Science wins!
There will NOT be a clinical trial this year in Saskatchewan of the “liberation therapy” for multiple sclerosis. From the StarPhoenix:
The Saskatchewan Party government has been in the lead on the issue nationally, with Premier Brad Wall last year announcing $5 million for clinical trials of the therapy, which involves angioplasty to widen neck veins.
In December, the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) issued a call for proposals and the province said clinical trials should begin later this year.
But on Wednesday both the foundation and the Saskatoon-based research team that had made the single proposal to the SHRF said more scientific research is needed before a broad trial such as the one proposed in Saskatchewan could move ahead.
I have to say that I’m a proponent of the therapy, if for no other reason than it appeared to be a cure for a horrible disease for which there is only treatment.
Having said that, people have been saying all along that it doesn’t work on everyone, but for those that it does work, the change is almost miraculous. Whether the treatment proves that many MS patients were misdiagnosed, or whether it proves to be a valid cure for a specific segment of the MS patients, regardless the fact that this treatment is now being explored rather than being dismissed out of hand is a win for all MS sufferers.
Placebos have powerful effects.
The “liberation therapy” is not a cure. Some of the MS patients who claim that they benefited from the treatment have already gone for a repeat treatment when the apparent benefit disappeared.
Don’t you find it interesting that 100% of patients who go for treatment are found to have blockage but only 53% or less of patients in prevalence studies did? People who are willing to pay $10,000+ for a treatment are more likely to be found in need of that treatment. I haven’t heard of any MS patients who went for treatment and were turned away as not needing it.
Saskatchewan is doing the right thing. Local researchers should be allowed to complete the prevalence study looking at blockage of veins in MS patients and normal controls. Clinical trials are not appropriate at this point.