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Study Finds Medtronic Activa Therapy Superior to Alternative Surgical Procedure in Treating Parkinson's MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 27, 2004--Brain Stimulation Significantly Reduces Severity and Duration of Life- Limiting Movement Disorder In a directly comparative study published today in the journal Neurology, physicians at four hospitals in the Netherlands reported that brain stimulation, also known as Activa(R) Therapy from Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT), was more than twice as effective as an ablative surgery called pallidotomy in reducing the severity of advanced Parkinson's involuntary, abrupt, jerky movements and in reducing their duration. Led by R.A.J. Esselink, M.D., and J.D. Speelman, M.D., of the Department of Neurology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the physicians studied treatment outcomes from 34 patients with advanced Parkinson's disease who had severe limitations in functioning, despite optimal pharmaceutical treatment. The patients, who had suffered from Parkinson's for at least 12 years, were randomized into two groups. One group was treated with unilateral pallidotomy, an irreversible surgical procedure that destroys a small amount of brain tissue. Patients in the other group received Medtronic Activa Therapy, which uses a "brain pacemaker" to deliver carefully controlled electrical pulses to precisely targeted areas in both sides of the brain. "These results further demonstrate that bilateral brain stimulation is a more effective therapy in reducing symptoms in advanced Parkinson's disease," said Dr. Speelman. "In addition, brain stimulation resulted in greater reduction in dosages of antiparkinsonian drugs, compared to pallidotomy." Earlier clinical results have suggested that Activa Therapy's stimulation appears to block brain signals that cause motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. A French study, conducted at Joseph Fourier University in Grenoble and reported in the New England Journal of Medicine last November, demonstrated that, over a five-year period, patients with advanced Parkinson's disease experienced "marked improvements" in motor function and mobility when treated with bilateral deep brain stimulation. The Dutch study represents the first randomized, controlled study directly comparing stimulation with pallidotomy. Using standard scoring techniques, the researchers established that the symptoms of Parkinson's during the most severe periods (off medication phase or "Off Time") improved an average of 20 percent from baseline for the pallidotomy group, while improvements in the Activa Therapy group averaged 49 percent. Measured at times when symptoms were not as severe and disabling (on medication phase, or "On Time"), movement scores showed significant improvement in the Activa group, compared with the pallidotomy group. Researchers also concluded that median duration of dyskinesia (involuntary rapid, jerky movements caused by the medications traditionally used to treat Parkinson's disease) also was reduced to a greater degree for patients with implanted Activa devices than those treated with pallidotomy. The number of adverse events was about the same rate in both groups. One patient in the pallidotomy group committed suicide, while one patient who received Activa Therapy suffered severe cognitive deterioration. Activa Therapy for the treatment of advanced Parkinson's disease received European regulatory approval in 1998 and U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in 2002. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved it for national Medicare coverage in April 2003. Activa Therapy is adjustable to enable clinicians to improve therapeutic results and limit side effects. The therapy is also reversible in that it can be switched off or removed entirely, preserving patients' future options if other treatments become available. Medtronic, Inc. http://www.medtronic.com , headquartered in Minneapolis, is the world's leading medical technology company, providing lifelong solutions for people with chronic disease. Those seeking more information about Activa Therapy can visit http://www.newhopeforparkinsons.com or call toll-free 1-800-675-5752. NOTE TO EDITORS: Additional information and graphics related to Activa Therapy are available through Medtronic's online newsroom at http://www.medtronic.com/newsroom/ Any statements made about the company's anticipated financial results and regulatory approvals are forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 25, 2003. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results. Contacts: Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis Investor Relations: Chris King, 763-505-2695 or Public Relations: Kathleen Janasz, 763-505-2634 or Yvan Deurbroeck, (+41-21) 802-7574 SOURCE: Business Wire (press release) http://tinyurl.com/ytzwk * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn