Press Release October 31, 2001

21st Century Solutions Designed To Meet 21st Century Challenges

Top Managed Care Executives Rank GlaxoSmithKline’s Account Managers as the Best: Cognet-X, Inc.

FEASTERVILLE---(Oct. 31, 2001)---Leading managed care pharmacy directors rated GlaxoSmithKline's account personnel as the most knowledgeable in the pharmaceutical industry, Cognet-X, Inc. reported today.

GlaxoSmithKline's first-place ranking in the Knowledgeable Account Manager/Personnel category marks a notable increase from its fourth-place position in the category during the first-quarter ranking period. The category is one of seven included in the twice-yearly Corporate Assessments that are components of Cognet-X's PAR-Rx (Promotional Assessment Research) Report™.

PAR-Rx panelists, who are among the most influential pharmacy directors nationwide, praised GlaxoSmithKline's account personnel for their knowledge of the panelists' companies and of managed care overall. "Reps have long backgrounds in managed care, clear understanding of my health plans and realistic expectations of their positions," one panelist noted.

The pharmacy directors also found GlaxoSmithKline account executives to be very customer focused. Said one respondent: "Our main GSK rep…is very easy to deal with and very responsive. She is extremely dependable and comes through with solving issues." Others said the GlaxoSmithKline account personnel were "interested in patients' care" and "know how to use the resources at [their] disposal to get the job done."

Merck & Co. ranked second in the Knowledgeable Account Manager/Personnel ranking during the third-quarter reporting period. Pharmacy directors described Merck's account managers as clinically knowledgeable: "You cannot get any better than Merck. They also know what is going on in their therapeutic areas."

Panelists also indicated that Merck managers were highly skilled at fostering cooperation at all levels within Merck for the betterment of the managed care customer. Said one: "Team approach…works very effectively. This allows for a more timely response to issues that require either additional involvement, other input or resources."

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. placed third in this category during the third-quarter assessment period, followed by Aventis Pharma AG in fourth place and Forest Laboratories, Inc. in fifth. In the first quarter, Forest ranked 11th.

Panelists thought Forest account personnel were "very professional and knowledgeable." One pharmacy director commented: "[The account manager] Knows my needs and the marketplace; he keeps knowledge at his fingertips and uses it to be customer focused-and succeeds."

Another corporation with a noteworthy jump in the Knowledgeable Account Manager/Personnel rankings: Pharmacia Corp. ranked eighth in the most recent rankings, its first top-10 rating in this category. Pharmacia's number of "best" mentions rose 38% from the first-quarter assessment period to the third-quarter period. Commented one PAR-Rx panelist: "[They] Have invested a lot of time and effort in learning about our organization and also the internal business of managed care."

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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