ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Covidien (NYSE: COV), a leading global provider of healthcare products, today introduced EXALGO™ (hydromorphone HCI) Extended-Release Tablets, (CII), the only extended-release hydromorphone treatment available in the United States. This proven therapy, combined with an innovative delivery system, provides opioid-tolerant patients suffering from moderate-to-severe chronic pain relief for 24 hours per dose.