Cariboo-Prince George MP Todd Doherty speaks in the House of Commons. (House of Commons Photography)

The petition was signed by more than 25,000 Canadians

Cariboo-Prince George MP Todd Doherty is pushing government to speed up regulatory approval for new Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) treatments.

Doherty, the special advisor to Erin O’Toole on mental health and wellness, will participate in a virtual press conference this week hosted by the ALS Parliamentary Caucus, in partnership with the ALS community, to highlight petition e-2971.

The petition, sponsored by Edmonton Strathcona MP Heather McPherson, calls upon the minister of health to initiate a pilot program to speed up approval for ALS treatments.

The petition was signed by more than 25,000 Canadians and will be presented in the House of Commons on Thursday, March 11 during an 8 a.m. meeting.

ALS, also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects the person’s moto neurons that carry messages to the muscles resulting in weakness in arms, legs, mouth, throat and elsewhere. Typically, the person is immobilized within two to five years of the initial diagnosis. There is currently no known cause or cure.