Cyriac Abby Philips is an Indian

hepatologist Hepatology is the branch of medicine that incorporates the study of liver, gallbladder, biliary tree, and pancreas as well as management of their disorders. Although traditionally considered a sub-specialty of gastroenterology, rapid expansion ...

. He shares critical views of

alternative medicine Alternative medicine refers to practices that aim to achieve the healing effects of conventional medicine, but that typically lack biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or supporting evidence of effectiveness. Such practices are ...

based on his findings and research.

Early life

Philips was born in

Kottayam Kottayam () is a city in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is the district headquarters of the district and is located about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Kottayam has a population of ...

, in the state of Kerala, the third of four siblings.

Career

In 2019, Philips co-authored a paper analyzing the death of a woman who died after taking Herbalife's dietary supplements, which was later retracted by ''Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology''. The retraction was undone, after microbiologist

Elisabeth Bik Elisabeth Margaretha Harbers-Bik (born 1966) is a Dutch microbiologist and scientific integrity consultant. Bik is known for her work detecting photo manipulation in scientific publications, and identifying over 4,000 potential cases of improper ...

and

Retraction Watch Retraction Watch is a blog that reports on retractions of scientific papers and on related topics. The blog was launched in August 2010 and is produced by science writers Ivan Oransky (Former Vice President, Editorial ''Medscape'') and Adam Ma ...

, published the paper on their respective blogs. Philips works as a senior consultant hepatologist and physician-scientist at

Rajagiri Hospital Rajagiri Hospital is a tertiary hospital in Edathala, near Aluva, in Ernakulam, Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passag ...

in Kochi.

Social media activism

Philips is known for airing his critical views of

Ayurveda Ayurveda (; ) is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is heavily practised throughout India and Nepal, where as much as 80% of the population report using ayurveda. The theory and practice of ayur ...

Homeopathy Homeopathy or homoeopathy is a pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine. It was conceived in 1796 by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. Its practitioners, called homeopaths or homeopathic physicians, believe that a substance that ...

and other alternative medicine systems, on Twitter and YouTube. According to him, the principles and practice of ayurveda are based on "essentially primitive, untested, observations from an ancient past which lack scientific rigour”. He has faced defamation lawsuits from Kerala State Medical Council for Indian Systems of Medicine, Ayurveda Medical Association of India, and various ayurvedic medicine manufacturers. In a research published in ''Hepatology Communications'', Philips and other researchers concluded that Homeopathic remedies can potentially result in severe liver injuries. He claims, "Homeopathy is not medicine, but an extreme form of quackery." On 28 September 2023, Dr. Abby Philips'

X account Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

was suspended after an interim injunction order was passed by a Bengaluru court for defaming Himalaya Wellness Company. However, Philips maintains that his allegations against Himalaya Wellness Company are "fully science-backed and evidence-backed" and that all the analysis which he had done are available for public review. As of May 2025, his X account is active.

Personal life

He is the son of

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

recipient, Philip Augustine.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Medical doctors from Kerala Living people Indian hepatologists Indian sceptics Year of birth missing (living people)