Sonova Says It's Preparing to Bring Back Recalled Ear Implants

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Bloomberg - February 23, 2011

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Sonova Says It's Preparing to Bring Back Recalled Ear Implants

By Connolly

Sonova Holding AG <http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=SOON%3AVX> is

preparing to reintroduce the HiRes 90K hearing implants, possibly as soon as

April, following a recall last year, a company spokesman said.

The company voluntarily recalled the HiRes 90K hearing implant worldwide in

November after a malfunction led to " severe pain, overly loud sounds and/or

shocking sensations " in two cases.

" We know the problem; we know how it can be solved, " the spokesman, Holger

Schimanke, said in an interview today. " It could be April. There's also a

likelihood it could be autumn. Nothing's final. "

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration

<http://topics.bloomberg.com/food-and-drug-administration/> will decide

when sales can resume there, and the Staefa, Switzerland-based company has

no clear time frame for when that could happen, Schimanke said. The

implants, made by its Advanced Bionics unit, may become available outside of

the U.S. sooner, he said.

In an interview with Handelszeitung published today, Sonova Chief Executive

Officer Valentin Chapero Rueda said the chances that the reintroduction of

the product in some markets will be delayed until the second half of the

year are " increasingly less. "

" It can be that we are already back on the market in April, " Rueda said in

the interview.

Sonova rose as much as 5 percent, the biggest intraday gain since Oct. 14,

following the CEO's comments. The stock gained 4.70 francs, or 4 percent, to

123.30 francs at 12:34 p.m. in Zurich trading.

To contact the reporter on this story: Connolly in furt

<http://topics.bloomberg.com/frankfurt/> at aconnolly4@....

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Phil Serafino at

pserafino@....