**Exhibit      4.1**

**AWARD      AGREEMENT**

**THIS      AGREEMENT**
*,*

**WITNESSETH:**

**WHEREAS,      **

**NOW,      THEREFORE, **

| 1. | Grant                of Award. Pursuant to the provisions of the Nutrition 21, Inc. 2005                Stock                Options Plan (the “Plan”), the Company hereby grants to the Grantee,                subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and subject further                to the                terms and conditions herein set forth, the                following: |
|----|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|  | (a) | The                right, pursuant to the Plan, to purchase from the Company all or                any part                of an aggregate of 160,000 shares of Common Stock ($.005 par value)                of the                Company at the purchase price of $0.69 per share (the “Stock Options”).                The Stock Options are intended to be Incentive Stock Options under                Section                422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as                amended. |
|--|-----|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|  | (i) | Such                    Stock Options shall vest and be exercisable as to 1/4 of such                    shares on                    December 1, 2005 (the “Grant Date”), and an additional 1/4 of such shares                    on the first, second and third anniversaries of the Grant Date                    of such                    Stock Options. |
|--|-----|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|  | (ii) | Such                Stock Options shall expire ten (10) years from the date of grant                or 89                days after termination of employment, whichever is earlier. |
|--|------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|  | (iii) | Any                exercise of such Stock Options shall be accompanied by a written                notice to                the Company specifying the number of shares as to which the Stock                Options                are being exercised. |
|--|-------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|  | (iv) | At                    the time of any exercise, the purchase price shall be paid in                    cash, unless                    the Company offers a cashless exercise alternative. In that event,                    Grantee                    may elect to pay in cash or use the cashless exercise alternative.                    The                    purchase price equals the number of shares as to which the Stock                    Options                    are being exercised multiplied by the purchase price per share.                    The                    Company will make all necessary tax withholding at the time of                    exercise,                    in the manner and to the extent provided for by                    law. |
|--|------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

----

|  | (v) | The                    Stock Options are not transferable other than by will or by the                    laws of                    descent and distribution. During the lifetime of Grantee, the                    Stock                    Options shall be exercisable only by the                    Grantee. |
|--|-----|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|  | (vi) | The                    Grantee shall have no rights as a stockholder with respect to                    any shares                    of Common Stock subject to the Stock Options prior to the date                    of issuance                    of a certificate or certificates for such                    shares. |
|--|------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2. | Sale                of Shares. Employee agrees to advise the company of the sale of shares                acquired by exercise of Stock Options, including the date(s) of sale,                number of shares and price(s). |
|----|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3. | Compliance                With Law and Regulations. This award and the obligations of the Company                hereunder, shall be subject to all governmental laws, rules and                regulations and to such approvals by any government or regulatory                agency                as may be required. |
|----|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4. | Grantee                Bound By Plan. The Grantee hereby acknowledges receipt of a copy                of the                Plan and agrees to be bound by all the terms and provisions thereof.                To                the extent that this agreement is silent with respect to, or in any                way                inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, the provisions of the Plan                shall                govern. |
|----|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5. | Notices.                Any notices hereunder to the Company shall be sent to the following                address: Nutrition 21, Inc., 4 Manhattanville Road, Purchase, NY                10577,                USA, Attention: General Counsel; and any notice hereunder to the                Grantee                shall be sent to Grantee at Grantee’s residence or work                location. |
|----|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6. | This                Agreement is subject to Grantee’s actual start of employment with the                Company* *in                accordance with the terms and conditions of employment between the                Company                and Grantee. |
|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

**IN      WITNESS WHEREOF, **

|         |                         |                                          |
|--------------|------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
|         |                         |
|    |                    |                                     |
|         | By:                | /s/ Benjamin              T. Sporn  |
|         | General              Counsel |
|         |                         |

|         |            |                               |
|--------------|-----------------|------------------------------------|
|         |            |
|    |       |                          |
|         | By:   | /s/ Dean              DiMaria |
|         | Grantee         |
|         |            |

----