Apoaequorin

Also called Prevagen (brand), jellyfish protein, aequorin apoprotein.

Best grade D across 2 graded outcomes Other Last checked Oct 21, 2026

The short answer

From 10 sources

Apoaequorin is a calcium-binding protein first found in jellyfish and the active ingredient in Prevagen. Its main trial is disputed, a 2023 review found no compelling memory evidence, and lab tests show it is quickly digested. In 2024 a federal jury found Prevagen's memory claims lacked competent and reliable scientific support; the court barred them, and the company has appealed.

Every graded outcome on this page

2 rows · line = participants

Grade DVerbal learning and delayed recall (CogState tasks)Memoryn 218
No effectCognitive screening scores (AMTS, SMMSE)Memoryn 30

Key facts

Main human trial: Madison Memory Study: 218 adults, 10 mg/day, 90 days^1,2
Regulators' allegation (2017): No significant difference from placebo on any of 9 computerized tasks for the whole sample, per the 2017 FTC and New York complaint^2,3
Court outcome: 2024: a jury found none of eight challenged memory claims was backed by competent and reliable scientific evidence (two were found materially misleading); the court ordered all eight removed from Prevagen marketing nationwide. Quincy has appealed.^7,8,9
Review verdict: No compelling evidence for apoaequorin and memory (2023 review of memory supplements)⁴
Digestion: Easily digested by pepsin in simulated stomach fluid⁵
Product strengths: Sold as 10 mg, 20 mg and 40 mg capsules, according to the complaint²

What it is

Apoaequorin is a calcium-binding protein first found in jellyfish, made recombinantly and sold for memory.

How it works

Proposed

The proposed mechanism is calcium buffering in brain cells. The 2017 complaint alleges that the company had no studies showing oral apoaequorin crosses the human blood-brain barrier, and that its own safety studies show the protein is rapidly digested in the stomach into amino acids and small peptides. The company's published safety assessment found it is easily digested by pepsin.^2,5

Forms

Form

The form on this page
Form	Elemental %	Absorption (human data)	GI tolerance	Studied for
Recombinant apoaequorin (E. coli-expressed)	Varies⁵Not applicable (whole compound or extract; no elemental fraction)	No human study cited here measured intact apoaequorin in blood or brain; it was easily digested by pepsin in a simulated gastric test.^5,2	Described as well tolerated in the Madison Memory Study; bioinformatic screening found no match to known allergens.^1,5	Memory and cognitive tasks

What the human research says

Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form line shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.

Trial map

2 graded outcomes, largest study first

2 graded outcomes: 1 mixed, 1 no effect. The largest, a 2016 randomized trial of 218 people on verbal learning and delayed recall (CogState tasks), found mixed results.

By sizeTable

1Verbal learning and delayed recall (CogState tasks)

Mixed · Grade D · RCT, 218 people, 2016

Community-dwelling adults aged 40–91 with self-reported memory concerns (Madison Memory Study)

Dose, result and source

Every graded outcome on this page, largest study first
Outcome	Found	People	Study	Who was studied
Verbal learning and delayed recall (CogState tasks)	Mixed	218	Grade D · RCT, 2016	Community-dwelling adults aged 40–91 with self-reported memory concerns (Madison Memory Study)
Cognitive screening scores (AMTS, SMMSE)	No effect	30	No-effect grade · Open-label trial, 2024	People with subjective cognitive decline (15 per group)

Every graded row

2 rows

Grade DVerbal learning and delayed recall (CogState tasks)MemoryMixedRCT
n 218 · 2016

Mixed The published paper reports significant improvement in verbal learning and recall in the apoaequorin group. The 2017 FTC and New York complaint alleged the study found no significant difference from placebo on any of its nine computerized tasks for the whole sample, and that positive findings came from more than 30 post hoc subgroup analyses.

Design: RCT, n = 218, 2016
Population: Community-dwelling adults aged 40–91 with self-reported memory concerns (Madison Memory Study)
Form: Apoaequorin capsules (Prevagen)
Dose: 10 mg/day
Duration: 90 days
Source: Reference 1 · PubMed 26878676 (opens PubMed)

No effectCognitive screening scores (AMTS, SMMSE)MemoryNo effectOpen-label trial
n 30 · 2024

No effect The Prevagen group showed no statistically significant change in either screening score from baseline; the comparison product group improved.

