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| |  New Advanced Pain Therapy Initiative Focuses On Chronic Pain MINNEAPOLIS, June 24, 1997 -- Millions of Americans suffering from chronic pain now have a new option for relief -- Advanced Pain Therapy (APT). APT Is a major chronic pain management initiative designed to offer relief and restore the quality of life to millions of Americans who suffer from severe intractable pain. Increasingly, pain is being recognized as a major medical problem. In the United States, the experience of pain is widespread: it is estimated that as many as 70 million people suffer from chronic pain with an additional nine million people suffering from cancer-related pain most of which are treated effectively with oral medications. However, five to 10 percent of chronic pain patients have inadequate pain relief, intolerable side effects, or morbidity associated with oral medications or repeated surgeries. Medtronic Inc.'s pain management initiative aims to provide additional options for these patients. Marketing of this initiative is aimed at anesthesiologists, oncologists, interventional pain management specialists, spine surgeons, neurologists and other healthcare providers. Patients who benefit from APT include those suffering from failed back surgery syndrome, arachnoiditis, radiculopathies, peripheral ischemic pain, spinal cord injuries, osteoporosis and cancer, just to name a few. The Medtronic Advanced Pain Therapy initiative is supported by the following neurological business units and products: The Drug Delivery Business develops and markets implantable devices and therapies that treat chronic malignant (cancer) and non-malignant pain and spasticity. Intrathecal pain therapy which delivers medication directly into the spinal fluid provides the efficacy of high-dose opioids while substantially reducing the activity limiting side-effects such as lethargy, nausea, and vomiting. In fact, studies indicate that the equivalent daily dose of morphine delivered via intrathecal administration is as little as 1/300th of an oral dose. Intrathecal pain therapy has also been shown to be cost effective when compared to current treatments and while providing often dramatic improvements in patients' quality of life. Medtronic's line of drug delivery systems includes: the SynchroMed(R) Drug Infusion System, the only externally programmable, implantable device on the market; the IsoMed(TM) drug pump, the smallest, most accurate fixed-rate drug delivery system available, and the AlgoMed(TM) Infusion System, a patient activated drug delivery system for cancer patients. The IsoMed and AlgoMed devices are currently in clinical studies in the United States. The Drug Delivery Business is also striving to develop a non-opiate analgesic through strategic alliances with pharmaceutical companies. Clinical trials are being conducted in collaboration with Neurex, Inc. (Menlo Park, Calif.) in the development of SNX-111, and with Orphan Medical, Inc. (Wayzata, Minn.) in the development of clonidine. The Neurostimulation Business develops and markets implantable devices that treat chronic pain, essential tremor, and tremor associated with Parkinson's disease. Neurostimulation pain therapy provides highly-effective relief for pain related to failed back syndrome (FBS), peripheral vascular disease, and complex regional pain syndrome. This therapy can reduce or eliminate the need for repeat surgical procedures -- the efficacy of which may diminish over time. Neurostimulation products include: the Itrel, the only totally implantable, externally programmable neurostimulator on the market which allows patients complete freedom from an external device; the Dual4(TM), offering the market's first totally implantable dual lead system and the Mattrix(R), a dual lead neurostimulation system for the treatment of complex axial and extremity pain. Medtronic, Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, is the world's leading medical technology company specializing in implantable and interventional therapies. More information on: Medtronic, Inc., SynchroMed
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