The RU-21 story

  

We no longer sell RU-21 so can offer a more impartial view than other sites.

RU-21 has enjoyed worldwide success since it was first brought to the market on the internet. Some people still express scepticism about it, ‘sounds as fanciful as an eat all you like and stay slim pill’! Consider that since it was introduced to the UK market on the internet it has now been taken up by major stores like Asda and Boots. Not only that, but to comply with the letter of UK regulations the new packet does not mention what it does! So now sales have a lot more to do with word of mouth recommendation and loyal fans than any hype. Of course it wasn’t for the hype and KGB ‘fairy stories’ we might not have heard of RU-21 at all.
Spirit Sciences is the US company who negotiated the marketing deal with the Russian distributor of Antipokhmelin, SKS Alyans. Spirit Sciences is made up of emigres from the old USSR to the United States. Far from being the multinational corporation that their press releases stated, in fact they were betting their savings on this product. It was a good bet because they had a killer marketing strategy. They invented the story that the KGB had discovered RU-21 while researching a method of allowing their spies to drink more than their western contacts but still stay sober.  The media loved this story and reprinted again and again (see press page). So in effect, they got the product to market itself, the sort of publicity that costs a fortune.
Like many others I first bought RU-21 as a bit of a joke – to pass round the KGB pills. I was very surprised to discover that they worked. I think this also helped the media interest, not only was there a quirky story but unlike many supplements these worked for most who tried it. It did give reporters the excuse to do some heavy drinking to test the claims. Also, that it was taken up by many Hollywood types, where Spirit Sciences is based.
The true story of the development of RU-21 sold as Antipokhmelin (literally antihangover) in Russia goes like this. Antipokhmelin’s arrival is more a case of the Waiting Game than of Spy vs. Spy. In 1972, in Pushchino, a small town south of Moscow, a young Soviet researcher named Yevgeny Mayevsky (sometimes translated as Evgeny Maevski or Evgenii Maevskii) developed a harmless compound, containing succinic acid, that seemed to eliminate hangovers. “We found out that the molecules of succinic acid could vary in terms of a spatial structure. The study showed that its conformers had different chemical and biological characteristics. Those findings enabled us to carry out the synthesis of succinic acid with specified characteristics which are similar to those of the natural amber,” said Yevgeny Mayevsky, B.D., in an interview to Izvestia. 'The researchers boosted the characteristics of the remedy by adding three more acids into its composition: fumaric, glutamic and ascorbic. All the above are potent antioxidants. Together they are capable of protecting liver and central nervous system from the destructive effects of alcohol.' The new preparation was tested in the Research Institute of Narcology (Narcology – treatment of drug dependence) under the Ministry of Public Health of Russia. “We ran tests on the lab animals first, then on the volunteers. The test results  showed that the preparation could reduce the toxicity of ethyl alcohol,” says Vladimir Nuzhny, M.D., chief of laboratory of toxicology of the above institute, in an interview to Izvestia.  The government gave Mayevsky  a production license, conditional on his finding a manufacturer within six months. But in those cold-war days, no one had money for hangover remedies. So for 28 years the pill’s only beneficiaries were Mayevsky’s family and friends. The rest of the world was stuck with raw eggs. Incidentally Mayevsky describes any KGB involvement as a fairy story and he should know.  In 2000 a former colleague of Mayevsky’s who had acquired business connections in Russia took the concoction to SKS Alyans, which engaged AMK Market manufacturing company to mass-producing it. Antipokhmelin costs around 10 roubles for 6 tablets and is the top selling hangover remedy in Russia. Professor Mayevsky contributed to the development of an artificial blood substitute – Perftoran. His team of scientists also developed a medicine for the treatment of symptoms of the menopausal syndrome.
Because Spirit Sciences distribution was on the internet, RU-21 spread much further and much faster than if it had been distributed conventionally. Interestingly, this is one of the first new products to be distributed in this way. The original RU-21 packaging stated rather extravagantly ‘supports healthy DNA cells’ and ‘supports central nervous system’. These difficult to substantiate claims were unacceptable to UK regulators, so it was repackaged for the UK, then also caused problems with the FDA so had to repackaged rather hastily for the US as well.  
In the UK distribution for RU-21 was taken over by RU-21 Ltd. who repackaged in line with UK regulations. It does appear that the UK restrictions on describing herbal products have adversely affected sales growth here. Quite difficult to sell something if you can't say what it does or even might do!
  

The special RU-21 packaging for the UK
 'You May Be Thankful in the Morning'!

ru-21 pack for the UK
 

KGB secret

 

Cheers

 

 

 

Soviet Poster

Soviet Poster - young scientists

 

 

 Amber (succinic acid)