Medtronic completes Ardian takeover

Medtronic has finalised its acquisition of Ardian, a medical device company which manufactures catheter-based therapies to treat hypertension and other conditions.

The $800 million (504.3 million pounds) transaction was originally announced in November 2010 and sees Medtronic take complete control of a firm in which it previously held an 11.3 percent stake.

Ardian offers a portfolio of products that includes the Symplicity Catheter System, which is used to treat uncontrolled hypertension via renal denervation and has been approved for sale in both the EU and Australia.

Medtronic believes this takeover will allow it to become an industry leader in the development of treatments that use this technique to control hypertension.

It also stated that Ardian's expertise and product range are complementary to Medtronic's current offerings.

On originally announcing the deal, Medtronic's vice-president and general manager of the coronary and peripheral business Sean Salmon said: "We view renal denervation for the treatment of uncontrolled hypertension as one of the most exciting growth markets in medical devices."