ChromaDex Signs Material Transfer Agreement With Prominent Australian Research Institute for NIAGEN™ Research
- NIAGEN™ is the first and only commercially available Nicotinamide Riboside -
IRVINE, Calif., July 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ChromaDex Corp. (OTCQB: CDXC), an innovative natural products company that provides proprietary ingredients and science-based solutions to the dietary supplement, food and beverage, animal health, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, announced today it has entered into a material transfer agreement (MTA) with Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, the preeminent child health research institute in Australia. ChromaDex will provide Murdoch Childrens Research Institute with quantities of its proprietary NIAGEN™ nicotinamide riboside (NR) ingredient for research use.
ChromaDex's NIAGEN™ is the first and only commercially available form of NR, a naturally occurring vitamin B3 derivative found in milk. Published research has shown that NR is perhaps the most effective precursor to boost the co-enzyme NAD+ in the cell. NAD+ is arguably the most important cellular co-factor for improvement of mitochondrial performance and energy. NAD+ is essential in supporting healthy cellular metabolism including the efficient conversation of blood glucose into energy.
Dr. David Thorburn, Mitochondrial Research group head at Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, will investigate the health benefits of NR through studies of cellular and animal models of mitochondrial respiratory chain diseases. Together with Dr. Ann Frazier and Dr. Bi-Xia Ke, and supported by a grant from the Australian Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, Dr. Thorburn will study the response to NR in mouse models with mitochondrial Complex I deficiency and in a range of human and mouse cell lines with impaired mitochondrial function.
Dr. Thorburn commented, "Mitochondrial energy generation disorders are serious conditions that vary widely in their clinical features and genetic basis. Our mouse models of Complex I deficiency show an imbalance in the NAD+/NADH ratio and NR has been shown to boost NAD levels in various model systems. We are excited to be able to study NR in a range of different pre-clinical model systems to investigate its likely utility in treating patients."
"Published research has demonstrated that nicotinamide riboside can play an important role in NAD+ production, which is an important cellular co-factor in mitochondrial health," said Frank Jaksch, Jr., founder and CEO of ChromaDex. "Researchers worldwide are working to build on this research and investigate NR's efficacy in therapeutic applications, and we are happy to support Dr. Thorburn's important research on pediatric mitochondrial disorders. Further, we're excited to add Murdoch Childrens Research Institute to our growing list of partners who are studying the science of NR."
About Nicotinamide Riboside (NR):
Sometimes referred to as the "hidden vitamin," NR is found naturally in trace amounts in milk and other foods and is a more potent, no-flush version of Niacin (vitamin B3). Published research has shown that NR is perhaps the most effective booster of NAD+, an essential metabolite found in all cells. NAD+ is arguably the most important cellular co-factor for the improvement of mitochondrial performance and energy metabolism. Mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell where macronutrients are converted to energy the cell can use. Mitochondria also play an important part in the aging process. Scientists hope that the stimulation of mitochondrial function with NR may result in increased longevity as well as other health improvements. Researchers worldwide are continuing to make seminal discoveries characterizing the unique properties of NR in a wide range of health benefits. These include increased mitochondrial health, increased muscle endurance, neuroprotection, sirtuin activation, protection against weight gain on high-fat diet, protection against oxidative stress and improvement of blood glucose and insulin sensitivity.
A study by researchers from Harvard Medical School in conjunction with the National Institute on Aging published in December 2013 in Cell demonstrated that mitochondrial dysfunction (a hallmark of aging) in aging mice is due to a disruption in Sirtuin1-dependent nuclear-mitochondrial communication. The study further showed that a reduction in NAD+ levels is responsible for this disruption. Excitingly, the study demonstrated that this mitochondrial dysfunction is readily reversible by the administration of a NAD+ precursor. The study reported that, "1 week of treatment with a compound that boosts NAD+ levels is sufficient to restore the mitochondrial homeostasis and key biochemical markers of muscle health in a 22-month-old mouse to levels similar to a 6-month-old mouse," indicating that some aspects of aging may be theoretically reversible.
Separately, findings from a 2012 study conducted by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College and the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland showed that mice on a high-fat diet which were fed NR gained 60 percent less weight than mice eating the same high-fat diet without NR. Moreover, unlike the mice that were not fed NR, none of the NR-treated mice had indications that they were developing diabetes and their energy and lower cholesterol levels improved, all without side effects. The Swiss researchers were quoted as saying the effects of NR on metabolism were "nothing short of astonishing."
About Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute is the preeminent child health research institute in Australia, and is recognized globally for its child health discoveries. Researchers at the Institute work side-by-side with doctors and nurses from our campus partners The Royal Children's Hospital and the University of Melbourne's Department of Pediatrics. This provides our researchers with much greater interaction with patients for research and gives us the ability to more quickly translate research discoveries into practical treatments for children. Our team of 1500 researchers is focused on combating emerging conditions affecting child health like allergy, diabetes and obesity, as well as finding answers to unsolved problems like cancer and genetic conditions.
About ChromaDex:
ChromaDex is an innovative natural products company that discovers, acquires, develops and commercializes proprietary-based ingredient technologies through its unique business model that utilizes its wholly owned synergistic business units, including ingredient technologies, natural product fine chemicals (known as "phytochemicals"), chemistry and analytical testing services, and product regulatory and safety consulting (as Spherix Consulting). The company provides seamless science-based solutions to the nutritional supplement, food and beverage, animal health, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The ChromaDex ingredient technologies unit includes products backed with extensive scientific research and intellectual property. Its ingredient portfolio includes pTeroPure® pterostilbene; ProC3G®, a natural black rice containing cyanidin-3-glucoside; PURENERGY™, a caffeine-pTeroPure co-crystal; and NIAGEN™, its recently launched branded nicotinamide riboside, a novel next-generation B vitamin. To learn more about ChromaDex, visit www.chromadex.com.
Forward-Looking Statements:
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. 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" or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. Actual results may differ materially from those set forth in this release due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in the Company's business. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2013, the Company's Quarter Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings submitted by the Company to the SEC, copies of which may be obtained from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update this release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.
ChromaDex Media Inquiries:
Beckerman PR
Jerry Schranz
201-465-8020
[email protected]
ChromaDex Company Contact:
Laura Kelly, Executive Assistant
949-419-0288
[email protected]
Statements in this press release have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products or ingredients are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
SOURCE ChromaDex Corp.
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