Joel Kocher on Humann's Research Partnership with UC Davis

Humann CEO and co-founder Joel Kocher answers questions on the company's research partnership with the UC Davis Innovation Institute for Food & Health: why the agreement is structured as a standing research program rather than a single study, what it means for the product pipeline, and the standard of evidence he believes retailers and consumers should expect from supplement companies. 

Why did Humann formalize a long-term research partnership with UC Davis? 

Most know by now that our company was incepted from a University of Texas Scientific Research Discovery Program begun by Dr. Ferid Murad who won the Nobel Prize for Medicine. 

So the model isn't new to us. The new news is we are setting the bar again. Most research relationships in this industry are one project at a time: you ask a question, you get an answer, everyone moves on. A standing partnership with Dr. Schmitz and the UC Davis Innovation Institute for Food & Health enables us to pursue discovery rather than simply confirmation, and build a body of intellectual property work that belongs to Humann. That's the part that matters. It's the difference between a company that buys a study and a company built on science. 

What will the Humann and UC Davis research study first? 

The frame is precision nutrition applied to cardiovascular health, performance and longevity, in women and men, across different life stages. You see, America has cardiovascular health wrong. It gets talked about as a problem for people in their sixties, and by then you're reacting to something instead of supporting both health and life spans. Clinical trials is a key part of the program but by no means the entire body of work. 

I'm not going to lay out the specific priorities, and I'll tell you why. We are building moats. We are the market maker, but the speed at which you are copied in this industry is accelerating. The disappointing part is they don't follow in science, but rather in unsubstantiated claims and aggressive marketing. So for now, we won't be sharing specifics. 

How will this research shape Humann's product pipeline? 

All of the above, with the majority of the investment aimed at new categories. 

Validating what's already on the shelf is table stakes; we've been doing that since day one of Humann. You don't build a partnership like this one for the products you already have. We are out to break new ground. Again! 

What level of scientific evidence should consumers and retailers expect from supplement companies? 

The best thing that could happen to a company like ours is for consumers and retailers to understand what real clinical data is worth. 

For too long this industry has been defined by science-less copycats and pretenders who have no business participating in human health at all. How does a company claim to be in human health with no science staff, no clinical trials, and no investment in validating anything printed on the label? 

The standard gets set at the shelf. Retailers are the gate, and I think it's their responsibility to know whether a product clears a scientific and clinical bar before it goes on the shelf. It's an obligation to the shopper, and it's in the retailer's own interest, because they're the one who owns that trust relationship. 

We've done the hard yards since day one. Eight published clinical studies on our products. Full-time scientists on staff for the entire life of the company. A chief cardiologist. And now a science council chaired by Dr. Schmitz and a research partnership with UC Davis IIFH. 

Is Humann expanding beyond nitric oxide? 

Yes. 

The company was founded on nitric oxide, and that work is primarily about vasodilation and healthy blood pressure support. More recently, we've moved into adjacent areas like cholesterol and metabolic health. This partnership extends our innovation into cardiovascular nutrition and healthy aging more broadly. I'm not going to disclose the science or product roadmap, but our track record is the answer: we've expanded this category every time the science gave us a reason to, and that's what this partnership is built to do. 

What does this partnership mean for ingredient suppliers and innovation? 

We are not shopping for what's already been proven. 

The scope of the partnership will point at new discoveries and innovation. That includes new exciting ingredients focused on new condition states. And we will continue to aggressively explore new form factors that make it easier and more fun for consumers. 

What is Humann's mission in cardiovascular health? 

Our mission hasn't changed since the day we started this company: help change the trajectory of human cardiovascular health. 

America has been looking at cardiovascular health the wrong way for a long time — reacting rather than proactively supporting the system to help support both health span and lifespan. It's the most serious health issue on earth, yet too many people are distracted by things that matter less, like green powders or the latest trend. Science-based nutrition has a real role to play in changing that, and this partnership will advance the ball down the field. 

We could not be more excited to pair with these two respective leaders in their fields in Dr. Schmitz and UC Davis IIFH.