Press Release June 10, 2004

21st Century Solutions Designed To Meet 21st Century Challenges

Novartis Retains Top Ranking, Other Companies Gain Ground with Managed Care Executives, Cognet-X Inc. Reports

FEASTERVILLE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 10, 2004--For the fourth consecutive reporting period, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. remained the pharmaceutical company that best met the overall needs of managed care pharmacy executives, Cognet-X Inc. announced today.

Novartis ranked first in the Overall Needs category of the twice-yearly Corporate Assessment Total Rankings component of Cognet-X's PAR-Rx (Promotional Assessment Research) Report(TM).

PAR-Rx panelists, who are among the most influential pharmacy directors in the country, said they appreciated that many Novartis account personnel had a clear understanding of managed care executives' needs and tailored initiatives to meet them.

"Uses my time like it was his own; only brings programs to me that make sense for our plan," said one panelist. "Excellent educational resource; national account managers ready and willing to support (my) organization," another commented.

Yet while the top three companies in the Overall Needs attribute did not change from the third quarter 2003 standings, several companies solidified their position in, re-entered or joined the top 10 rankings during the most recent reporting cycle.

Wyeth and AstraZeneca PLC retained their second- and third-place rankings, respectively. PAR-Rx respondents found AstraZeneca account personnel to be "very responsive" and said they appreciated that AstraZeneca's corporate culture strongly supported their managed care strategies.

"Very good pipeline of drugs; well-coordinated team effort. Very responsive," said one pharmacy director.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. returned to the top 10, rising from 22nd place in 3Q 2003 to ninth place in 1Q 2004. Panelists gave the credit to the company's account personnel.

"National account manager totally supports (my) managed care organization's needs and stays close to our account," one PAR-Rx respondent noted. Said another: "Unbiased, very supportive and very knowledgeable of the market."

Two other companies also stood out--in part because they emerged as top-10 companies primarily due to their emphasis on education. Tied for eighth place, Teva Pharmaceuticals USA and Genentech Inc. garnered praise for their efforts to inform pharmacy directors and their managed care colleagues on issues coming to the forefront of medical science--and managed care budgets.

Teva sponsored several educational opportunities on multiple sclerosis for PAR-Rx panelists' organizations; the company markets the MS therapy Copaxone.

Genentech offered "excellent knowledge" of biologic agents, panelists said. "(Genentech's) Educational programs for the (plan) staff helped bring everyone up to speed on biologicals," one pharmacy executive commented.

"Their clinical and national account managers work well together and always provide excellent service, including in-service opportunities," a PAR-Rx respondent said.

According to Cognet-X Chief Strategist Bryna Elder-Munro, "With so many new medicines emerging from biotech company laboratories, managed care executives are eager to learn as much as possible about how these therapies can save and improve lives,"

Added Elder-Munro: "Some of these medicines also may help reduce medical costs, including hospital expenses, and managed care organizations are assessing whether these emerging agents belong within their medical or pharmacy budgets."

The top 10 pharmaceutical corporations in the Overall Needs category for 1Q 2004 were:

1) Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.
2) Wyeth
3) AstraZeneca PLC
4) GlaxoSmithKline
5) Aventis Pharma AG
6) Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals
7) TAP Pharmaceuticals Inc.
8) (tie) Teva Pharmaceuticals USA
8) (tie) Genentech Inc.
9) Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.
10) Sankyo Co. Ltd.

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 Cognet-X products such as the MHCProfiles Web-based database and Formulary Module, please contact Jim Barone (ext. 102) at (215) 396-8300 or jimb@cognetx.com or Alex Harpe (ext. 161 or alexh@cognetx.com .

Contacts

Cognet-X Inc.
Jim Barone, 215-396-8300 ext. 102
jimb@cognetx.com
or
Alex Harpe, 215-396-8300 ext. 161
alexh@cognetx.com .

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