NAD+, NMN and the wider “longevity” category have become seriously big business.
From healthy ageing and cellular energy to metabolism and vitality, we’re seeing more brands explore products built around these increasingly popular ingredients and concepts.
But if Australia is on your expansion list, there’s some important new guidance you need to know about.
In August 2026, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) published new guidance covering how NAD, NAD+, NADH and NMN can be represented in listed medicines. And it’s a very useful reminder that having an ingredient you can legally use doesn’t necessarily mean you can say everything you’d like to say about it.
There’s an important distinction here.
NAD, NAD+ and NADH are currently not permitted ingredients in Australian listed medicines.
NMN, or nicotinamide mononucleotide, is different. NMN became a permitted ingredient on 10 December 2025, although brands still need to comply with the specific requirements set out within Australia’s Permissible Ingredients Determination.
There are also permitted ingredients that may act as precursors to NMN or NAD, including nicotinamide, nicotinamide riboside chloride and nicotinic acid.
So far, so good.
But this is where claims become particularly important.
Currently, there are no permitted indications specifically referencing NAD, NAD+, NADH or NMN.
That means indications such as “boost NAD+ levels”, “increase NAD levels” or even “support NAD+ levels” are not permitted for listed medicines.
This is important because it would be very easy for a brand to assume that because NMN is permitted, claims around its relationship with NAD+ are automatically acceptable.
They aren’t.
The TGA does recognise that certain statements about the biochemical pathway may be acceptable when they are appropriately connected to a permitted indication.
For example, a product with the permitted indication of maintaining energy levels might explain that NMN is a precursor to NAD and that NAD is involved in cellular processes such as ATP production.
The distinction can look small from a marketing perspective, but from a regulatory perspective it matters enormously.
Another area brands need to watch is naming.
Names such as “NAD Booster”, “NAD+ Enhance” or “NAD+ 50” may lead consumers to believe the product contains NAD+ or has an effect on NAD+ levels.
The TGA therefore considers examples like these unacceptable.
And you can’t fix a potentially misleading name simply by adding the technically correct information somewhere else on the packaging.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this guidance is that regulators aren’t looking at individual claims in isolation.
They’re looking at the overall presentation.
That includes your product name, packaging, labels, website copy, imagery, blogs, social media, testimonials and advertising.
You might have compliant wording on your label, but if your website then talks extensively about NMN combating ageing, preserving longevity or reducing the risk of age-related conditions, you could still have a problem.
This is particularly relevant in the longevity and wellness space, where marketing language can quickly drift from explaining a biological mechanism into implying a therapeutic benefit.
If you’re developing an NMN product or planning to take an existing NAD-focused brand into Australia, now is a very good time to review your claims, naming and overall marketing strategy.
Because when it comes to regulation, it’s rarely just about what you say.
It’s also about what the consumer reasonably understands you to mean.
