Apoaequorin

The FTC challenged Prevagen's advertising claims. The single company-funded trial showed no overall cognitive benefit on the primary endpoint.

A rough internal score reflecting quantity, quality, and consistency of human evidence. Not a clinical recommendation.

One manufacturer-sponsored RCT (n=218) failed its primary endpoint. A post-hoc subgroup showed modest memory improvement, but post-hoc findings are hypothesis-generating at best. The protein is likely digested before reaching the brain.

• Generally well tolerated
• Post-hoc subgroup showed modest verbal-learning improvement

Marketed at 10 mg/day (Prevagen Regular).

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea (rare)

Generally considered safe but expensive relative to evidence. FTC and NY Attorney General filed deceptive-advertising complaints.

As a protein, apoaequorin is almost certainly degraded in the GI tract. The mechanism by which oral ingestion could affect brain calcium is unclear.

• Memory15