Man Dies After Controversial MS Treatment

An Ontario man has died after undergoing “liberation therapy” at a Cost Rica clinic.

Mahir Mostic was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis three years ago and traveled to Costa Rica to receive a treatment that is unavailable in Canada. Liberation therapy is based on the unproven hypothesis that MS is not an autoimmune disease, but caused by blockages in veins to the head. The treatment caused a political firestorm earlier this year when Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall announced he would fund clinical trials of the therapy despite objections from much of the medical community and federal health agencies. Mostic developed a blood clot after the procedure and had to travel back to Costa Rica for follow-up treatment because doctors in Canada cannot perform liberation therapy. He died during surgery to remove the clot.