So, this could soon be a prescription drug.

Now, keep in mind the resveratrol thing was similar in the sense that a variation on resveratrol was patented and sold to a pharmaceutical company.

And that sort of didn’t pan out — or is a work in progress.

And you can still buy resveratrol.

So, the FDA decided to let NAC stay on the market because many, many people wrote letters to the FDA saying this is of value. It was out as a supplement. You can’t do that.

So, part of the reasons I think it’s healthy to have this conversation is to understand how this stuff happens.

NMN could soon be a prescription drug.

And then, I think, Metro International Biotech will likely hold the patent.

If people are interested in certain compounds remaining on the market, they should definitely write to the FDA.

The FDA — they listen when things happen in large volume.

And I’m certainly going to write letters.

And I think that keeping NMN on the market as a supplement would be wonderful for many people that want to take it”

Related:

• NEW: In New AMA, Dr. Huberman Says Both NR and NMN Give Him “Sustained Mental & Physical Energy” (Link)
• Dr. David Sinclair on the FDA’s NMN ban (Link)
• Stanford Neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman on NMN & NR (FAQs)
• NMN and Dr. David Sinclair (FAQs and Anecdotes)
• NR (FAQs + Dosage) (Life-Changing Anecdotes)

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