FDA cracks down on illegal diabetes remedies

WASHINGTON (AP):

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is cracking down on more than a dozen companies that market illegal treatments for diabetes, ranging from bogus dietary supplements to prescription drugs sold online, acquirable without a prescription.

All of the products aim to cash in on the country's diabetes epidemic, which affects nearly 26 million Americans. Regulators worry that consumers who buy such unapproved products could put off getting legitimate medical care, which could exacerbate heart disease, kidney failure and other deadly complications.

The FDA sent warning letters to 15 companies, both in the United States (US) and abroad, ordering them to stop selling diabetes treatments which violate US drug laws.

MISLEADING LABELS

Three of the products targeted are marketed as "natural" supplements, but actually contain unlisted pharmaceutical ingredients. For example, Diexi, which is sold as a traditional Indian "herbal formula", actually contains metformin, the most common prescription drug used to treat diabetes. The product is sold by Amrutam Life Care, of Surat, India.

"Consumers should exercise caution before using products claiming to be herbal or all-natural alternatives to FDA-approved prescription drugs," the agency said in a statement on Tuesday. "These products should be considered unsafe and should not be used."