Covidien Launches New Global Packaging

Even more important, the new branded packaging will enable medical professionals to find - quickly and easily - the Covidien products, instruments or devices they need to effect positive patient outcomes, especially in critical moments.

3/8/2011 --- Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, announced the launch of unified packaging that leverages "One look. One Covidien." The new packaging unites the Company's mission and brand, strengthening its recognition among customers, the healthcare community and the public.

The new packaging will be unveiled in a rolling launch that begins and will continue globally over the next 12 to 18 months. In many areas, there will be a brief period of transition as the Company's traditional packaging gives way to the new look, which unifies all Covidien packages under a single, overarching brand and gives the Company a consistent "blue" presence in all clinical settings.

With the new design, the Company's familiar and trusted brands -- including Kendall, Valleylab, Mallinckrodt and Nellcor - are shown under the Covidien name. Although the packaging has changed, Covidien's high-quality, clinically proven products, which are known and trusted by medical professionals and patients alike, remain the same inside every box.

"After intensive research and testing, we're thrilled to reveal Covidien's new product packaging as our final step in transitioning from Tyco Healthcare to Covidien," said Cynthia Ward, Vice President, Corporate Marketing, Covidien. "Our brand identity is now clear and consistent, from our business cards to our product packaging. This unified look demonstrates our breadth of offerings and shows that we are, without question, a global healthcare leader dedicated to partnership and innovation."

The new Covidien packaging will be standardized throughout the world. To assist users, the same types of product information will always be placed in the same location on every package, wherever sold, and every package will feature clear, precise labeling. "One look. One Covidien" will showcase, at a glance, the depth and breadth of the Company's product offerings across healthcare categories and across a wide variety of healthcare delivery settings.

The change will affect more than 60,000 individual Covidien products and involve some 20 languages. This multi-year initiative also consolidates the Company's brand architecture, reducing the number of customer-facing brands by more than 50%. The reduction streamlines manufacturing and distribution, simplifies internal processes and should result in significant cost savings.

Even more important, the new branded packaging will enable medical professionals to find - quickly and easily - the Covidien products, instruments or devices they need to effect positive patient outcomes, especially in critical moments. And, the change will be seamless to Covidien customers, with no modifications to product codes or prices.

"We are very pleased to complete this multi-year effort with today's launch of our new packaging," said Eric A. Kraus, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs said. "This new look shows our customers, the healthcare community and the public that we are one Covidien, united in our brand and mission to put patients first and deliver positive outcomes."