Medtronic gets U.S. subpoena on brain stimulators
Medtronic Inc., the largest maker of heart devices, said it received a subpoena from the U.S. Attorney in western New York related to sales, marketing and reimbursement practices for its brain stimulation products.
Medtronic received the U.S. inquiry on Oct. 14 and is cooperating with the investigation, the Minneapolis-based company said today in a regulatory filing.
Medtronic has received numerous inquires from authorities about its business practices, but this is the first the company has identified related to its neurostimulation devices.
The Medtronic neuromodulation division reported sales of $1.6 billion last year. The unit makes stopwatch-size implantable devices that are used to reduce chronic pain, stimulate movement for such diseases as Parkinson's and treat psychiatric disorders.
"We have no comment beyond what we state in the filing," Medtronic spokesman Brian Henry said today in an e-mail.
Copyright 2010 Bloomberg.
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