Isoprex was sold online and through direct mail by Renaissance Health Publishing, LLC and its owner, James DiGeorgia, according to the FTC’s April 2020 complaint. It was touted as a supplement that could give seniors relief from muscle and joint pain, headaches, arthritis, joint inflammation, and a number of other ailments.
Ads promised that the drug was 100 percent effective in relieving “the worst cases” of joint pain and inflammation. But the FTC has found that the company had insufficient support for its claim that the product was a “miracle” pain relief supplement.
Combination of herbs and spices
The FTC said the company and DiGeorgia falsely claimed to have studies and tests to support its branding as a “miracle” pill. In actuality, the supplement was “primarily a combination of various herbs and spices” that hadn’t undergone testing through any placebo-controlled study.
Additionally, the agency has alleged that Renaissance Health Publishing failed to mention that those who appeared in ads for Isoprex were either compensated for giving glowing reviews or were company employees themselves.
“When you target older adults with promises that your supplement will relieve pain better than FDA-approved drugs, you’d better have the scientific proof to back that up,” Andrew Smith, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in an April news release. “For help with pain or other health conditions, people should rely on their medical professional, not on an advertisement.”
The agency has issued a total of $76,368.54 in refunds to older Americans who purchased Isoprex. Consumers who bought Isoprex will each receive a check for $15.97.
“People who get checks should deposit or cash them within 60 days. Consumers who did not get a refund, but believe that they should, should contact the refund administrator, Analytics, Inc., at 1-866-969-3783,” the agency said.