Press Release November 7, 2001

21st Century Solutions Designed To Meet 21st Century Challenges

GlaxoSmithKline Repeats Performance; Remains 1st In Disease Management Offerings, Cognet-X, Inc. Reports

FEASTERVILLE, Pa.--(BW HealthWire)--Nov. 7, 2001--GlaxoSmithKline offered the best disease management programs to managed care customers during the third quarter, leading managed care pharmacy executives told Cognet-X, Inc.

According to Cognet-X's PAR~Rx (Promotional Assessment Research) Report(TM), this is the second consecutive corporate assessment period in which managed care pharmacy directors ranked GlaxoSmithKline first in the pharmaceutical industry as a provider of disease management programs.

The Disease/Health Management Programs attribute is one of seven included in the twice-yearly Corporate Assessment Total Rankings component of the PAR-Rx Report.

Pharmacy directors who ranked GlaxoSmithKline first felt the company outperformed its competitors in terms of the breadth of disease management programs offered, the non-product-specific nature of such programs and GlaxoSmithKline's ability to customize programs to meet individual plans' needs. Not only do plans benefit from such programs--so do their members.

"The ongoing patient and physician education has netted real benefit in terms of better care and dollars saved," one pharmacy director told Cognet-X.

Noted another PAR-Rx panelist: "(GlaxoSmithKline) came in and did an assessment of our DSM needs and then came back with e-commerce initiatives, brochures and software (programs)."

Merck & Co., Inc. placed second, up from third place in the first-quarter assessments, followed by Eli Lilly & Co., Pfizer, Inc., and American Home Products Co.

Merck won high marks for its willingness to offer input and support disease management programs that may already be in place at certain plans. "Their clinical support staff is available to answer technical questions," one panelist said. Added another: "Merck is willing to work with plans to promote the best disease care in these (therapeutic) areas..."

PAR-Rx panelists were clearly impressed by Lilly's efforts during the third quarter: Lilly rose from 14th in the first quarter to third place in the 3Q assessments.

"Lilly is an innovator in the field of diabetes (support). They are able to offer detailed DSM programs that can be customized for our members. The clinical staff from the company is available to help with the program," one pharmacy director explained.

Pfizer, which ranked fourth during the 3Q assessment cycle, received strong support for its programs related to depression and diabetes. "Excellent," "well-designed" and "well-coordinated" were among the ways PAR-Rx panelists described Pfizer programs. "Lots of professionally produced materials that help with identification of patients at risk," one panelist told Cognet-X. Pfizer ranked second in the first-quarter assessments.

American Home Products retained its fifth-place position in the Disease/Health Management Program assessments. Pharmacy directors appreciated the company's commitment to women's health-oriented initiatives and its educational support for immunization programs.

Pharmacia Corp. experienced the largest quarter-to-quarter increase in the Disease/Health Management Program ranking, climbing from 18th in the first quarter to ninth place in the more recent rankings. Patient education related to arthritis and the COX-2 class of anti-inflammatories seems to have driven Pharmacia's rise in the ratings.

One pharmacy director echoed the comments of others: "Their program addresses the appropriate use of COX-2 inhibitors. The company has been proactive in supporting this initiative."

About the PAR-Rx Report

Cognet-X's PAR-Rx Report is a year-round service that provides the pharmaceutical industry with real-time, Internet-based competitive intelligence on pharmaceutical company promotion to influential managed care pharmacy directors.

The Report offers Cognet-X clients the ability to evaluate and analyze variable differences that are critically important to their decision-making process. The Report collects comprehensive data that can be segmented and analyzed to provide clients with "21st-Century solutions to their 21st-Century challenges."

About Cognet-X

Cognet-X offers the pharmaceutical industry market research, consulting and software development that help companies build and refine their relationships with numerous customer bases, including the managed care community. Based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Cognet-X is privately held and employee owned.

For more information on the PAR-Rx Report or other valuable Cognet-X products, please contact Robert E. Houghton (extension 101) at (215) 396-8300 or via e-mail at robh@cognetx.com.

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