Diabetes Canada stresses it doesn't endorse medical products after ads suggest otherwise

Diabetes Canada says it's received a surge in reports from people who've seen ads for or bought products that use the charity's logos without authorization.

Since January, Diabetes Canada says it's had over 300 calls to its 1-800 line and emails from people reporting misleading advertisements for diabetes products that have the charity's logo.

Diabetes Canada isn't the only organization being affected. Products ranging from purported medications and supplements to devices that claim to be blood glucose monitors are also carrying the logos of Obesity Canada and Health Canada. Some of the groups say they want the ads taken down and social media companies are doing that, but new ads keep appearing.

A class of injectable medications known as GLP-1 agonists, sold in Canada under the brand name Ozempic and Wegovy are approved to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity, respectively. These drugs need to be administered by doctors and distributed by pharmacists. They are also not endorsed by Diabetes Canada, Obesity Canada or Health Canada.

Some of the misleading ads are for products that doctors say are not effective but mimic the names of these more recognizable medications. These include GLP-1 oral drops, said Laura Syron, the president and CEO of Diabetes Canada.

"They're certainly not endorsed by us," Syron said on Thursday. "We do not endorse any medical health product."

Doctors say it's important for people who live with diabetes to get accurate blood sugar readings. That's why Syron recommends anyone considering changing their medication, trying a new treatment or getting a new monitoring device talk to their health-care provider first.

The organization said some ads falsely claim the organization will also offer patients a subsidy.

Joel Snitman, 81, of Thornhill, Ont., has Type 2 diabetes and checks his blood sugar levels at least once a week. Snitman said he saw a Facebook ad for a product with a photo identifying it as a glucose monitor. He said he trusted it because the ad showed Diabetes Canada's logo.

"This gadget offered to do it without sticking a needle in your finger," Snitman recalled. "I thought I would give it a shot."

The product turned out to be an oximeter, a device used to measure blood oxygen levels, not blood sugar.

Snitman contacted Diabetes Canada, saying he felt he got sucked in by seeing their logo on the ad.

He said he wasn't able to find the name of the manufacturer or retailer beyond a series of consonants. He emailed the delivery company and asked them if they knew their client. The answer was no.

Similarly, Syron said Diabetes Canada found it difficult to get in touch with anyone at the company.

CBC News was also unable to contact the company.

Dr. Kaberi Dasgupta, a physician, scientist and professor of medicine at McGill University, says there are no drops or patches that would give a similar effect to GLP-1 medications, which need to be administered by doctors and distributed by pharmacists.

"Those products, the GLP-1 patches and drops, they're just trying to … join the enthusiasm and kind of, I would say madness, surrounding these medications that certainly can enhance weight reduction and can improve blood sugar control in diabetes," Dasgupta said from Halifax.

Her concern is that if someone with diabetes uses the drops or patches, it could delay or prevent them from receiving proper medical care.

Talia Wiebe, director of marketing and communications at Obesity Canada, says the organization is aware of a company fraudulently using Obesity Canada's name, logo and an image of its founder, Dr. Arya Sharma, to promote an unregulated supplement called HHVB GLP-1 Moringa Slimming & Health Boost Drops.

Obesity Canada tried to find the supplement maker without success.

"We are working with our legal team to hopefully reach out to them and cease and desist and have these products taken down," Wiebe said.

Diabetes Canada says it has reached out to various social media platforms where the ads using their logo have appeared and reported the issue to Health Canada.

"All medical devices authorized for use in Canada are listed in the Medical Devices Active Licence Listing database," a spokesperson for Health Canada said. A search of Remifa or Briskix, the product and seller of Snitman's purchase, did not yield any results.

Syron added another challenge is that when one ad disappears, another quickly pops up.

A spokesperson for Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said Friday that it has removed the ad from its platforms and is continuing to investigate.

Meta says its policies prohibit content that "defrauds people by promoting false or misleading health claims, including those related to weight loss, and we remove this kind of content when we become aware of it."

Meta also notes that the challenge spans platforms, industries and communities, which is why it works with law enforcement, regulators and private industry to combat scams.

"We continue to invest resources and further improve our enforcement on this kind of content," the spokesperson said.

Health Canada did not respond to CBC News regarding the use of its name on some advertisements.