Saskatchewan trial for MS liberation therapy cancelled, citing lack of volunteers

A clinical trial for the so-called liberation treatment for multiple sclerosis has been cancelled.

Saskatchewan had planned to put up $2.2-million to have 86 patients take part in the trial at a medical centre in Albany, N.Y. But the centre has told the province that it wont test the therapy that involves opening blocked neck veins.

The trial lead, Dr. Gary Siskin, said they couldnt get enough volunteers for a valid result.

Meaning that we needed to have a certain number of patients where, at the end of the trial, wed be able to test the data that we had in a statistically meaningful way and without the right number of patients, those results would be meaningless, Siskin said Monday.

Just under 200 people were needed.

Siskin said he believes there are two reasons for the lack of volunteers.

One is that some physicians question the therapy and didnt push patients to join the trial.

The second is that it was a double-blind trial meaning half of those participating would have received liberation therapy and half would get a placebo procedure. The patients would not know which one they got for several years.

Its easy to say that everyone would do it if they knew that they would all get treated, he said. But if only half the patients were to get treated and half the patients would undergo a sham procedure, not everyone is always willing to do something like that.

Seven patients from Saskatchewan had already travelled to Albany. Six had a procedure done while one was found ineligible for the trial.

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Saskatchewan trial for MS liberation therapy cancelled, citing lack of volunteers