Multimedia News Release - New Diagnostic Tool 'Lights Up' Infection for Clinical Certainty in Dangerous Appendicitis Cases
June 14 2005 - 11:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Multimedia News Release - New Diagnostic Tool 'Lights Up' Infection
for Clinical Certainty in Dangerous Appendicitis Cases Tyco's Ed
Breen Joins Physicians and Industry Experts to Detail Human and
Economic Costs of Missed Diagnoses NEW YORK, June 14
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Every year in the U.S. alone, a half
million Americans are rushed into the operating room for emergency
abdominal surgery. For tens of thousands of them --
disproportionately women -- they will only later realize it may
have been unnecessary. Misdiagnosed appendicitis costs more than
$2.4 billion annually in hospital charges, lost time and wages, and
medical malpractice lawsuits. To view the Multimedia News Release,
go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/tyco/22115 To address this
issue, Tyco International (NYSE:TYC)(BSX:TYC) today brought
together a broad panel of medical and economic experts to outline
the problem and describe how a breakthrough imaging agent,
NeutroSpec(TM) [Technetium (99m Tc) fanolesomab], can help reduce
the human pain and economic cost of misdiagnosed appendicitis.
"Every year in the United States, misdiagnosed appendicitis
extracts an enormous human and economic toll," said Ed Breen, Tyco
Chairman and CEO. "Thousands of patients and their families are
affected directly -- and it takes a $2.4 billion bite out of our
healthcare dollars. Even more shocking, it's preventable. Through
our Tyco Healthcare and Mallinckrodt businesses, Tyco now offers
technologically-advanced products like NeutroSpec to provide
physicians with the tools to accurately diagnose patients and
improve the quality of patient care everywhere. This is the kind of
innovation that customers, consumers, and investors can expect from
Tyco." NeutroSpec, marketed by Tyco's Mallinckrodt business, is an
imaging agent that provides non-invasive, fast, and accurate
scintigraphic imaging for patients five years of age or older with
equivocal signs and symptoms of appendicitis. It allows physicians
to see clearly the "function" of the appendix rather than just the
anatomy -- resulting in a reliable diagnosis. NeutroSpec attaches
to the white blood cells (and myeloid precursors) at the site of
the infected appendix, "lighting up" the infection at its source.
In the pivotal trial, NeutroSpec was found to be 96 percent
accurate in ruling out appendicitis within 90 minutes. "Even in the
21st century, appendicitis is difficult to diagnose since half of
the patients do not exhibit typical symptoms, such as lower right
abdominal pain," said Andrew Y. Lo, MD, general surgeon with Beth
Israel Hospital. "NeutroSpec provides easy-to-read images that make
the diagnosis very clear in as little as 5 minutes for positive
cases and no more than 90 minutes in negative cases. This means
that greater use of NeutroSpec could result in a dramatic decrease
in unnecessary appendectomies." "During clinical studies, nearly 10
percent of patients with appendicitis would have been sent home --
potentially suffering a perforated appendix -- if it wasn't for the
NeutroSpec scan. This really highlights the need for new diagnostic
tools," said Frederick L. Weiland, MD, FACNP, co-director of
nuclear medicine at Sutter Roseville Medical Center and clinical
associate professor of radiology at University of California,
Davis. "NeutroSpec is fast, reliable and easy to read. It truly has
the potential to create a paradigm shift in the diagnosis of
appendicitis." Tyco and highly-regarded medical research firm,
Covance, unveiled the results of an unprecedented economic study,
detailing how misdiagnosed appendicitis cases cost the U.S. close
to $2.46 billion yearly in hospital charges, lost wages and medical
malpractice lawsuits. "According to our research study, the rate of
misdiagnosis of appendicitis is alarmingly high," said Stacey
Ackerman, PhD, vice president of Covance. "Our findings clearly
indicate that earlier, more accurate diagnosis would result in
substantial clinical and economic benefits." To educate the general
public about the signs and symptoms of appendicitis and other
abdominal conditions, as well as to provide useful clinical and
diagnostic assistance to physicians, Tyco also launched a
consumer/physician Web site -- http://www.appendicitisinfo.com/ --
at the event. The new Web site provides user-friendly information
for parents and other consumers -- including interactive diagrams,
frequently asked questions, and a glossary of common medical terms.
For physicians and other clinicians, the Web site provides a
section that details the effectiveness and function of NeutroSpec,
important prescribing information, and a handful of patient case
studies. NeutroSpec contains both murine antibodies and sodium
hydrosulfite, each of which has been known to induce allergic
reactions, including anaphylaxis. The most frequently observed
adverse events seen in clinical studies were flushing and
difficulty breathing, which occurred in less than 2 percent of
patients. For full prescribing information, visit
http://www.neutrospec.com/ . About Tyco International Ltd. Tyco
International Ltd. is a global, diversified company that provides
vital products and services to customers in five business segments:
Fire & Security, Electronics, Healthcare, Engineered Products
& Services, and Plastics & Adhesives. With 2004 revenue of
$40 billion, Tyco employs approximately 250,000 people worldwide.
More information on Tyco can be found at http://www.tyco.com/ .
About Tyco Healthcare/Mallinckrodt Tyco Healthcare's Mallinckrodt
division offers a diverse line of respiratory, imaging and
pharmaceutical products that sustain breathing, diagnose disease
and relieve pain. As a major business segment of Tyco International
Ltd., Tyco Healthcare manufactures, distributes and services an
extensive product line including disposable medical supplies,
monitoring equipment, innovative wound closure products, advanced
surgical devices, medical instruments and bulk analgesic
pharmaceuticals. With industry-leading brand names such as
Autosuture, Kendall, Mallinckrodt, Nellcor, Puritan Bennett,
Syneture and Valleylab, Tyco Healthcare products are found in
virtually every healthcare setting. NeutroSpec is a trademark of
Palatin Technologies, Inc.
http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/tyco/22115DATASOURCE: Tyco Healthcare
CONTACT: Sheri Woodruff of Tyco International, Director, Media
Relations, +1-609-933-9243, ; David Young of Tyco Healthcare,
Corporate Communications Manager, +1-617-697-3334, Web site:
http://www.neutrospec.com/ http://www.appendicitisinfo.com/
http://www.tyco.com/
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