What is MIB-626?
MIB-626 is a microcrystalline form of NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) created by MetroBiotech that slightly differs from the regular form of NMN because it is in a microcrystalline form compared to NMN’s crystalline form.
The theoretical benefit of this is that the pure NMN supplement molecules are stacked in a more orderly way. When molecules are stacked together in a more orderly crystalline pattern, they tend to be more stable. As a result of this compact arrangement, they react have less reaction with surrounding water molecules.
Research studies indicate that similar to standard NMN, MIB0626 can be absorbed by the body and elevate NMN and NAD levels in the bloodstream.
How MIB-626 works
Because MIB-626 is a form of NMN, it works just like standard NMN, which is an essential component for the production of NAD and plays a crucial role in DNA repair and protection, as well as maintaining the epigenome.
MIB-626 and NMN have the ability to enhance NAD levels in cells, leading to improved cellular functioning and increased protection against aging. This is important because NAD levels dramatically decline in our bodies as we age.
Clinical Trials on this new variant of NMN.
The U.S. military is exploring the potential use of MIB-626 as it is hoped to improve the mental and physical capabilities for their soldiers (1). The Special Operations Command (SOCOM) initiated a study to evaluate whether MIB-626 could enhance the soldiers' performance.
Additional research is being conducted on MIN-626 by MetroBiotech, the pharmaceutical company responsible for creating MIB-626. MetroBiotech was formed specifically with the mission to take NMN from the supplements market and take them into the licensed pharmaceutical market.
Metrobiotech is in the process of conducting human clinical trials to determine whether the microcrystalline form of NMN can be effective in treating aging-related diseases and conditions such as kidney failure, heart failure, mitochondrial diseases, muscle diseases, and others. The aim is to license this molecule as a drug, thereby taking it into the clinical setting but at the same time taking it out of the market and, therefore, not being available as a regular dietary supplement.
Interim results of MIB-626 clinical studies
Metrobiotech has published preliminary results on their clinical trial. The study conducted by Pencina and colleagues from Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women's Hospital showed that MIB-626, oral administration, taken once or twice daily for two weeks, was safe, with no observable health issues, and significantly increased blood NAD+ levels in middle-aged and older adults.
The study did not detect any differences in blood sugar, insulin, fat, and uric acid levels in trial participants, but it was not large enough nor long enough to detect differences in glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity.
It is important to note that this early-phase trial was not designed to evaluate efficacy outcomes. However, subsequent efficacy trials should use NMN regimens of 1000 mg or higher. Doses less than 1000 mg of NMN were not shown to consistently raise NAD+ levels in healthy volunteers, and several recently completed clinical trials used NMN doses much lower than this.
If the dosage results with MIB-626 can be replicated with other NMN formulations, we will likely see clinical trials using NMN in the aging and longevity space begin to take off from all sorts of companies working on NAD+ boosters.
Metro International Biotech is already recruiting for at least two phase 2 trials on MIB-626 treatment and has another one listed as not yet recruiting, focusing on Alzheimer’s disease. One actively recruiting clinical study will examine MIB-626’s tolerability and effectiveness in adults with COVID-19 infection and stage 1 acute kidney injury in preventing the worsening of kidney function and in attenuating the inflammatory response to the infection.
A second trial will test the safety and tolerability of short-term therapy with MIB-626 in adults with Friedreich’s Ataxia, a rare genetic disorder that affects the nervous system and causes progressive damage to nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
If the efficacy, safety, and bioavailability of NMN are demonstrated in the two phase 2 trials, larger and longer duration randomized clinical trials could support drug registration for NMN, which is disturbing for people who currently take NMN as a dietary supplement.
David Sinclair and MIB-626
Metrobiotech is co-founded by Harvard aging and longevity researcher David Sinclair. David Sinclair is well known for discovering NMN as a longevity supplement and is very vocal on the topic of extending human healthspan.
Is there a difference in effectiveness between MIB-626 and "normal" NMN?
Companies are exploring options to obtain patents on NMN by making slight modifications to the molecule or its arrangements, as it cannot be patented in its current standard form.
MetroBiotech suggests that MIB-626 may have superior performance compared to standard NMN.
The comparison between MIB-626 and regular NMN regarding their efficacy in increasing NAD levels is inconclusive. Claims suggest that the former can elevate NAD levels significantly higher, up to 200-300%, compared to the latter, which only reaches a 40% increase. There remains a lack of published head-to-head comparison studies between MIB-626 and standard NMN.
To date, all studies conducted on NMN have demonstrated health benefits using the standard, non-crystalline NMN. You can find our summary of the human trials of NMN to date here.
NMN Supplements as part of a wider longevity regime
NMN, whether in its normal or crystalline form, is regarded as a powerful molecule for promoting longevity. But using NMN or MIB-626 alone to decelerate aging is not the optimal approach. The aging process is multifaceted and involves various mechanisms that must be considered.
The combination of NMN products and other longevity supplements is considered a better approach, but at Longevity Box, we believe that optimal health and longevity are about more than just supplements. We passionately believe that it's about eating right, moving right, sleeping right, thinking right, and breathing right.
And taking NMN supplements, of course :)
