How CodeMD Develops a Supplement Formula

The Short Answer

CodeMD does not begin product development by collecting popular ingredients.

We begin by defining what a formula is intended to support.

From there, our physician leadership, scientific advisors, and technical and manufacturing partners evaluate the available evidence, ingredient forms, doses, safety considerations, delivery format, manufacturing requirements, and quality expectations.

The finished formula should be able to answer a few basic questions clearly:

Why is each ingredient there?

Why was that amount chosen?

What evidence supports its intended role?

Can the product be manufactured consistently and responsibly?

Those questions guide the process from the first concept through the finished product.

Step 1: Define the Intended Purpose

The first decision is not which ingredients to use.

It is what the formula is meant to support.

This intended purpose gives the development process direction.

For example, a product intended to support normal immune function should be evaluated around evidence that is relevant to immune health. An ingredient may have interesting research behind it, but that does not automatically make it appropriate for every formula.

Starting with purpose helps prevent a common problem in supplement development: building an attractive ingredient list first and deciding what the product supposedly does afterward.

At CodeMD, we want the intended use to lead the formulation process.

Step 2: Review the Evidence

Once the purpose is defined, our team reviews the scientific literature relevant to the ingredients being considered.

That review may include:

Human clinical studies
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Peer-reviewed scientific reviews
Authoritative government resources
Established nutrient reference materials
Other research relevant to the ingredient and intended use

The goal is not to find one study that supports an ingredient.

Rather, it’s to understand what the broader evidence suggests.

Questions we consider include:

Who was studied?

What ingredient form was used?

What dose was given?

How long was it used?

What outcome was measured?

How strong was the study design?

Have similar findings been reported elsewhere?

Is the evidence directly relevant to the purpose of the formula?

FDA guidance on dietary supplement claim substantiation similarly emphasizes evaluating the meaning of a claim, the quality of the evidence, the relationship between the evidence and the claim, and the totality of the available evidence.

Step 3: Evaluate the Ingredient Itself

An ingredient name on a label does not tell the whole story.

Many ingredients exist in multiple forms.

Minerals may be supplied as different salts or chelates.

Botanical ingredients may vary by species, extraction method, standardization, or concentration.

Specialty ingredients may have clinical research tied to a particular preparation.

These differences can affect how relevant the published research is to the actual product.

If research was conducted using one form of an ingredient, we do not automatically assume the same findings apply equally to every alternative version.

The ingredient being considered should reasonably match the evidence being used to support it.

Step 4: Decide Whether the Dose Makes Sense

Dose is one of the most important formulation decisions.

A recognizable ingredient may look impressive on a Supplement Facts panel, but the amount determines whether its presence is meaningful.

If clinical research consistently examines an ingredient at a particular dose, a dramatically smaller amount may not reasonably support the same conclusion.

At the same time, adding more is not always helpful.

Higher doses may create tolerability concerns, interact with other ingredients, or affect total intake when diet and other supplements are considered.

Some vitamins and minerals also have established tolerable upper intake levels.

For CodeMD, dose is not chosen simply to make a label look better.

We want to understand why an ingredient is included and why the amount makes sense for its intended role.

Step 5: Consider the Formula as a Whole

Ingredients do not stay separate once they enter a finished product.

A formula has to work together.

That means looking at interactions among ingredients and asking practical questions:

Does the formula contain unnecessary overlap?

Could the combined amounts affect tolerability?

Are there competing considerations within the formula?

Will the ingredients remain stable together?

Will the product taste acceptable?

Can it be produced consistently?

Will people realistically use it the way it is intended?

A formula that looks excellent on paper can still fail as a finished consumer product.

This is where collaboration with technical and manufacturing teams becomes essential.

Step 6: Choose the Right Delivery Format

Powder, capsule, gummy, tablet, and liquid formats each create different possibilities and limitations.

Delivery format affects:

How much active material can be included
Stability
Flavor and texture
Moisture sensitivity
Packaging requirements
Convenience
How consistently consumers are likely to use the product

CodeMD does not view format as a purely aesthetic decision.

It is part of formulation.

For example, a powder may allow meaningful amounts of ingredients that would be difficult to fit into a small gummy or capsule.

In another formula, like an Omega3, a capsule may be the better choice.

The format should serve the intended purpose and formulation rather than forcing the formula into an arbitrary presentation.

Step 7: Work Through Manufacturing Reality

There is a point where scientific formulation becomes physical production.

Ingredients behave differently at commercial scale than they do in a conceptual formula.

Manufacturing partners may need to evaluate:

Ingredient sourcing
Mixing characteristics
Moisture sensitivity
Flow
Flavor
Stability
Packaging compatibility
Production tolerances
Scalability

These are technical areas where experienced manufacturing partners contribute expertise that complements medical and scientific review.

Dietary supplement manufacturing is also subject to FDA current good manufacturing practice requirements under 21 CFR Part 111.

For CodeMD, manufacturing is not an afterthought.

It is part of determining whether a formula can become a reliable finished product.

Step 8: Establish Quality and Testing Expectations

The word “tested” can sound reassuring, but testing only has meaning when the company is clear about what is being evaluated.

Depending on the product and manufacturing stage, testing may address areas such as:

Identity
Strength
Composition
Purity
Microbiological specifications
Contaminants
Finished-product requirements

The testing approach can vary based on ingredients, product format, supplier controls, and manufacturing processes.

