Press Release November 17, 2003

21st Century Solutions Designed To Meet 21st Century Challenges

Novartis Retains Top Ranking with Managed Care Executives, Cognet-X Inc. Reports

FEASTERVILLE---(November 17, 2003)---For the third consecutive ranking period, influential managed care pharmacy directors have rated Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. as the pharmaceutical company that best meets their overall needs, Cognet-X, Inc. reported today.

Novartis previously ranked first in the Overall Needs assessment category in the first-quarter 2003 and third-quarter 2002 ranking periods of the twice-yearly Corporate Assessment Total Rankings component of Cognet-X's PAR-Rx (Promotional Assessment Research) Report™.

Novartis also ranked first in two other Corporate Assessment categories in the 3Q 2003 cycle: Knowledgeable Account Manager/Personnel and Value-added Services.

"Both the regional account manager and clinical staff have been very sensitive to our needs….Company representatives have also been very forthright in their dealings with us. Excellent quality of medical information," one PAR-Rx panelist said of Novartis.

AstraZeneca PLC rose from sixth place in 1Q 2003 to third place in 3Q 2003 and also captured the No. 1 ranking in the Advisory Boards/Seminars/CE Programs category. Panelists praised AstraZeneca, which launched the cholesterol reducer Crestor late in the third quarter, for the strength and versatility of its managed care account managers.

"The company is one of the few companies who have successfully implemented an account manager focus approach to servicing our account. The account manager is able to effectively channel our question and issues to the right people in the organization," one PAR-Rx panelist noted.

Two companies experienced significant increases in their Overall Needs ranking during the most recent assessment period: Sankyo Co. Ltd. and The Procter & Gamble Co.

Sankyo rose from 11th in the first-quarter ranking to sixth place. One PAR-Rx respondent noted Sankyo has "rapidly become a strong partner to managed care" and has an "excellent managed care marketing/account management team."

Previously unranked, Procter & Gamble, placed 10th in the 3Q 2003 ranking, boosted by its launch of Prilosec OTC, the first non-prescription formulation of the proton pump inhibitor.

"The campaign around Prilosec OTC is first rate. Great presentation. Quality information in advance. Variety of consumer program partnerships to choose from," one pharmacy director told Cognet-X.

The complete roster of top 10 companies in this category are: 1. Novartis
2. Wyeth
3. AstraZeneca PLC
4. Aventis Pharma AG
5. GlaxoSmithKline
6. Sankyo Co. Ltd.
7. Merck & Co. Inc.
8. Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals
9. TAP Pharmaceuticals Inc.
10. The Procter & Gamble Co.

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 James A. Barone at (215) 396-8300 (extension 102) or Rick Bourland (extension 103) or via e-mail at jimb@cognetx.com or rickb@cognetx.com.

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