Complain about a product or service

Feds Attack Fake Diabetes Cures

October 20, 2006

Diabetes • Studies Find Link Between Diabetes and Alzheimer's • Avandia Maker Failed To Report Required Data • Prediabetes: What You Should Know • Study: Large-Breasted Women More Diabetes-Prone • U.S. Diet Dishes Up Diabetes • Weight-Loss Surgery Seen Beneficial to Diabetics • Lack of Deep Sleep May Increase Diabetes Risk • Study: Avandia May Do More Harm than Good • FDA Orders New Warning For Avandia • U.S. Kidney Disease on the Rise • Fish Oil May Fight Diabetes • Avandia vs. Actos: A Doctor's Advice • Avandia Linked to 42% Greater Risk of Heart Attack • Soft Drink Sweetener Linked to Diabetes in Kids • Diabetes Drugs to Get 'Black Box' Warnings • FDA Rejects Advice to Pull Avandia From Market • FDA Advised to Pull Avandia From Market • Avandia, Other Diabetes Drugs Increase Risk of Heart Failure • Dairy Products May Protect Against Metabolic Syndrome • Portion-Control Dishes May Help Obese Diabetics • FDA Issues Safety Alert on Diabetes Drug Avandia • Stem Cell Treatment May "Cure" Diabetes • Diabetes Risk May Be In The Genes • Holiday Gluttony Can Spell Disaster for Undiagnosed Diabetics • Malaria Drug May Fight Common Cause of Diabetes, Heart Disease • Feds Attack Fake Diabetes Cures • FDA Approves New Treatment for Diabetes • Feds Warn Of Counterfeit Diabetes Tests • Study: Weightlifting Helps Overweight Teens Avoid Diabetes • Researchers Say They Can Reverse Type 1 Diabetes • Study: Obesity Major Factor in Diabetes Epidemic • Too Much, Too Little Sleep Linked To Diabetes In Men • Procedure Cures Some Diabetic Mice • Ethnicity Skews Diabetes' Effect on Heart • Pig Cells May Be Useful in Diabetes Treatment • Protein Triggers Fat-Saturated Cell Death • FDA Approves Diabetes Inhaler Exubera • FDA Panel Greenlights Diabetes Inhaler • Breastfeeding May Decrease Diabetes Risk • Low-Fat Dairy Products May Lower Diabetes Risk in Men • Scientists Find Diabetes "Switch" • New Diabetes Treatment Approved • Knowledge of Diabetes Doesn't Always Affect Outcomes • Moderate Exercise Helpful to Diabetes-Prone Women • Life Expectancy Increases; Diabetes Epidemic Worsens

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), working with government agencies in Mexico and Canada, have launched a drive to stop deceptive Internet advertisements and sales of products misrepresented as cures or treatments for diabetes.

The joint campaign has so far included approximately 180 warning letters and other advisories sent to online outlets in the three countries.

"We will continue working with our partners in the U.S. and internationally to make sure scammers have no place to hide," said Lydia Parnes, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

"The Internet can be a great source of information, but it also is a billboard for ads that promise miracle cures for diabetes and other serious diseases. Our advice to consumers: ‘Be smart, be skeptical’ when evaluating health claims online."

"We will not tolerate practices that raise false hopes and bilk consumers of precious health care dollars," said Margaret O’K. Glavin, FDA’s Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs. "Diabetes requires effective treatments and aggressive management, not bogus and unproven products."

The joint diabetes initiative to stop commercial sale of fraudulent therapies originated with a Web surf for "hidden traps" by the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN), an organization of law enforcement authorities, members of the Mexico, United States, and Canada Health Fraud Working Group (MUCH), and the attorneys general offices of Alaska, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

MUCH, which consists of regulatory officials from health, consumer and competition protection agencies in the three North American countries, had previously conducted a campaign against fraudulent weight-loss products.

Using the results of the Internet sweep, FTC sent warning letters for deceptive ads to 84 domestic and 7 Canadian Web sites targeting U.S. consumers, and referred an additional 21 sites to other foreign governments. About a quarter of the firms have already changed their claims or removed their pages from the Internet, and several others are in contact with FTC.

IN addition, FDA has issued warning letters to 24 firms marketing dietary supplement products with claims to treat, cure, prevent or mitigate diabetes The letters warn firms that failure to promptly correct the violations may result in enforcement action without further notice, which may include seizure of violative products and/or injunctions against the manufacturers and distributors.

FTC is launching a new consumer education campaign to teach consumers how to avoid phony diabetes cures. The materials encourage consumers to "Be smart, be skeptical!" and will be available in English, Spanish, and French. One component is a "teaser" Web site available at wemarket4u.net/glucobate/index.html.

At first glance, the site appears to be advertising a cure for diabetes called Glucobate, but when consumers click for more information on ordering the product, it reveals information about avoiding ads for phony cure-alls in the future.

The new education materials, including a bookmark and consumer alert, are being introduced in time for Diabetes Awareness Month in November. The American Dietetic Association has agreed to help disseminate the information.

FDA has developed a strategy to focus its enforcement efforts in the area of dietary supplements. It was designed to address illegal dietary supplement ingredients and ensure integrity and truthful labeling of dietary supplements.

One emphasis is on claims aimed at patients with serious diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Within the last twelve months, the agency has sent more than 100 warning letters and other advisories to Internet firms and has seized products at one firm.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Back to the top |