BRAMPTON, Ontario & MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 15, 2012-- Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) today announced that it has received from Health Canada a license for Medtronic Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Therapy for refractory epilepsy patients. Medtronic DBS therapy for refractory epilepsy delivers controlled electrical pulses to a location inside the brain which is involved in seizures.

The Health Canada license was based on data collected in Medtronic’s clinical trial called SANTE® (Stimulation of the Anterior Nucleus of the Thalamus in Epilepsy). The SANTE trial was a prospective, randomized, double-blind pivotal study to evaluate the use of DBS therapy for patients with medically refractory epilepsy with partial-onset seizures. The trial collected data from 110 patients who were implanted with a Medtronic DBS system at 17 centers in the United States.

Medtronic DBS Therapy for refractory epilepsy is also approved in Europe. The therapy is not currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States for the treatment of refractory epilepsy.

To date, more than 85,000 patients worldwide have received Medtronic DBS therapy. The therapy is currently licensed in Canada and approved in other regions including the European Union and the United States, for the treatment of the disabling symptoms of essential tremor, advanced Parkinson's disease and dystonia, for which approval in the United States is under a Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE)1. The therapy is also approved for the treatment of severe, treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder not adequately controlled by medications in the European Union and in the United States under an HDE2.

“Medtronic is a pioneer in the field of neuromodulation,” said Lothar Krinke, Ph.D., vice president and general manager for the Deep Brain Stimulation business in Medtronic’s Neuromodulation division. “We are proud of the expansion of indications to include epilepsy, which will allow more patients to benefit from our DBS therapy. This Medtronic First innovation provides a viable option for patients who are not responsive to other therapies. This follows closely the Canadian launch of the RestoreSensor™ neurostimulator for chronic pain, another Medtronic first. ”

Medtronic’s Leadership in Neuromodulation
Medtronic developed and leads the field of neuromodulation, the targeted and regulated delivery of electrical pulses and pharmaceuticals to specific sites in the nervous system. The company’s Neuromodulation business includes neurostimulation and implantable, targeted drug delivery systems for the management of chronic pain, common movement disorders, spasticity and urologic and gastrointestinal disorders.

Medtronic of Canada’s innovative neuromodulation portfolio includes the following technologies:

• RestoreSensor™ neurostimulator with AdaptiveStim™ technology: the world’s first and only pain-management device designed to sense a change in the patient’s body position or activity and automatically adjust stimulation to deliver the right amount of pain relief.
• Activa® PC (Primary Cell), Activa® SC (Single Channel), and Activa® RC (Rechargeable Cell): The Activa line of neurostimulators includes the first rechargeable neurostimulator in Canada, with all three products featuring the most advanced multi-programming capabilities in Canada. Activa® PC is the neurostimulator licensed for use in refractory epilepsy. Only the ACTIVA family of neurostimulators provides clinicians with the ability to deliver stimulation in constant voltage or constant current mode, providing physicians with a choice based on their preference and clinical needs.

About Medtronic of Canada Ltd.
Medtronic of Canada (www.medtronic.ca) sells, services and distributes Medtronic products in Canada: medical devices used in cardiovascular medicine, diabetes, spinal and neurosurgery, and ear, nose and throat surgery. Medtronic of Canada employs over 745 Canadians, it is headquartered in Brampton, Ontario, has regional offices in Vancouver and Montreal and an atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation catheter manufacturing facility – Medtronic CryoCath – in the Montreal metropolitan area.

About Medtronic
Medtronic, Inc. (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Minneapolis, is the global leader in medical technology – alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life for millions of people around the world.

Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic’s periodic reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

1 Humanitarian Device in the U.S.: The effectiveness of this device for the treatment of dystonia has not been demonstrated.
2 Humanitarian Device in the U.S.: The effectiveness of this device for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder has not been demonstrated.

Source: Medtronic, Inc.

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