There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, contrary to social media advertisements claiming neurosurgeon Ben Carson and country music star Reba McEntire developed a nasal spray that can prevent the disease and reverse dementia. The clips include altered audio, the public figures told AFP they have no role in the product and medical experts say there is no evidence it is effective.
"Discover how Dr. Ben Carson, a leading expert in neurology, successfully helped Reba McEntire and her mother overcome memory loss," says a December 9, 2024 Facebook post. "With his groundbreaking research and specialized expertise, Dr. Carson offers a solution that enhances short-term memory in just 14 days and promises a complete cure within one month. Uncover the path to cognitive rejuvenation today!"
The post includes clips of Carson and McEntire promoting the product, with the Oklahoma-born songwriter saying her brain is "deteriorating."
A spokesperson for USA Today said the website is not affiliated with the newspaper and that it will take "appropriate legal action."
"This company is using our branding and a fake USA TODAY story to promote their product -- thereby disseminating misinformation," the spokesperson said in a December 16 email.
The AlzClipp website makes similar claims about the spray, saying it is "scientifically validated" and has been "approved" by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It includes a certificate from the drug regulator, which calls AlzClipp "revolutionary."
However, AlzClipp does not appear in the FDA's database of approved medicines -- and neither McEntire nor Carson are affiliated with the product.
A spokesperson for the singer said December 13 that she is "not involved in this at all" and that the claim is "completely false." A spokesman for Carson's nonprofit organization said December 16 that the former cabinet member has never "developed, endorsed, or even heard" of the product.
The video has different audio from the version in the ads, with McEntire discussing her career and the music industry instead of her health (archived here).
The clip of Carson promoting the nasal spray includes snippets from a 2015 interview he gave to CNN before launching his 2016 presidential campaign. He discussed health care while holding a model of the human brain, but he did not advertise a specific product (archived here).
The AlzClipp website claims users will start feeling improvements within five days of use and that US health authorities have evaluated the product. However, it provides no evidence those statements are accurate.
Christopher Martens, director of the Center for Cognitive Aging Research at the University of Deleware (archived here), said AlzClipp is "likely a scam."
"To my knowledge, there is zero evidence in humans that these ingredients affect cognitive function or Alzheimer's pathology in humans," he said in a December 16 email.
The AlzClipp website says the spray is manufactured in an "FDA-registered facility under strict safety standards." Martens said this likely indicates it is produced in a "GMP facility" -- meaning it must adhere to certain "good manufacturing practices" surrounding cleanliness, production quality and safety but is not necessarily safe or effective (archived here).
He said the website gives customers the "false impression" that the FDA has evaluated the product when there is no evidence it has.
"Dietary supplements and naturopathic products marketed in the US do not require FDA approval and don't go through this same process," Martens said. "However, they must explicitly state on their packaging that 'These claims have not been evaluated by the FDA.'"
Gary Wenk, a professor of behavioral neuroscience at The Ohio State University (archived here), said the four listed ingredients on the AlzClipp site -- monk fruit, lavender, rosemary and mint -- are "useless and probably harmless and will not do what the sellers claim."
He said monk fruit extract, a popular ingredient in food sweeteners, has "minimal" anti-inflammatory effects, like many other natural products. He added that it is "highly unlikely" the spray would be able to pass through the mucus layers in the nose and affect the brain.
"I've seen hundreds of similar claims before. This one is quite bold, by comparison. Most products never claim to actually reverse dementia or prevent (Alzheimer's disease)," Wenk said in a December 17 email.
"Simply stated, this is a snake oil."
AFP contacted AlzClipp for comment, but no response was forthcoming.