Osteo Bi-Flex passes advertising scrutiny

NEW YORK — The National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus earlier this month determined that Rexall Sundown has supported claims regarding the company’s Osteo Bi-Flex glucosamine HCL and vitamin D3 dietary supplement.

As a part of its ongoing monitoring program and in conjunction with the NAD’s initiative with the Council for Responsible Nutrition, designed to expand the NAD’s review of advertising claims for dietary supplements, the NAD — the advertising industry’s self-regulatory forum — reviewed claims that included:

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  “Joint support formula designed to show improvement in joint comfort within seven days”;

  
  


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  “5-LOXIN Advanced, a patent-pending special natural extract of Boswellia serrata that shows improvement in joint comfort within seven days”;

  
  


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  “Promotes neuromuscular function”;

  
  


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  “Supports overall immune system health”; and

  
  


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  “No. 1 doctor- and pharmacist-recommended brand.”

  
  

In support of its advertising claims, the advertiser identified the proven joint health benefits of glucosamine and vitamin D3, as well as research on the Boswellia serrata extract in this product.

Rexall Sundown acknowledged that the current research on glucosamine alone could not support a “seven-day efficacy" claim, but maintained that its seven-day claim was supported by the highly absorbable Boswellia extract ingredient aflapin, which is marketed as 5-Loxin Advanced.

Following its review of the evidence in the record, including research on aflapin, the NAD determined that the advertiser could support claims that referenced an improvement in joint comfort in or within seven days. The NAD further determined that the body of evidence on vitamin D provides a reasonable basis for the claims that it “promotes neuromuscular function” and “supports overall immune system health.”

Finally, the NAD found that, based on data contained in the current National Disease and Therapeutic Index, the advertiser could support the claim that Osteo Bi-Flex is the “No. 1 doctor- and pharmacist-recommended brand.”