'Not ethical and not medical'... rehab clinics offer unproven NAD+ drips to treat addiction

Claims that injections of NAD+ can boost energy, cure drink and drug dependence and regenerate brain cells are misleading, unethical and possibly illegal.

- By Shanti Das

It is billed as a “miracle” treatment that can reverse ageing and regenerate brain cells. And getting hooked up to IV drips containing NAD+ has surged in popularity, with record Google searches and celebrity fans such as Kendall Jenner and Joe Rogan.

Now NAD+ is being touted in the UK as a treatment for substance misuse. Infusions of NAD+, which is derived from vitamin B3, are being sold across the country as a “clinically proven” and “effective” way to quit drinking or get off drugs.

But there’s a problem, says Dr Michael Sagner, a King’s College clinical adviser and expert in NAD+. “It’s nonsense,” he says. “People going through withdrawal are often in physical pain. The last thing they need is NAD+.”

The Observer has found that unlicensed infusions containing NAD+ are being pushed as a treatment for substance use disorders in a likely breach of advertising and medicines rules, and despite a lack of proof that they work. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it had taken action against seven clinics offering NAD+ for medicinal purposes, requiring them to remove treatment claims.

The infusions – which some companies state can reduce withdrawal symptoms and “repair” damaged cells by boosting levels of NAD+ (the active form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) – cost from £370 for a “basic protocol” to £2,800 for a five-session “recovery detox”. They are being sold by doctor-owned clinics regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), wellness companies and beauticians.

Prof Harry Sumnall, an expert in substance use at Liverpool John Moores University, said: “It’s untested and unproven. We don’t know anything about its efficacy or long-term safety.”