Nootropics Depot
 | |
| Industry | Dietary supplement manufacturer Online retailer |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Ceretropic |
| Founded | 2013[1] |
| Founder | Paul Eftang |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Nootropics; Supplements |
| Owner | Paul Eftang ("MisterYouAreSoDumb")[2] |
Number of employees | approximately 90 people |
| Parent | Centera Bioscience |
| Website | nootropicsdepot |
Nootropics Depot, also known as Centera Bioscience, is a nootropics vendor based in Arizona, United States.[3][2][1] The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company is Paul Eftang, who is also known by his online handle "MisterYouAreSoDumb".[3][2][1]
Between April 2017 and September 2021, Nootropics Depot and Eftang sold non-Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved pharmaceutical drugs including tianeptine, adrafinil, phenibut, and racetams to consumers across state lines in the United States.[3][2][4][5] As part of their operations, they engaged with consumers through a dedicated online Reddit forum.[3][2] The preceding activities led to an FDA and United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) investigation and eventual prosecution of the company and its CEO.[3][2] In October 2023, Nootropics Depot and Eftang pleaded guilty in a federal court and agreed to forfeit US$2.4 million and seized drugs as part of a plea bargain.[3][2] In February 2024, they were sentenced, with Nootropics Depot receiving 3 years of probation and Eftang receiving 1 year of probation.[2][1] The company imported US$7.4 million worth in raw materials from China for the drugs between April 2017 and September 2021 and made approximately US$35 million in profits from selling the drugs during this time period.[2] Eftang has defended the company by stating that its nootropic products had existed in a "legal gray zone" somewhere between a "drug" and a "supplement".[1]
In February 2026, Nootropics Depot and Eftang called for industry-wide legal clarification and reform.[1]
References
[edit source]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ferrer, Benjamin (18 February 2026). "Nootropics Depot calls for legal clarity on botanical supplement classifications and stricter testing". Nutrition Insight. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Hampshire (5 February 2024). "Arizona Company and CEO Sentenced for Illegal Distribution of Tianeptine and Other Drugs and Ordered to Forfeit $2.4 Million". Department of Justice. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Hampshire (30 October 2023). "Arizona Company and CEO Plead Guilty to the Distribution of Drugs Not Approved by the FDA and Will Pay $2.4 Million". Department of Justice. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- ↑ WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence: forty-fourth report. Technical Report Series - World Health Organization. World Health Organization. 2022. p. 125. ISBN 978-92-4-004283-4. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
A Google Chrome Internet search in July 2021 with the search terms "phenibut" and "buy" identified 21 suppliers: Nootropics Depot, Zack attack, Liftmode, HR (Hard Rhino) Supplements, SportPoeders, Primaforce, Raw Powders, Nootropic Source, MOSPharma, Grabr, SG Asesores Industriales, Cosmicnootropic, Absorb Health, Newmind, ELV Bioscience, Intellimeds, SuperSmart, RUPharma'Science. bio, TheSmartShopOnline, Cosmic Nootropic and NutriVitaShop.
- ↑ Marraffa JM, Stork CM, Hoffman RS, Su MK (November 2018). "Poison control center experience with tianeptine: an unregulated pharmaceutical product with potential for abuse". Clin Toxicol (Phila). 56 (11): 1155–1158. doi:10.1080/15563650.2018.1476694. PMID 29799284.