Facebook pages use false Philippine FDA approval, altered news reports to sell thyroid 'medicine'

Published on January 19, 2024 at 04:16
5 min read
By Jan Cuyco, AFP Philippines

Facebook pages in the Philippines are touting a goitre "treatment" in posts that use altered news footage and falsely claim the product has been approved by the country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA). But the product is not listed on the FDA's databases, and the "licence to operate" shown on the product website was in fact issued to an unrelated company. A thyroid specialist told AFP that thyroid problems should be managed with proven medication and professional guidance.

"The #1 medicine for goitre," reads part of the Tagalog-language caption to a video shared on Facebook here on January 9, 2024.

A "goitre" is swelling in the neck caused by an enlarged thyroid gland, which Johns Hopkins Medicine says is commonly caused by an iodine deficiency or the over-or-underproduction of the thyroid hormone (archived link).

The post's caption adds that the "medicine" -- a product called Thyroid Aid -- is "safe to use" as it is made in the United States and is FDA-approved.

The attached video, which has more than 55,000 views, appears to show a news report from Philippine television channel UNTV about thyroid cancer.

Images of the product and its name are overlaid on the entirety of the video, and at the 2:31 mark, the narrator claims Thyroid Aid has been recommended by doctors for patients with thyroid disorders.

The post also links to an e-commerce website that sells the product, as well as its own separate website with "additional information" -- including Thyroid Aid's supposed approval from the FDA.

Screenshot of the false Facebook post, captured on January 17, 2024

Similar false claims were shared elsewhere on Facebook here and here.

But Thyroid Aid is not registered with the Philippine FDA as claimed, and the news reports that appear to promote the product have been altered.

Fabricated registration

A search for "Thyroid Aid" on the FDA's database of registered food and drug products did not return any results (archived links here and here).

A closer analysis of the purported FDA license on the product's website shows it was issued to a company called Life Prolong Natural Supplements, Inc. as a "distributor, wholesaler and exporter" for "Health and Pharma".

But the Philippine FDA told AFP the licences they issued for Life Prolong allows it to operate as a cosmetic and drug distributor and food trader, not as a "Health and Pharma" exporter.

A spokesperson for Life Prolong also told AFP they have nothing to do with Thyroid Aid.

"We are not exporters, and the only accurate information on their Licence to Operate is our Company Name and Address," they said on January 16.

Life Prolong also said this was not the first time the company's name had been used to sell products they are unaffiliated with.

"We do not sell our products directly to the consumer nor own any online store," it said in a statement on its Facebook page on May 30, 2023 (archived link).

Life Prolong says on its Facebook page that it imports and distributes antibacterial, antifungal products as well as pet food (archived link).

Below is a screenshot comparison between the purported licence referred to in the false post (left) and legitimate licences issued to Life Prolong (right):

Screenshot comparison between the purported licence referred to in the false post (left) and legitimate licences issued to Life Prolong (right)

Altered news report

A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the news reports included in the false post led to a report about thyroid cancer by UNTV that was uploaded to YouTube here on September 17, 2022 (archived link).

The video's Tagalog-language title reads: "Many Filipinos are diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and the disease could be managed if treated early".

The report looks into the symptoms of thyroid cancer and possible treatments. Thyroid cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the Philippines (archived link).

UNTV segment producer Beth Lamodo told AFP that the false post had altered her voiceover of the report.

"This is not my voice and the part that says 'Doctor Gil Vicente recommended Thyroid Aid' was not part of my news report," she said on January 16.

Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the false post (left) and the UNTV news report (right):

Screenshot comparison of the video in the false post (left) and the UNTV news report (right)

Variations of the claim also misrepresented news reports from Philippine media outlets GMA News and ABS-CBN News like here and here.

Goitre treatment

Treatment for goitre will depend on its cause, and can include thyroid hormone supplements, iodine doses, radioactive iodine, or surgery, according to the American Thyroid Association (archived link).

Dr Daryl Dagang, an endocrinology consultant at the Moorehouse Mission Hospital, told AFP that managing thyroid problems "relies on proven medications and professional guidance" (archived link).

"Always consult a medical specialist for accurate advice on thyroid health," he said on January 11.

AFP has previously debunked false posts relying on doctored news reports to promote unregistered products here, here and here.

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