Diabetes specialists say the drug metformin has decades of safety and efficacy data, contrary to posts shared repeatedly in the Philippines that falsely claimed it causes "early death" for patients suffering from the condition. The posts shared a fabricated message from a Filipino doctor as well as advertising food supplements that have not been proven to treat diabetes.

"Metformin is not the solution for diabetics!" reads part of a lengthy Tagalog-language post shared on Facebook on April 15, 2023.

It claims to share purported comments from Filipino doctor Willie Ong warning against metformin.

The oral drug is used to treat type 2 diabetes, a condition that results in the body being unable to regulate the level of sugar in the blood (archived link).

Over time, it can lead to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves.

The false post claims Ong said: "Metformin is the way towards sickness and early death; not towards becoming well. If you have type 2 diabetes and your doctor prescribed metformin, you should change your physician right away."

It goes on to say the drug has "fatal side effects" including certain types of cancer, blindness, kidney stones and liver disease.

The post concludes by misleadingly suggesting Ong recommended a product called "GlucoPro" instead of metformin.

Ong is a well-known Filipino cardiologist -- not an endocrinologist as the post claims -- who regularly gives medical advice to his more than 17 million followers on...

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