A Medical Device Daily

The Federal Trade Commission and the FDA last week said that they have launched a drive, working with government agencies in Mexico and Canada, to stop deceptive Internet advertisements and sales of products misrepresented as cures or treatments for diabetes.

They said that the campaign thus far has so far included about 180 warning letters and other advisories sent to online outlets in the three countries.

The joint initiative originated with an Internet surf for “hidden traps” by the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN), an organization of law enforcement authorities, members of the Mexico, U.S., and Canada Health Fraud Working Group (MUCH), and the attorneys general offices of Alaska, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.

MUCH consists of regulatory officials from health, consumer and competition protection agencies in the three North American countries. A similar effort was previously conducted against fraudulent weight-loss products.

Using the results of the sweep, FTC sent warning letters for deceptive ads to 84 domestic and seven Canadian web sites targeting U.S. consumers and referred an additional 21 sites to other foreign governments.

The FTC reported that 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 the commission.

“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.”

“We will not tolerate practices that raise false hopes and bilk consumers of precious healthcare dollars,” said Margaret O’K Glavin, associate commissioner for regulatory affairs at the FDA. “Diabetes requires effective treatments and aggressive management, not bogus and unproven products.”

FTC also said that it has launched a 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 at http://wemarket4u.net/glucobate/index.html. 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. It said the strategy was designed to address illegal dietary supplement ingredients and ensure truthful labeling of dietary supplements.

One emphasis is on claims aimed at patients with serious diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Within the last 12 months, the agency says it has sent more than 100 warning letters and other advisories to Internet firms and has seized products at one firm.