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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