PBC Health · Alzheimer’s / medical access / trial evidence · 2026-09-07
NeuralCIM / NeuroEPO Alzheimer’s video checked: real Cuban trial, access and replication questions remain
The video follows U.S. patients traveling to Cuba for NeuralCIM / NeuroEPO plus, an intranasal erythropoietin-derived Alzheimer’s treatment. The source trail supports a real Cuban randomized trial with striking cognitive results, but the safe label is promising trial signal — not a proven global cure.
Claim table Source note Transcript Judge check
Captured video
What the video claims
Belly of the Beast says U.S. citizens traveled to Havana for a treatment called NeuralCIM / NeuroEPO plus. The transcript claims it is derived from erythropoietin, may reduce brain inflammation and support neuroprotection, and that a Cuban trial showed many patients improved or stayed stable rather than worsening.
“54% of the people on treatment had improvement in their dementia, and 30% were stable … 84% had improvement or stability.”
What the published trial says
The peer-reviewed ATHENEA trial in Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy describes NeuroEPO plus as a recombinant human erythropoietin with low sialic acid content, given intranasally three times per week. It randomized participants aged 50+ with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s clinical syndrome to 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, or placebo for 48 weeks.
PubMed reports 174 participants enrolled and 170 treated. Median ADAS-Cog11 scores improved in both active groups and worsened in placebo: −3.0, −4.0, and +4.0 respectively at 48 weeks. The authors reported improvement in some secondary outcomes and a very good safety profile, while also concluding that larger trials are warranted.
The important caveats
- Not a general dementia cure: the evidence is for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s clinical syndrome in a controlled trial setting.
- Approval is local: the video says Cuba approved it; this pass did not verify FDA or Health Canada approval.
- Replication matters: the strongest recovered clinical evidence is Cuba-origin/CIM-linked. A University of Saskatchewan Phase 2 trial is registered, but it is an early step, not a completed independent confirmation.
- Access is medical/legal: patients should not travel, import, or use this outside qualified medical care and local law.
Claim-by-claim
| Claim | Label | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| NeuralCIM / NeuroEPO exists and has human Alzheimer’s trial data. | Supported. | ATHENEA RCT, PubMed PMID 38093366, PMC full text. |
| It improved or stabilized many trial participants. | Supported with caution. | Published 48-week cognitive outcome favoured active treatment; larger trials warranted. |
| It will change the world / should be available to everyone now. | Advocacy claim. | Not proven by one trial; requires independent replication, regulator review, manufacturing/access and safety monitoring. |
| No major side effects. | Supported within trial limits. | No related serious adverse events reported, but rare/long-term risks need larger populations. |
| Judge/court component. | No. | No JudgeWatch extraction triggered. |
People behind NeuralCIM / NeuroEPO
The public trail centers on Dr. Teresita Rodríguez Obaya and Cuba’s Center of Molecular Immunology (CIM). Belly of the Beast says Rodríguez joined the NeuroEPO project after her mother Amelia developed Alzheimer’s and later helped lead the team exploring Alzheimer’s use. The ATHENEA paper identifies a broader Cuban investigator group, including Saily Sosa, Giosmany Bringas, Nelky Urrutia, Ana Ivis Peñalver, Danay López, Carmen Valenzuela, Kalet León, Tania Crombet, Teresita Rodríguez, Leslie Pérez and others.
On the access/story side, the video features Colorado physician Dr. Bill Blanchet, who says he has followed U.S. patients treated in Cuba. Those clinic observations are useful leads, but the medical evidence still has to be judged through trials, replication and regulator review.
Past and present science trail
The science trail is not just one promotional video. It includes earlier intranasal NeuroEPO work in animal Alzheimer’s models, a healthy-volunteer nasal NeuroEPO safety study, small Parkinson’s/tolerance studies, the ATHENEA randomized Alzheimer’s trial, a post-trial observational follow-up, a Cuban Phase 3 registry entry, and a University of Saskatchewan Phase 2 ClinicalTrials.gov record.
| Period | Source type | What it can and cannot prove |
|---|---|---|
| Preclinical past | APPSwe mouse Alzheimer’s model; TBI animal work | Mechanism and plausibility only — not patient proof. |
| Early human safety | Healthy-volunteer nasal NeuroEPO safety/tolerance study | Supports short-term tolerability questions, not Alzheimer’s efficacy. |
| Clinical Alzheimer’s signal | ATHENEA Phase 2–3 RCT | Important signal in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s; larger independent trials still needed. |
| Present/future | Cuban registry + University of Saskatchewan NCT07178678 | Worth watching; registered trials are not completed proof. |
Films, media and the story around the science
The main film trail is Belly of the Beast’s Teresita’s Dream: Cuba’s Battle Against Alzheimer’s, described as a 23-minute documentary following Dr. Teresita Rodríguez, her mostly women-led team, Cuba’s biotech sector and the sanctions/access issue. The YouTube segment used here is a companion media piece. PBC’s label is: films explain the people and access story; peer-reviewed papers, trial registries and regulator records carry the evidence weight.
Cost and access: clinic visit, not a verified subscription
I found a coordinator/support price, but not a public all-in medication or clinic-treatment price. NeuralCIM Medical Tourism lists a Complete Support Package at US$1,000 during a listed offer, with a stated regular/comparison value of US$1,799, and a travel-support package at US$1,000. That appears to be a coordination/support fee — not proof of the total cost for the drug, clinic bill, travel, lodging, testing or physician charges.
The route described publicly is not a simple online subscription. The NeuralCIM process pages describe medical-record preparation, translation, La Pradera neurologist/neuropsychiatrist review, eligibility decision, appointment/travel coordination and medication-availability confirmation. Cubamed describes an in-Cuba assessment week and a minimum 28-day treatment/rehabilitation cycle. Belly of the Beast / Dr. Bill Blanchet says the drug is free for Cuban citizens, but that does not establish the foreign-patient price.
Bottom line: at present, the verified public route is clinic evaluation/treatment in Cuba, mainly La Pradera/CIM-linked access. I did not find a verified legal Canadian/U.S. mail-order subscription route. Canadians should check Health Canada/CBSA import rules and their physician before attempting to bring back or import a non-Health-Canada-approved prescription drug.
Read the cost/access note and questions to ask before paying
Germany question: travel exception maybe, mail-order subscription not verified
I did not find a German/BfArM or EU/EMA marketing-authorisation trail for NeuralCIM / NeuroEPO plus for Alzheimer’s. Germany’s Federal Ministry of Health says non-Germany-authorised medicines are generally under a bringing-in/import prohibition, with exceptions.
The important exception is travel need: German customs says travellers entering Germany may carry medicine for their usual personal need, generally up to three months’ supply at the recommended dose. That is different from ordering by mail. A patient returning from a legitimate Cuba clinic evaluation/prescription should still carry prescription, diagnosis/medical certificate, original labelled packaging, invoice and dose instructions, ideally translated.
For ongoing access inside Germany, the formal pathway appears to be a German doctor and German pharmacy individual import under §73(3) AMG if conditions are met. I did not find a verified legal subscription/mail-order route from Cuba to Germany for NeuralCIM.
Questions for families and doctors
- Has the diagnosis been confirmed as Alzheimer’s disease versus another dementia cause?
- What treatments are approved/available locally, and what are the benefits and risks?
- Is there a legitimate clinical trial option?
- Would intranasal EPO-derived therapy interact with existing conditions, blood/clotting risks, nasal/sinus issues, anticoagulants or other medications?
- What objective measures will track cognition, function and safety over time?