Design: Open-label trial, n = 30, 2024
Population: People with subjective cognitive decline (15 per group)
Form: Prevagen (apoaequorin) versus a scallop-oil plasmalogen product
Dose: Product label dose (not stated in the abstract)
Duration: 90 days
Source: Reference 6 · PubMed 39316546 (opens PubMed)

What the numbers add up to

Each point is worked out from the data and the sources numbered on this page, with the arithmetic shown under it. It adds no new data and is not medical advice.

A disputed primary result

The same trial is described as positive in the journal paper and as negative for the full sample in the regulators' complaint, which alleged the positive findings came from post hoc subgroups.^1,2

Digestion undercuts the brain story

Lab tests show the protein is easily broken down by stomach enzymes, and no human study cited here shows it reaches the brain intact.^5,2

Studied doses

Doses used in research, shown against the official limits. They describe the studies, not a recommendation for you.

Studied doses in research, not advice. These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.

Doses studied in human trials

Doses studied in human trials ranged from a single dose level of 10 mg/day for 90 days in the Madison Memory Study; products are also sold at 20 mg and 40 mg, which have no placebo-controlled trial cited here. These are research doses, not recommendations.^1,2

Interactions and safety

Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.

Interactions

0 agents

None found in our sources.

Check with what you take

Kept on this device only

Add what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Apoaequorin and your picks, and between your picks.

Add a supplement or medicine

Most cited:

Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Apoaequorin.

Starting from one medicine? The interaction checker rates how serious each pair is, on a curated list of 19 entries for 11 medicines. This cabinet has no severity rating: it lists every interaction row our supplement pages cite.

Who should be careful

4 groups

People with memory loss or dementia symptoms: A 2023 review found no compelling evidence that apoaequorin helps memory, so new or worsening memory problems need a medical assessment rather than a supplement.⁴
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children: The main trial enrolled adults aged 40–91; there are no data in pregnancy, breastfeeding or children.¹
Liver: LiverTox found no serum enzyme elevations or liver injury in published studies and rates apoaequorin an unlikely cause of clinically apparent liver injury (likelihood score E).¹⁰
People with multiple sclerosis: LiverTox notes anecdotal reports of serious adverse events, including low blood pressure and depression with suicidal thoughts, in people with multiple sclerosis taking apoaequorin.¹⁰

Regulatory and legal status

2 notes

Sold as a supplement; a federal court has barred eight of its memory claims.

United States: Prevagen is sold as a dietary supplement. In 2017 the FTC and New York's Attorney General sued its marketer, Quincy Bioscience, over its memory claims. After a 2024 trial, the jury found that none of the eight challenged claims (such as "Prevagen improves memory" and "clinically shown to improve memory") was supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence, and that two, about reducing memory problems associated with aging, were materially misleading. In November and December 2024 the court ordered Quincy to stop using all eight claims, nationwide. Quincy filed an appeal to the Second Circuit in December 2024.^2,7,8,9
Allergenicity screening: The protein's sequence did not match known allergens, and it was easily digested by pepsin.⁵

How to read the label

What to check on the Supplement Facts panel.

How to read the label

2 checks

'Clinically shown' claims

The FTC and New York alleged that Prevagen's 'clinically shown' memory claims were false or unsubstantiated.^2,3

Label dose vs studied dose

Only the 10 mg/day strength was used in the main trial; 20 mg and 40 mg products were not tested against placebo in the studies cited here.^1,2

Have the bottle? Photograph its Supplement Facts panel and see each line, apoaequorin included, beside the doses and forms the trials used in Label X-Ray.

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.

Common questions

6 answers

Does Prevagen improve memory?

Evidence is weak and disputed. The company's trial reported gains, regulators alleged no significant whole-group effect, a 2024 jury found the company's memory claims lacked competent and reliable scientific support, and a 2023 review found no compelling evidence.^1,2,4,7

Does apoaequorin reach the brain?

No human study cited here shows that. It is easily digested by stomach enzymes in lab tests.^5,2

Is apoaequorin safe?

It was described as well tolerated in the main trial and did not match known allergens in screening. LiverTox rates it an unlikely cause of liver injury; rare reports to the maker include headache, nausea, constipation, swelling and high blood pressure. Independent long-term safety data are lacking.^1,5,10

Does apoaequorin interact with medicines?

