Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present this petition regarding chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency or CCSVI.
Over 15,000 procedures have now been performed in over 60 countries. While the government has announced requests for proposals for phase 1 or 2 clinical trials, angioplasty is a standard of care practice in North America. The United States already has three phase 2 clinical trials being undertaken.
The petitioners are calling on the Minister of Health to consult experts actively engaged in diagnosis and treatment of CCSVI, to undertake phase 3 clinical trials on an urgent basis with a large patient participation in multiple centres across Canada, and to require follow-up care.