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FTC enforcement action against Prevagen reinstated

Posted 25 September 2019

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second District has ruled that the FTC and New York Attorney General can continue their suit against the promoters of the widely advertised “memory supplement” Prevagen. In January 2017, the agencies charged the marketers with making false and unsubstantiated claims that the product improves memory, provides cognitive benefits, and is “clinically shown” to work.
Reference: FTC, New York State charge the marketers of Prevagen with making deceptive memory, cognitive Improvement claims: Widely advertised supplement touted to improve memory in 90 days. FTC news release, Jan 9, 2017

In September 2017, a U.S. District Court judge dismissed the complaint after ruling that it was too speculative. However, in February 2019, the appellate court vacated the dismissal and returned it to the lower court for further consideration. The key issue in the case is whether or not the non-peer-reviewed study … Read the rest

September 25th, 2019 | Tags: | Category: Prevagen | Leave a comment

Prevagen memory study falls short

Posted 25 March 2018

We have previously pointed out in 2015 that Prevagen’s claims of being able to improve memory are untrue. (Class-action suit filed against “memory supplement” marketers). We pointed out in 2017 that the product is imported by Zenith Biomedical and also sold through www.wantitall.co.za. It is baffling that the company would continue to sell the product to South Africans. Zenith Biochemical also imports TA65, another dubious ‘anti-aging’ product that the USA Federal Trade Commission has acted against.

TruthinAdvertising.org (Tina.org) posted the following:

In 2011, four years after launching Prevagen, Wisconsin-based Quincy Bioscience embarked on a study to prove that the active ingredient in the supplement — apoaequorin — improves memory. It did not yield the results Quincy was hoping for. In fact, the Madison Memory Study failed to show a statistically significant improvement in the treatment group over the placebo group — scientist speak … Read the rest

March 25th, 2018 | Tags: , | Category: Prevagen | Leave a comment

Prevagen: FTC and New York State Attorney General action

Posted 16 January 2017

Prevagen, which claims to “improve memory”, is available in South Africa:

Imported by Zenith Biomedical, it is also sold through www.wantitall.co.za

We have previously pointed out that a class action suit has been launched against the American manufacturers. Now the USA Federal Trade Commission and New York State Attorney General has stepped in.

The Federal Trade Commission and New York State Attorney General have charged the marketers of the dietary supplement Prevagen with making false and unsubstantiated claims that the product improves memory, provides cognitive benefits, and is “clinically shown” to work.
[FTC, New York State charge the marketers of Prevagen with making deceptive memory, cognitive Improvement claims: Widely advertised supplement touted to improve memory in 90 days. FTC news release, Jan 9, 2017]

… Read the rest

January 16th, 2017 | Tags: , | Category: Prevagen | Leave a comment

Class-action suit filed against “memory supplement” marketers

Posted 09 February 2015

A class-action suit has been filed against Quincy Bioscience LLC, which has marketed Prevagen for several years. The company claims that the product works by re-supplying memory-related proteins that decline as people age. The complaint charged:

  • The product cannot work as advertised because its only purported active ingredient, apoaequorin (a protein), is completely destroyed by the digestive system and transformed into common amino acids no different than those derived from other common food products.
  • The amount of amino acids Prevagen adds to the user’s intake are trivial in comparison to normal dietary intake.
  • Claims that clinical tests demonstrate that Prevagen will improve memory and support healthy brain function, sharper mind, and clearer thinking are false.
  • Studies touted in Prevagen’s marketing campaign “if they exist at all, are, on their face, so seriously flawed that they demonstrate nothing regarding Prevagen.”

In 2012, the FDA warned Quincy that … Read the rest

February 9th, 2015 | Tags: | Category: Prevagen | 3 comments