Philips Granted Licence from Health Canada for its HeartStart Home Defibrillator.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

ANDOVER, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 6, 2003

Philips Electronics (NYSE:PHG)(AEX:PHI), today announced the receipt of a Medical Device Licence from the Therapeutic Products Directorate, Medical Devices Bureau of Health Canada for its HeartStart Home Defibrillator. The Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator provides treatment for sudden cardiac arrest, a leading cause of death in Canada claiming approximately 35,000-40,000 lives each year. The result of extensive research on ease of use, the HeartStart Home Defibrillator is intended to help the emerging class of home responders use a defibrillator to help save a life. Philips also received licence from Health Canada for its HeartStart OnSite Defibrillator for minimally trained lay responders who are typically found in businesses, schools and communities.

Sudden cardiac arrest can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time, often without warning. Published studies show over 70 percent of arrests happen in the home and the majority of those are witnessed. Unlike a heart attack, in which blood flow to the heart muscle is temporarily blocked, sudden cardiac arrest is an electrical malfunction of the heart. Defibrillation therapy provides clear and effective treatment for sudden cardiac arrest, but it must reach a victim within the first few minutes. For each minute that passes without treatment, the chance for survival decreases by about 10 percent. After 10 to 12 minutes, few attempts at resuscitation are successful.

"Sudden cardiac arrest is a significant public health concern in Canada," said Dr. Sheldon Cheskes, assistant director of emergency medicine, William Osler Health Centre Brampton Memorial Hospital Campus and director of the Paramedic Program, for the Region of Peel, Ontario. "Effective treatment for sudden cardiac arrest exists, early defibrillation. However, the challenge is time. Typically, defibrillators just don't reach victims within those first few critical minutes. The broad deployment of defibrillators in places where people gather such as homes, workplaces and shopping malls will help reduce the time it takes to deliver defibrillation therapy to a victim, which could help save thousands of lives."

The HeartStart Home Defibrillator and the HeartStart OnSite Defibrillator offer easy-to-use defibrillators for the minimally trained lay responder, a growing class of potential defibrillators users found in homes, communities, schools and businesses. Patented technology enhancements and design refinements are intended to better support successful use of a defibrillator among this class of responders.

Built-in, first-of-its-kind SMART Pad technology senses a responder's actions and automatically adjusts the pace of voice instructions to match the individual responder's needs. Clear, calm, voice commands guide the responder through every step of the defibrillation process, even reminding them to call for emergency help. Patented voice coaching for adult and infant/child CPR provides instructions and audio cues for each breath as well as the appropriate number, rate and depth of chest compressions. In addition, the HeartStart Home Defibrillator and the HeartStart OnSite Defibrillator can be used on infants and children under eight years old or weighing less than 25 kgs when equipped with specially designed infant/child pads, which reduce the amount of energy delivered by the defibrillator to an appropriate level.

"Defibrillation is part of the Chain of Survival which includes early recognition of cardiac arrest, early access to emergency care, early CPR, early defibrillation and early advanced cardiac care," said Marc Gay, Foundation spokesperson and emergency technician, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. "The Heart and Stroke Foundation supports efforts to provide prompt defibrillation to victims of cardiac arrest. The promising concept of automated home defibrillators deserves thoughtful exploration."

"Heath Canada's decision reflects Philips' resolve to deliver intuitive, easy-to-use defibrillators to the broadest group of potential responders possible," said Iain Burns, president and chief executive officer of Philips Electronics Canada. "The availability of HeartStart Home and HeartStart OnSite Defibrillators in Canada will help increase the number of people who will feel confident and prepared to use a defibrillator successfully to help save a life."

Information about the Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator is available at www.heartstarthome.com. Information on the HeartStart OnSite Defibrillator for schools, communities and businesses is available at www.medical.philips.com/goto/heartstartonsite. The manufacturer's suggested retail price for the HeartStart Home Defibrillator and the HeartStart OnSite Defibrillator is $3,600 (Canadian).

About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is one of the world's biggest electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales of $30.1 billion (EUR 31.8 billion) in 2002. It is a global leader in color television sets, lighting, electric shavers, medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring, and one-chip TV products. Its 164,000 employees in more than 60 countries are active in the areas of lighting, consumer electronics, domestic appliances, semiconductors, and medical systems. Philips is quoted on the NYSE (symbol: PHG), London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and other stock exchanges. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter