Scientific research shows that NMN is a naturally occurring bioactive nucleotide and the precursor of coenzyme (NAD+) in human body. The content of NAD+in human body will decrease with age. Because the NAD+molecule is too large to be directly absorbed by human body, it can only be achieved by supplementing the precursor of NAD+with small molecular weight. NMN supplementation can increase the content of NAD+in human body and play an anti-aging role.

Liu Nan, a researcher at the Biological and Chemical Cross Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that the decline in the level of NAD+in the human body is one of the main reasons for aging. Adding NMN can activate NAD+, thus delaying aging.

With the upgrading of consumption and the constant popularization and deepening of healthy consumption awareness, more and more consumer groups of different ages begin to attach importance to how to delay aging with the help of scientific and technological innovation, so as to maintain their own health and enhance their vitality. This demand not only drives the diversified development of the big health industry, but also pushes the anti-aging field to the market.

In recent years, the research on NMN has been increasing at home and abroad. At present, more than 30 countries around the world have added clinical trials related to NMN. In the United States and Japan, NMN can already be used as a legal dietary supplement.

Up to now, there are many A-share listed companies in China involved in NMN business, including nicotinamide, ATP, bottled consumables and other raw material suppliers in the upstream of the NMN industry chain, and production enterprises in the middle of the industry chain.

Support basic research related to NMN

 NMN is an inherent substance in the human body and also exists in some fruits and vegetables. As nicotinamide belongs to vitamin B3, NMN belongs to the category of vitamin B derivatives. It is widely involved in many biochemical reactions in the human body and is closely related to immunity and metabolism.

In fact, there is still controversy about whether the anti aging function of NMN has human clinical significance in China. In January 2021, the State Administration of Market Supervision issued the Letter on Investigating the Illegal Operation of "Ageless Drugs", which clearly pointed out that at present NMN has not obtained the license for drugs, health food, food additives and new food raw materials in China, and NMN cannot be produced and operated as food.

In December 2021, the State Administration of Market Supervision stated in the Reply to Recommendation No. 1067 of the Fourth Session of the 13th National People's Congress (hereinafter referred to as the "Reply") that at present, the positioning and safety of NMN as a food raw material are not clear, and there is a lack of national standards for food safety. It is suggested to carry out safety assessment or clarify national standards for food safety according to new food raw materials. NMN and related products have not been registered as health food in China, and the conditions for NMN to be used as raw material of health food are not yet mature, so further monitoring and research are needed. The Reply clarifies that China is currently in the research stage of NMN, and the Chinese Academy of Standardization and the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine have the ability to carry out NMN related research, including NMN use history at home and abroad, safety, functionality and function claims.

The insiders said that from the above, China supports the basic research of NMN and related products, and guides the development of NMN and related product specifications.

The human clinical research on the anti-aging function of NMN is still in its infancy. Ju Zhenyu, the dean of the Institute of Aging and Regenerative Medicine of Jinan University, believes that the basic research on aging in China has gone hand in hand with that abroad, but the transformation and application of anti-aging is still in its infancy, which needs to be further promoted by the integration of industry, education and research.

NMN products entered China for the first time in 2018, mainly through e-commerce platforms. As a derivative of vitamin B family, it is included in the "positive list" of the Announcement on Publishing the List of Cross border E-commerce Retail Imported Commodities, which indirectly makes it possible for NMN to enter the country for sale. At present, NMN products sold through cross-border e-commerce are mainly produced in the United States, Canada, Japan, Germany, Australia, Switzerland and other countries and regions. NMN products sold through e-commerce channels range from more than 1000 yuan to several thousand yuan. Relevant data shows that the repurchase rate of the product is about 60%.

Xu Huafeng, secretary-general of the China Health Care Association, said that in the United States and Japan, NMN is also classified as a dietary supplement, and consumers should pay attention when purchasing it.

The market is developing steadily and progressively

With the in-depth development of anti-aging industry and the popularization and application of anti-aging knowledge, people who pay attention to anti-aging will become younger and more popular, and drive the diversified development of the health industry.

Dr. Duan Zhigang, the chief representative of Sailivu (China), said that NMN has long been used as a legal dietary supplement in the United States and Japan. With the further study of NMN, there is no doubt that the use of NMN will be further expanded in the future. The research on NMN in China's market started relatively late, but after two or three years of rapid development, NMN is in a stage where the overall industry is gradually standardized, products are rapidly updated and iterated, and the market is becoming increasingly mature.

With the increasing awareness of NMN, Chinese consumers have a more scientific and rational understanding of NMN related products. The regulatory authorities in China have also strengthened the supervision of their safety and functionality. The platform and the regulatory authorities have joined hands to crack down on the original rampant fake products, so that the market can be purified. Therefore, the overall market development presents a steady and progressive trend. Let the NMN industry develop more healthily, avoid overheating of market investment and fall into the situation of "bad money drives out good money".

China, as a large country of NMN raw materials, and with the deepening of economic growth and aging, the development prospects of NMN products are also optimistic by the capital market. CITIC Securities pointed out in its research paper that the current NMN market space for every 1% of health food consumers in China is 30.4 billion yuan.

Lu Hao, an analyst with CSCI Chemical, believes that in the face of the growing demand for anti-aging, NMN has become a new blue ocean of the big health industry. With the increase of recognition and the opening of policy margin, the NMN production enterprises such as Jindawei, which are the first to enter the market, may benefit.

Song Yan, a researcher from the National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center, said that although NMN is still a long way from the new food raw material catalog at this stage, with the development of NMN clinical trials, NMN is expected to enter the new food raw material catalog in China as soon as possible. The insiders said that with the continuous improvement of the standard, NMN has a promising prospect to enter the new food raw material catalog.