Niagen Bioscience, the global authority on NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) with a focus on the science of healthy ageing, has acquired a comprehensive portfolio of existing patents covering nicotinamide riboside (NR) and its salt forms from Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), further strengthening the company’s long-standing leadership and ownership position in NAD+ precursor intellectual property.
The acquired portfolio comprises the core body of patents underpinning the production, composition and commercial use of NR, encompassing foundational composition-of-matter patents covering crystal morphologies, methods of making NR and other NAD+ precursors, and global patent rights spanning multiple jurisdictions.
Before this transaction, Niagen Bioscience previously held exclusive rights to these patents through longstanding licensing and joint ownership arrangements with QUB. With this acquisition, Niagen Bioscience now becomes the sole owner of this critical IP portfolio.
“This transaction consolidates the most important intellectual property underlying our NR business into Niagen Bioscience outright,” said Rob Fried, Chief Executive Officer of Niagen Bioscience.
“Composition of matter patents are the strongest form of IP protection, and owning this portfolio further protects Niagen Bioscience shareholders against infringers of all known forms of the greatest precursor to NAD, NR.”
The acquired patents include those previously disclosed by the company in March 2025, including US Patent No. 12,252,506, which covers the composition of matter for multiple NR salt forms — such as NR Malate and NR Tartrate — as well as other NR derivatives.
Composition-of-matter patents are widely regarded as the strongest form of intellectual property protection because they cover the patented molecule itself and its defined forms, regardless of specific manufacturing pathways or methods of use.
With the acquisition of this portfolio, Niagen Bioscience gains enhanced financial, strategic and operational flexibility, greater control of the molecules it advances across current and future applications, including those that the company plans to use for pharmaceutical applications.
This also represents increased optionality in how the intellectual property is developed, partnered or licensed.
The company’s intellectual property estate includes more than 90 issued and pending patents worldwide across NR and other NAD+ precursors, including more than 50 issued and pending patents focused solely on NR, reflecting decades of leadership in NAD+ science and innovation.