The larger principle is consistency.

Quality specifications should be defined deliberately, documented appropriately, and incorporated into manufacturing controls.

Step 9: Review the Claims

A scientifically interesting ingredient does not give a company unlimited freedom to describe a product however it wants.

The words used on packaging, websites, advertising, and educational materials need to match what the evidence actually supports.

Dietary supplement structure/function claims can describe the role of an ingredient in supporting the normal structure or function of the body, provided applicable legal requirements are met.

Health-related advertising claims are also subject to FTC standards requiring truthful, non-misleading, appropriately substantiated statements.

At CodeMD, claims review is part of product development because the communication should accurately reflect the evidence behind the formula.

If the science supports normal immune function, that does not mean the product should be described as preventing an infection.

Physician-Led Does Not Mean Physician-Only

CodeMD is physician-led, but product development is collaborative.

Israel Wootton, MD participates directly in defining the intended purpose of formulas, reviewing scientific literature, considering ingredient and dosing decisions, working with technical and manufacturing partners, and reviewing product and educational claims.

Other expertise is equally important.

Pharmacists can bring additional perspective on ingredient evidence, dosing, interactions, and safety.

Manufacturing teams understand ingredient behavior, stability, scalability, and production.

Quality professionals oversee specifications and testing.

Regulatory and legal advisors help evaluate how claims and labeling fit within the applicable framework.

A good formula benefits from multiple disciplines.

Physician leadership helps anchor the process to the medical and scientific questions behind the product.

What “Physician-Led” Means at CodeMD

We want that phrase to describe real participation.

It does not mean a physician signs off after a formula is already finished.

It means medical expertise is involved while the formula is still being shaped.

Our leadership team, including physicians and our founder, helps evaluate:

What the formula is intended to support
Whether an ingredient has a meaningful reason to be included
What the scientific literature shows
Whether the proposed dose is defensible
Whether claims accurately reflect the evidence
Whether new research should change how we think about an existing product

That role continues after launch.

“A finished formula should be able to explain itself. We should know why each ingredient is there, why we chose the amount, and what evidence supports the role we expect it to play.”

— Israel Wootton, MD

The Work Continues After Launch

Scientific research does not stop when a product goes into production.

New studies are published.

Ingredient technologies evolve.

Manufacturing capabilities improve.

Sometimes new evidence strengthens an existing decision or raises new questions.

CodeMD's goal is to continue reviewing the evidence behind its formulas rather than treating product development as a one-time event.

That does not mean changing a formula every time a new study appears.

Individual studies need context, but meaningful changes in the overall evidence should be considered. Over time, that may affect educational content, claims, ingredient decisions, or future versions of a product.

Bottom Line

A dietary supplement formula is the result of many decisions.

At CodeMD, those decisions begin with purpose.

The team then works through evidence, ingredient selection, dose, delivery format, manufacturing, quality requirements, and claims before a product reaches the market.

Physician leadership is involved throughout that process, alongside scientific, technical, manufacturing, quality, and regulatory expertise.

No formulation process eliminates judgment.

Our goal is to make those judgments deliberately and to be able to explain why we made them.

That is how we think a physician-led supplement company should develop products.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who develops CodeMD formulas?

CodeMD formulas are developed collaboratively. Physician leadership, scientific advisors, and technical and manufacturing partners each contribute expertise at different stages of product development.

What role does Israel Wootton, MD play in formulation?

Dr. Wootton helps define the intended purpose of formulas, reviews relevant scientific literature, participates in ingredient and dosing decisions, works with technical and manufacturing partners, reviews claims for scientific appropriateness, and helps evaluate new evidence as research evolves.

Does CodeMD only use ingredients supported by human clinical trials?

Relevant human clinical research is an important consideration, but the appropriate evidence depends on the ingredient and the claim being evaluated. Essential nutrients, botanical ingredients, and specialty ingredients may have different evidence bases. CodeMD considers the quality, relevance, and overall body of evidence rather than applying one identical study requirement to every ingredient.

Why does manufacturing influence formulation?

Ingredients must be stable, compatible, manufacturable, and appropriate for the intended format. A formula that works conceptually may need adjustment to be produced consistently at commercial scale without compromising its intended purpose.

Can CodeMD formulas change after launch?

Yes. CodeMD plans to continue evaluating new research and other relevant information after products launch. Significant changes in the evidence, ingredient technology, manufacturing capabilities, or other considerations may influence future formulation decisions.

Selected Regulatory & Scientific Resources

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Guidance for Industry: Substantiation for Dietary Supplement Claims Made Under Section 403(r)(6) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. FDA guidance addressing claim meaning, evidence quality, relevance, and totality of evidence.
View FDA guidance
Federal Trade Commission. Health Products Compliance Guidance. FTC guidance on the scientific substantiation of health-related advertising claims.
View FTC guidance
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs) for Food and Dietary Supplements. Information on FDA manufacturing requirements and quality controls applicable to dietary supplements.
View FDA CGMP resource
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Structure/Function Claims. FDA overview of dietary supplement structure/function claims and substantiation requirements.
View FDA resource
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets. Evidence-based information on vitamins, minerals, botanicals, and other dietary ingredients.
View NIH ODS fact sheets

Important Information

This article is provided for general educational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or replace individualized medical advice. Dietary supplements may not be appropriate for everyone. Talk with a qualified healthcare professional about questions related to your health, medications, or supplement use.