New York, NY – September 4, 2008 – The Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program (ERSP) has referred advertising  by  NVE Pharmaceuticals,  marketer of  the Appuloss Herbal  Dietary  Supplement,  to the Federal  Trade  Commission  (FTC),  following  the marketer’s   failure   to  provide   a  substantive   response   to  ESRP’s   request  for substantiation of advertising claims.

The  online  advertising  came  to  the  attention  of   ESRP   pursuant  to  its  ongoing monitoring activities.

ERSP, the electronic direct-response industry’s  self-regulatory  forum, is  administered by   the  Council  of   Better  Business  Bureaus  (CBBB)  with  policy  oversight  by   the National Advertising Review Council (NARC).

Claims at issue in the initial inquiry included:

• •           “Helps burn fat on: Bellies, Butts, Hips, and Thighs”
• •           “Combat diet fatigue”
• •           “Oxidize fat”
• •           “Don’t just burn belly fat, get help burning it all with Appulos Diet.”
• •           “Appuloss immediate release granules help burn fat on bellies, hips, thighs, and butts  while busting energy.”
• •           “When combined with caffeine these two powerhouse ingredients (Epichasine™ and   EGGG) have been reported to enhance fat oxidation, stimulate thermogenisis, influence body weight and body composition via changes in EE(24-hour energy expenditure)”
• •           “Appuloss Diet is a unique proprietary complex of the most pivotal thermogenic agents internationally studied.”
• •           “Appuloss Diet may become the strongest, most effective diet break through to date.”

At the outset of  ERSP’s inquiry, a representative of  the marketer was granted short extension  to allow for submission  of  a substantial  written  response to the claims  at issue. Subsequently, the marketer failed to submit a response.

Following a second attempt by  ERSP  to contact the marketer, and subsequent failure by  the marketer to submit a substantial written response within an additional 10 day period, ERSP  has referred this inquiry to the Federal Trade Commission pursuant to section 2.6(B) of the ERSP  Policy  and Procedures.