Filipino doctor did not promote unregistered milk product that 'cures diabetes'

This article is more than one year old.
Published on May 1, 2023 at 03:52
3 min read
By Faith BROWN, AFP Philippines

Imposter Facebook pages have shared an edited video of a well-known Filipino doctor apparently promoting an unregistered milk product as a "cure" for diabetes. However, the clip has been manipulated to insert references to the product, which an endocrinologist told AFP cannot cure the chronic condition. Diabetes is managed through lifestyle changes and taking prescribed medicines, health authorities say.

The 55-second video touting the product was shared by a Facebook page called "Doc.Kilimanguru.char" on March 27, 2023.

It has been viewed more than 68,000 times.

The manipulated clip features Filipino physician Winston Kilimanjaro Creones Tiwaquen -- known to his 4.2 million followers as Dr Kilimanguru -- who found fame online by posting humorous videos giving medical advice on Facebook (archived links here and here).

In the video, he can be heard talking about diabetic foot ulcers, saying: "This might happen if you don't change your lifestyle, don't take your maintenance medicines and don't follow up with your doctor".

The video then cuts to an advert for the product Glufarelin, which according to the false caption, has been approved by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"Glufarelin is the first high-tech diabetic milk formulated to cure diabetes,” a narrator is heard saying in the video.

Screenshot of the false post taken on April 28, 2023

Similar edited videos were shared alongside the same false claim on Facebook here, here and here.

Comments on the false posts suggested many users were misled to believe Dr Kilimanguru -- who has previously been the target of misinformation -- had endorsed the product.

"Doc where can I buy Glufarelin?" one user asked.

"How much is this doc?" another inquired.

Fake endorsement

Dr Kilimanguru told AFP on April 27 that he was "not endorsing Glufarelin".

He went on to say that milk products formulated for diabetic patients should not replace the standard treatment prescribed by doctors as they are "only supportive, not curative".

Keyword searches found the clip in the false posts was taken from a longer video about diabetic foot ulcers posted on his genuine Facebook page on February 22 in which he does not mention the product (archived link).

The videos were posted by imposter accounts that were not verified, unlike Dr Kilimanguru's genuine Facebook page (archived link).

Below is a screenshot comparison of one of the imposter accounts (left) and his official page (right):

Screenshot comparison of the unverified imposter Facebook page and Dr Kilimanguru's genuine Facebook page.

FDA warning

Keyword searches found no product called Glufarelin listed in the Philippine Food and Drug Administration's registered products database as of May 1, 2023 (archived link).

In an advisory issued July 11, 2022, the FDA warned against Glufarelin: "The agency cannot assure its quality and safety" (archived link).

Endocrinologist Dr Marjorie Ramos of the Philippine College of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism previously told AFP: "There is no milk that can cure your diabetes."

"There are milk (products) with a specific formula for diabetes but their purpose is not to cure diabetes, but to help manage their calorie intake," she said on October 28, 2022.

According to Johns Hopkins University, there is no cure for diabetes, but the condition can be managed through lifestyle changes and taking prescribed medications and insulin (archived links here and here).

AFP previously debunked posts that contain fabricated endorsements from doctors here, here, here, here and here.

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