NAD Recommends National Media Group Discontinue Challenged Claims for Neurocet Supplement, Including All Pain-Relief Claims

New York, NY – March 31, 2017 – The National Advertising Division has recommended that National Media Group discontinue pain relief claims made for the company’s Neurocet dietary supplement, including the claim “Pain relief 48 time stronger than morphine.”

NAD is an investigative unit of the advertising industry’s system of self-regulation. It is administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

The claims at issue were challenged by the Council for Responsible Nutrition as part of an ongoing initiative to expand NAD’s review of advertising claims for dietary supplements.

CRN challenged express claims that included:

• “Lasts 26 times longer than 10 popular pain drugs”
• “Relief lasted 5 days after one dose”
• “Pain relief 48 times stronger than morphine”
• “Neurocet helps you get rid of pain all over your body”
• “Patients with the worst pain imaginable found relief in under an hour”
• “Clinically proven results!”
• “Stiffness plunged 60%, mobility improved 49% and pain fell 62%”
• “Amazing 71.3% increase in flexibility and movement”
• Implied Claim:
• Neurocet may be used to prevent, treat, and/or manage pain and medical conditions such as arthritis. 

Neurocet is formulated with Calcium fructoborate, DL-Phenylalanine and Boswellia serrata gum extract. The challenged claims were included in a 23-page pamphlet entitled “M.D.’s Pain Relief Report.” CRN expressed concern that consumers might forgo conventional medical treatments based on the strength of the claims made for Neurocet.

In response to NAD’s inquiry, the advertiser provided an extensive number of articles and studies, many of which were third-party reports summarizing existing research on the ingredients contained in in Neurocet.

Following its review of the evidence in the record, NAD concluded that the  evidence presented was insufficiently reliable to substantiate the advertiser’s claims, “Lasted 26 times longer than 10 popular pain drugs,” “Relief lasted 5 days after one dose,” and “48 times stronger than morphine” and recommended that the claims be discontinued.

NAD also concluded that the advertiser did not provide competent and reliable evidence sufficient to substantiate its claim that “Neurocet helps you get rid of pain all over your body.”

NAD further recommended that the unsupported claim “Patients with the worst pain imaginable found relief in under an hour” be discontinued.  NAD determined that the quantified claims that “Stiffness plunged 60%, mobility improved 49% and pain fell 62%” and “Amazing 71.3% increase in flexibility and movement” were not a good fit for the support provided and recommended the claims be discontinued.

NAD recommended that the advertiser discontinue its unsupported claim that Neurocet provides “Clinically Proven Results.”

Finally, NAD recommended that the advertiser discontinue unsupported claims that imply Neurocet may be used to prevent, treat, and/or manage pain and medical conditions such as arthritis.

National Media Group, in its advertiser’s statement, said the company would comply with NAD’s recommendations.

“While National Media Group is disappointed in NAD’s other findings in spite of the volumes of supplied substantiation supporting its claims, out of respect for the self-regulatory process, it will incorporate NAD’s recommendations in future Neurocet advertising,” the company said.

Note: A recommendation by NAD to modify or discontinue a claim is not a finding of wrongdoing and an advertiser’s voluntary discontinuance or modification of claims should not be construed as an admission of impropriety. It is the policy of NAD not to endorse any company, product, or service. Decisions finding that advertising claims have been substantiated should not be construed as endorsements.