NAD+

Approval status

Not an approved drug in the US or EU. NAD+ is in FDA’s compounding Category 1 (substances under evaluation), so while FDA reviews it, the agency does not intend to act against pharmacies that compound it under its interim policy. Reviews in 2026 call IV NAD+ experimental, supported mainly by small, uncontrolled studies.⁸⁹²³

What it’s used or studied for

• Human studies

  Small pilot studies of IV NAD+ in adults mainly measured blood and urine levels, lab markers and tolerability, not clinical benefits.⁴⁵

• Human studies

  One randomized trial in China added a short IV course to standard care in ischemic heart failure; ejection fraction improved modestly, but clinical events did not differ significantly.⁶

• Human studies

  Promoted for addiction and withdrawal; published data are limited to uncontrolled case series in which NAD+ was mixed with other infusions.⁷

• No studies

  Promoted for anti-aging, energy and wellness; a 2026 systematic review found no outcome trials of injected NAD+ for these uses.³²

Each label shows how strong the evidence is: an approved use, human studies, animal or lab studies only, or a popular claim with no published studies. Being studied is not the same as being proven safe or effective.

Side effects

From small IV studies and clinic records. Symptoms happened during infusions, were worse with faster drips, and stopped when the infusion ended. Long-term safety has not been studied.²⁵

Cautions

• Faster infusion rates were linked to more nausea, flushing and chest pressure.²
• Safety data are very sparse for people with kidney or liver disease or active cancer.²
• Athletes: WADA bans IV infusions or injections of more than 100 mL in any 12-hour period at all times (M2.2), except during hospital treatment, surgery or clinical tests.¹⁰