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MS therapy trials get federal funding

Working group deems “liberation therapy” safe enough to proceed

The federal government will fund clinical trials of a controversial treatment for multiple sclerosis patients. Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq says a scientific working group created by the government last year has agreed a clinical trial of so-called liberation therapy, which looks at narrowed neck veins as the cause of MS, should go ahead. The approval comes despite a spate of recent studies that doubt the main cause of MS is narrowed neck veins. She says the team unanimously deemed it safe enough to proceed based on scientific reports on the procedure. Researchers conducted numerous studies on narrowed neck veins after an Italian doctor theorized it could be a factor in the development of MS. The doctor said unblocking neck veins could help relieve symptoms. Many Canadians with MS have gone overseas for the procedure, which currently isn’t offered in Canada.

The Chronicle Herald

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