The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), working with government agencies in the US, Mexico and Canada, have launched a drive to stop deceptive internet advertisements and sales of products misrepresented for cures or treatments for diabetes. The ongoing 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 US and internationally to make sure scammers have no place to hide," said Lydia Parnes, director of 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".

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 US consumers, and referred an additional 21 sites to 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.

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

The American Dietetic Association has agreed to help disseminate the information. US FDA has developed a strategy to focus its enforcement efforts in the area of dietary supplements, and the recent announcement is an important action under that strategy.

The strategy 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.