NAD+ pen: what it is, what it costs and where to find it

The NAD+ pen is a pre-filled pen: the compound is already in solution in a sealed cartridge, inside a pen body with a cap and a graduated dial mechanism. There is no powder to dissolve and no reconstitution step. AuraVia Research sells it in two sizes, 500 mg and 1000 mg. The box of the 1000 mg version reads "1000 mg / 3 ml".

First, a point of chemistry that many product pages skip: NAD+ is not a peptide. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is a coenzyme, a small molecule (C21H27N7O14P2, 663.43 g/mol) with no amino acids and no peptide bonds. It ends up next to peptides because the same vendors sell it, in the same formats.

The vendor states a storage temperature of 2 to 8 °C (refrigerator) and an HPLC purity of 99.3 %, with a certificate of analysis (CoA). The dial is a mechanical selector, like the one on insulin pens. This page does not describe how to use it. The same vendor sells pens for other compounds, for example the MOTS-c pen.

AuraVia Research sells NAD+ in both formats, which makes a direct comparison possible. Prices checked on 19 October 2026, VAT included:

For the same 500 mg, the pen cost about twice the vial on that date (€149.99 against €69.99). At list prices the gap is +125 %, the largest of all the pens we compared in our guide to pre-filled peptide pens. The 1000 mg pen lowers the price per mg, but it stays well above the vial. Prices change often: check the current price on the vendor's site before you order.

The second difference is stability. The vial contains a lyophilised (freeze-dried) powder; the pen contains a solution. The reference reviews on protein formulation show that molecules in solution undergo more degradation reactions (oxidation, hydrolysis, aggregation) than in the dry state, which is why the industry freeze-dries fragile compounds (Wang, 1999; Wang, 2000). These reviews concern proteins, not NAD+ specifically, but the general rule on liquid versus dry forms applies to the choice of format.

In practice, each format implies something different. The vial needs a reconstitution step before any experiment, and the dry powder tolerates storage better. The pen needs no preparation, but it needs an unbroken cold chain, from shipping to storage in the refrigerator.

Today, in our checks, only one vendor sells a pre-filled NAD+ pen: AuraVia Research, in the European Union. The facts we checked:

• Warehouse in the EU, prices with VAT included.
• Standard tracked shipping in 3 to 5 working days, €9, free from €150.
• Delivery to the EU only.
• Certificate of analysis per batch, with HPLC purity, and the batch number printed on the label.

Readers outside the EU cannot order this pen. They can compare vial vendors, with their shipping zones and test results, on our page where to buy NAD+.

NAD+ has two roles in the cell. It carries electrons in energy metabolism, cycling between its oxidised form (NAD+) and its reduced form (NADH). It is also consumed as a substrate by several enzyme families: the sirtuins, the PARP enzymes involved in the DNA damage response, and CD38. This second role is the reason for the interest of ageing research.

The idea that NAD+ declines with age rests on human data that is real but limited. In skin samples from 49 people, Massudi and colleagues found that PARP activity rose with age in men and was inversely correlated with tissue NAD+ (Massudi et al., 2012). In muscle, Janssens and colleagues found lower NAD+ in older adults, but levels tracked daily step count and muscle function, and trained older adults were closer to young participants (Janssens et al., 2022). A review in Nutrients concluded that the decline is not universal across tissues and that many studies are confounded (Peluso et al., 2021).

Most randomised human trials do not test NAD+ itself, but oral precursors: nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). NR was shown to be orally bioavailable in mice and humans (Trammell et al., 2016). Direct NAD+ has far less data. Outside the cell, it is broken down by enzymes into smaller precursors that cells then take up. In a small pilot study of a slow six-hour intravenous infusion in 11 men, plasma NAD+ and its metabolites did not change during the first two hours (Grant et al., 2019). No study has compared injected NAD+ and oral precursors head to head on clinical outcomes.

Injectable NAD+ is not approved as a medicine by the EMA or the FDA for any anti-ageing, cognitive or metabolic indication. For the full picture (mechanisms, precursor trials, reported adverse effects, regulation), see our NAD+ guide.

A pen is checked like a vial, with extra points linked to the liquid form:

• Batch and CoA match: the batch number on the certificate of analysis must match the one printed on the pen or the box.
• HPLC purity: the CoA should state the measured purity and the date of the analysis. AuraVia announces 99.3 % for this pen.
• Cold-chain shipping: a product in solution should travel in insulated packaging. Ask the vendor how the parcel is shipped.
• Complete label: content (500 mg or 1000 mg), volume, batch number and expiry date.
• Sealed cartridge: the cartridge and the box must be intact on delivery.
• "Research use only": a serious vendor does not present the pen as a medicine.

An abnormally low price is a warning sign. A pen needs a cartridge, a mechanism and cold shipping, so it costs more to make than a vial.

The NAD+ pen has the same status as the NAD+ vial. In the EU it is sold for research use only. It is not a medicine: it has no marketing authorisation from the EMA or any national agency, and the vendor states that it is not for human use. The pen format, which recalls approved medicine pens, does not change that status.

Rules on buying, importing and possessing such products differ from country to country. Check the rules that apply where you live. This page is for information only and does not give medical or legal advice.