Subcommittee on Neurological Disease committee  Why did the MS Society's announcement of research spending a few days ago aim exclusively at finding a statistical association of CCSVI in MS patients and not at allocating a single cent to actual treatment of CCSVI when all studies done to date have found that association?

Subcommittee on Neurological Disease committee  We expedited a process for a research grant, which we normally don't do at the MS Society, because we heard the need for CCSVI and MS research. At that stage, we crafted a request for operating grants specifically to look at the relevance to MS, so CCSVI and MS, so we invited those applications in. At this time, we are announcing funding for $2.4 million to further understand that evidence, that initial work that Dr.

Subcommittee on Neurological Disease committee  Of that $16 million, I'd like to know not how much is related to MS, but how much is actually allocated to CCSVI.

Multiple Sclerosis  Speaker, last night the House came together to support MS patients from across the country, fighting for diagnosis and treatment of CCSVI, or narrowed veins. This morning, the Subcommittee on Neurological Disease heard compelling testimony from Dr. Zamboni, who first described the treatment. Would the minister commit today to convene her provincial and territorial counterparts immediately to ensure that no Canadian be deprived of the imaging necessary for a diagnosis of CCSVI and treatment, if required?

Health committee  We have asked for this to be specifically $10 million. The $10 million request that came from the MS Society was for CCSVI. What we have been advocating all along is that we want the money in order to do diagnosis and treatment, that research should not be an impediment to diagnosis and treatment, and that they need to be done in parallel.

Health committee  Out of that $16 million, I don't know how much is for MS, and out of that for MS, we aren't sure really whether it's for CCSVI. So I think that the request by the MS Society for $10 million for research.... The patients are counting on us to fight for clinical trials of the treatment arm of CCSVI. I think the letter doesn't even have to be that long.

Health committee  And hopefully the majority of that will go to MS CCSVI treatment, but you can't pick an arbitrary--

Questions on the Order Paper  With respect to chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI), the “liberation” procedure, and multiple sclerosis (MS): (a) does Health Canada recognize the International Union of Phebology (IUP), and is Canada a member; (b) does Health Canada recognize the IUP’s Consensus Document on the diagnosis and treatment of venous malformations; (c) will Health Canada be respecting the IUP’s standards regarding diagnosis and treatment of venous malformations; (d) will the government work with the provinces and territories to establish imaging and treatment guidelines for CCSVI and, if so, over what timeline and, if not, why not, (i) what are the benefits and risks associated with imaging and treatment techniques, (ii) what are the costs for each of the identified methods; (e) will the government, in collaboration with the provinces and territories, commit to imaging MS patients for venous malformations, and treating those patients who require interventions and, if not, why not and, if so, (i) over what timeline, (ii) what barriers would have to be overcome; (f) is CCSVI recognized as an official diagnosis and, if so, by what professional medical organizations and how is it defined; (g) what is the cause of narrow veins in the neck or thorax and what methods could possibly be undertaken to reduce their occurrence either in utero, in childhood, or in adulthood; (h) with what medical conditions is CCSVI associated; (i) what are the potential health impacts of CCSVI in the short-term, medium-term and long-term, both with and without treatment; (j) what percentage of MS patients show one or more blocked veins; (k) what veins, other than the jugular veins, are commonly blocked, damaged, or twisted in the human body, (i) what imaging procedures are used to identify the problems, (ii) what interventions are required to address the problems and why, (iii) what are the possible health impacts if left untreated, (iv) are interventions time sensitive, (v) what are the costs of imaging procedures and treatment; (l) what specific methods are used to investigate CCSVI, what costs are associated with each method, and what are the benefits and risks associated with these techniques; (m) where in Canada are these imaging methods available and, for each location, what procedures are offered and how much do they cost; (n) where in the world are private clinics emerging, what are their efficacy and safety records, and what are the imaging and treatment costs; (o) what percentage of MS patients show a reduction in MS attacks and brain lesions following the liberation procedure; (p) what percentage of MS patients with little or mild blockage show improvement following the liberation procedure; (q) what discussions is the government having regarding CCSVI, its imaging, and the possible link with MS; (r) what studies are government scientists conducting to assess the reliability and validity of imaging techniques, the possible association between CCSVI and MS, and to follow-up on patients who have undergone the liberation procedure; (s) how much money has the government allocated to research related to CCSVI, the liberation procedure and MS; (t) what is the estimated number of MS patients in Canada, and what is (i) the percentage who can no longer work, (ii) the percentage who depend on family caregivers, (iii) the percentage who require around-the-clock care from professional caregivers; (u) what is the estimated national annual economic impact of MS on families and healthcare plans; (v) what is the estimated national annual cost of disease-modifying therapies, including Copaxone and Interfon, for families and healthcare plans; (w) what are the projected imaging costs for CCSVI and treatment costs for MS patients who show a vascular abnormality; (x) what are the projected imaging costs for CCSVI and treatment costs for all MS patients; (y) what recommendations regarding CCSVI and imaging are being provided by the government to MS patients, particularly regarding (i) reputable imaging and treatment clinics, (ii) the pros and cons regarding venoplasty and stents, (iii) the need for continuing treatment regimes following any liberation procedure; (z) what steps is the government taking to educate MS patients about blogger patients and sham imaging and treatment centres; and (aa) what is the estimated number of Canadians who have gone overseas for imaging and treatment, and what tracking is being undertaken of their condition following such trips?

Questions on the Order Paper  The provincial and territorial governments, in consultation with their respective physician associations, are primarily responsible for determining whether new treatments for CCSVI are medically necessary for health insurance purposes. With respect to Canadian Institutes of Health Research, through the CIHR, the government is funding health research on multiple sclerosis, MS.

Multiple Sclerosis  Speaker, today people living with MS are protesting across this country, including on Parliament Hill, for clinical trials for the new liberation procedure for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency or CCSVI. Over 1,500 liberation procedures have been performed worldwide, with researchers from Bulgaria, Italy, Kuwait and the United States showing similar results, namely that 87% to 90% of MS patients show venous abnormality.

Health  Can the Minister of Health share with the House her latest efforts with respect to research on the possibilities associated with CCSVI?

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, this petition calls for an act for equal access to CCSVI treatment for Canadians living with multiple sclerosis. We all know family and friends who are affected by this ravaging disease and the size of this petition made it possible for people to actually sign a petition on their own behalf.

Petitions  Petitions are now flooding in urging the Government of Canada to accelerate pilot testing and treatment, increase research support, work with the provinces and territories to obtain advice and evidence-based information about CCSVI treatment and take a lead role on the basis of this evidence in encouraging the swift adoption of the procedure in the territories and provinces. While l know that House rules do not allow me to explicitly endorse petitions, I will indicate how pleased I am to table this petition in the House today.

Petitions  The petitioners urgently call upon the Government of Canada to take immediate action to accelerate a greater and broader participation of MS sufferers in pilot testing and treatment by providing and fast-tracking funding for surveillance, research and dissemination of findings, including providing urgent pre-screening image services for MS sufferers, to work immediately with the provinces and territories through the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health, to obtain advice and evidence-based information about the effectiveness of chronic CCSVI treatment without delay, and to take a leading role on the basis of the evidence in encouraging the swift adoption of the procedure in the territories and provinces.

Petitions  Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition regarding chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, CCSVI, for which the testing and treatment is safe, inexpensive and effective. The treatment of CCSVI is veinography followed by balloon venoplasty, a routine treatment for vascular disease made available to all Canadians with vascular disorders, except those with MS.