NAD Reviews Claims for Neuracel; Reminds Advertisers that They are Responsible for Claims Appearing at Third-Party Sites

New York, NY – Dec. 21, 2015 – The National Advertising Division has recommended that Neuracel LLC, discontinue claims and testimonials for Neuracel Nerve Pain Relief that state or suggest the product eliminates nerve pain and work to assure that such claims do not appear on third-party websites.

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

As part of its ongoing monitoring program and in conjunction with NAD’s initiative with the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) designed to expand NAD’s review of advertising claims for dietary supplements, NAD reviewed express and implied claims for Neuracel, including:

• “No More Nerve Pain.”
• “Surgery Is Not An Option.”
• “Neuracel Offers Relief for Different Types of Nerve Pain.”
• “Amazing Relief From Nerve Pain.”
• “Nearly all our ingredients are either organic or wildcrafted.”
• “James is an RN who ordered Neuracel for his partner Dustin.  Since taking Neuracel, Dustin has been 100% pain-free.  His tingling, numbness and pain are COMPLTELY GONE!  And even more, he has been able to go off Lyrica and Gralise 100%!!!”

Neuracel is formulated with proprietary blend of ingredients that includes California poppy corydalis yanhusuo, passionflower, lobelia, and prickly ash.  Other ingredients include vegetable cellulose, magnesium stearate, rice flour, and silicon dioxide.

At the outset, the advertiser stated that the challenged claims were made by the prior owner of Neuracel.com, were not reviewed by counsel to the current owner of the company and appeared on a site that the company did not control.

However, the advertiser defended the claims and asserted that they were supported by a 2014 study on mice which found that an isolated compound called dehydrocorybulbine (DHCB) from the roots of the Coridalis Yanhusuo plant diminished both inflammatory pain associated with tissue damage and the infiltration of immune cells as well as injury induced neuropathic pain caused by damage to the nervous system.

NAD noted in its decision that while it appreciated the fact the claims at issue appeared on a website owned and operated by Neuracel’s prior owner, it has held that advertisers apprised of inaccurate or unsupported claims being made about their products that appear in third-party advertising should take steps to ensure that such claims are promptly discontinued.

In this case, NAD determined that the claims at issue reasonably conveyed the message that Neuracel eliminates nerve pain (including diabetic neuropathy) and that consumers who are taking prescription medication to relieve nerve pain can instead take Neuracel to achieve better results—powerful and potentially dangerous claims as they encourage consumers to forego taking prescription pain medication in favor of Neuracel to treat a serious medical condition.

NAD noted that it is well-established that health-related claims must be supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence. NAD determined that the animal study submitted by the advertiser did not meet that standard. Given the absence of reliable supporting evidence in the record, NAD recommended that the challenged performance claims and testimonials be discontinued.

The company, in its advertiser’s statement, said it appreciated NAD’s review of claims “made on a website that it did not own or operate as well as its assistance in having such website taken down. It will respectfully take the NAD’s recommendation into account in future advertising.”

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.