Cyberonics, Inc announced the signing of an exclusive agreement with Nihon Kohden Corporation for the distribution of VNS Therapy Systems for epilepsy patients in Japan. The companies are working together to obtain the necessary regulatory and reimbursement approvals.

"We are very excited to partner with Nihon Kohden to make VNS Therapy available to Japanese patients who suffer from refractory epilepsy," commented Dan Moore, Cyberonics' president and chief executive officer. "Nihon Kohden is a premier manufacturer and distributor of medical devices in Japan with extensive, long-term experience in neurology. Nihon Kohden is our representative to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and this agreement represents an important milestone toward our goal to bring VNS Therapy to one of the largest medical device markets in the world."

"The VNS Therapy System is a perfect addition to our product line for the neurology area," said Fumio Suzuki, president and COO of Nihon Kohden. "Along with our long-term EEG monitoring systems for diagnosis of epilepsy, our goal is to make VNS Therapy Systems a standard of care for refractory epilepsy in Japan."

Cyberonics, Inc is a medical technology company with core expertise in neuromodulation.

Nihon Kohden is Japan's leading manufacturer, developer and distributor of patient monitors, defibrillators, ECGs, EEGs, EP/EMGs, haematology analyzers and other medical electronic equipment, with subsidiaries in the United States, Europe, and Asia, and distributors in nearly every country in the world.