Arkle Res Regulatory News (ARK)

11 Jul 2007 07:00

ARC International (LSE:ARK) today announced that CVRx(R), Inc. haschosen a member of the configurable ARC(R) 600 core family to driveits Rheos(TM) Baroreflex Hypertension Therapy(TM) System. CVRx chose aconfigurable ARC core because of its very small size, ability tooperate using extremely low power, and long-term reliability - all keycriteria for "deeply embedded" organic applications. This news releasecomplements ARC's announcement of the adoption of its configurablesolutions by 11 companies in North America. See companion announcementdated July 11, 2007 for more details. £ Hypertension (high blood pressure) is an excessive force of bloodagainst arterial walls. It is a leading cause of heart and kidneydisease, stroke, and premature death. According to the American HeartAssociation, close to 70 million people in the United States sufferfrom high blood pressure. Approximately 25 percent cannot control thedisease despite the use of multiple medications. £ The Rheos System from CVRx reduces blood pressure by using thehuman body's natural blood pressure regulation system (thebaroreflex). The Rheos System electrically stimulates the baroreflex,which sends signals to the brain suggesting a blood pressure increase.Then, the brain acts to lower blood pressure by sending signals tovarious parts of the body, including the blood vessels, heart andkidneys. The Rheos System includes a small pulse generator that isimplanted under the collar bone, two thin leads that are wrappedaround the left and right carotid arteries, and a programmer system. £ "The Rheos System holds hope for patients with drug-resistanthypertension," said Nadim Yared, president and CEO of CVRx. "Byadopting a configurable ARC processor our development teams can ensurethe implantable, battery operated Rheos System meets importantcriteria necessary for implantable medical devices." £ Andy Jaros, vice president of worldwide field operations for ARC,said, "For years ARC's configurable processors have been broadly usedin a wide range of medical products. From pacemakers to hearing aids,ARC's low power configurable solutions are being adopted to createinnovative next-generation medical technologies. Products such as theRheos System from one of ARC's newest customers could have abeneficial impact on the health and life expectancy of millions ofindividuals worldwide." £ About CVRx, Inc. £ CVRx was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Minneapolis. Itis a private company and its senior management and technical teamshave many years of experience commercializing implantable medicaldevices. For more information visit www.cvrx.com. £ About ARC International plc £ ARC International is the world leader in configurable mediasubsystems and CPU/DSP processors. Used by over 140 companiesworldwide, ARC's configurable solutions enable the creation of highlydifferentiated system-on-chips (SoCs) that ship in hundreds ofmillions of devices annually. ARC's patented subsystems and cores aresmaller, consume less power, and are less expensive to manufacturethan competing products. £ ARC International maintains a worldwide presence with corporateand research and development offices in California and St. Albans, UK.For more information visit www.ARC.com. ARC International is listed onthe London Stock Exchange as ARC International plc (LSE:ARK). £ ARC and the ARC logo are trademarks or registered trademarks ofARC International. All other brands or product names contained hereinare the property of their respective owners. This press release maycontain certain "forward-looking statements" that involve risks anduncertainties, including the development, implementation, and releaseof features described herein. These are at the sole discretion of ARCInternational. For other factors that could cause actual results todiffer, visit the company's Website as well as the listing particularsfiled with the United Kingdom Listing Authority and the Registrar ofCompanies in England and Wales. Copyright Business Wire 2007