No drug interactions are documented. LiverTox lists none, there are no published drug-interaction studies, and LiverTox notes little evidence that the protein is absorbed when swallowed.¹⁰

Are the 20 mg or 40 mg strengths better than 10 mg?

There is no evidence either way. The only placebo-controlled trial used 10 mg a day for 90 days; Prevagen is also sold at 20 mg and 40 mg, but no controlled trial of those strengths is published.^1,2,10

Why was Prevagen sued?

The FTC and New York alleged its memory and 'clinically shown' claims were false or unsubstantiated. In 2024 a jury found none of the eight challenged claims was backed by competent and reliable scientific evidence, and the court ordered them removed; the company has appealed.^2,3,7,8,9

Sources

10 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.

Sources cited on this page

10 sources

1Effects of a Supplement Containing Apoaequorin on Verbal Learning in Older Adults in the Community.RCT Adv Mind Body Med, 2016 · PMID 26878676
2Complaint for Permanent Injunction and Other Equitable Relief: FTC and the People of the State of New York v. Quincy Bioscience Holding Company, Inc. et al.Safety communication U.S. Federal Trade Commission and New York State Attorney General, 2017 · ftc.gov
3FTC, New York State Charge the Marketers of Prevagen With Making Deceptive Memory, Cognitive Improvement ClaimsSafety communication U.S. Federal Trade Commission, 2017 · ftc.gov
4Over the Counter Supplements for Memory: A Review of Available Evidence.Review CNS Drugs, 2023 · PMID 37603263
5Safety assessment of the calcium-binding protein, apoaequorin, expressed by Escherichia coli.Review Regul Toxicol Pharmacol, 2014 · PMID 24768935
6Comparison of Daiwa Brain Health (Hokkaido Scallop Oil Plasmalogen) and Prevagen (Apoaequorin) on Cognitive Function: An In-Office Pilot Study.Open-label trial Altern Ther Health Med, 2024 · PMID 39316546
7Memorandum and Judgment, FTC and People of the State of New York v. Quincy Bioscience Holding Co., No. 17 Civ. 124 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 18, 2024)Safety communication U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (via FTC), 2024 · ftc.gov
8Order clarifying the nationwide injunction, FTC and People of the State of New York v. Quincy Bioscience Holding Co., No. 17 Civ. 124 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 6, 2024)Safety communication U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (via FTC), 2024 · ftc.gov
9Federal Trade Commission v. Quincy Bioscience Holding Company, Inc., No. 25-12 (2d Cir.), docketDatabase Justia Dockets (U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit), 2025 · dockets.justia.com
10ApoaequorinDatabase LiverTox (NCBI Bookshelf), 2019 · ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

What changed

Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.

Change log

3 entries

Dated changes to this page
Date	Change	Who and why
Oct 21, 2026who should be careful; FAQ; questions; related	Added the LiverTox apoaequorin entry (likelihood E; rare adverse events reported to the maker; anecdotal serious events in multiple sclerosis) as liver and multiple-sclerosis notes and in the safety FAQ. Replaced two FAQ that repeated auto-derived questions with answers on the 20 and 40 mg strengths and on drug interactions; added questions this page answers and the focus goal hub link. PubMed searched for apoaequorin or Prevagen trials through October 2026: no new human trial beyond the 2016 RCT and the 2024 open-label pilot. Interactions checked: LiverTox lists none, LactMed has no entry and NCCIH has no page, so the list stays empty. The status of Quincy's 2024 appeal could not be checked from an allowed source and is left as stated.	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z audit against docs/supplements/AUDIT-STANDARD.md
Oct 14, 2026all	Independent adversarial review: added the outcome of the FTC/New York case (2024 jury verdict, November 2024 judgment and December 2024 nationwide injunction against eight Prevagen memory claims; appeal filed), sourced to the court orders and the Second Circuit docket; complaint statements reworded as allegations; removed an unsupported description of the 2024 pilot's author.	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: review
Oct 14, 2026all	Initial editorial evidence review (first draft). Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (titles and years taken from the record) and the abstract read for each cited row. Studied doses are reported as research doses, not dosing advice.	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page

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