Aglukkaq calls for unity on MS treatment

The federal minister of health is trying to build a consensus on the controversial “liberation therapy.”

Speaking at a meeting of provincial and territorial health ministers in St. John’s yesterday, federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq called for a more cohesive approach to the multiple sclerosis treatment called liberation therapy. Most doctors, Ottawa, and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research have little faith that the therapy works, but have been under immense pressure from patient groups who say that the treatment can cure their symptoms. Weeks ago Saskatchewan announced it would fund trials of the treatment, and Newfoundland made a similar pledge yesterday. However, it’s believed a trial in any one province would be too small to be effective, and Aglukkaq is hoping no trials will go ahead until there’s a broader consensus among policy-makers and the medical community.