PRINCETON, N.J., September 10, 1998 - Consumer Health Sciences (CHS), a two-year-old healthcare information company specializing in data on consumer health issues, has been a source of new, beneficial information for some of the nation's largest pharmaceutical firms. Disease-specific studies about consumer health attitudes and practices for Alzheimer's Disease, Depression, Diabetes, and Schizophrenia have been utilized by companies such as American Home Products, Bayer, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, and Pfizer, among others.

CHS' consumer studies are distinct in four ways: (1) Sample sizes are large, resulting in accurate national analyses; (2) Studies are longitudinal, tracking consumer healthcare behavior and trends on an on-going basis, (3) Survey results are warehoused by CHS, allowing companies to use the data to address specific issues, and (4) Databases are immediately accessible - there is no waiting period for studies to be fielded and analyzed.

Using Data as "Consumer Competitive Intelligence"
While traditional healthcare information firms have long provided pharmaceutical companies with data on the treatment decisions made by physicians, hospitals, and pharmacists, there has been minimal information available from the consumer's perspective. CHS was founded in 1996 to fill this unmet need. The data it has collected and analyzed are useful as "consumer competitive intelligence" in areas such as:

• Clinical trial design and outcomes research;
• Reimbursement planning;
• Disease management;
• Direct-to-Consumer campaigns;
• Treatment compliance;
• Use of complementary therapies.

The Consumer as Healthcare Decision-Maker
"Consumers make choices for a variety of reasons - because they recognize a brand name, remember an article in the newspaper, take advice from a friend, or see an advertisement on television, for example," states Jane A. Donohue, Ph.D., President & founder of Consumer Health Sciences. "In the dynamic healthcare market, those who gain consumer information and act on it will have a competitive advantage. As consumers learn more about their medications and treatment options, CHS is poised to help pharmaceutical companies understand consumer behavior and follow changes over time."

CHS Consumer Surveys to Date
In 1997, CHS completed its first studies on consumer attitudes and behaviors for specific diseases. This information is warehoused in CHS relational databases and is updated with the same cohort every six months. Each survey has a medical advisory board for clinical oversight and analysis, and all data is processed in-house by CHS.

In addition to its ongoing longitudinal surveys, CHS is currently processing data from its National Health Survey, a new audit of more than 17,000 adult respondents nationwide. "Our newest survey on general health is expected to yield beneficial data on the behaviors and choices that consumers make about their healthcare," according to Donohue. "It includes questions about various treatment options, frequency of doctor visits, usage of prescription drugs, OTC drugs, vitamins and alternative medicines, and familiarization with the advertising of well-known prescription drug brands." The National Health and Wellness Survey also provides in-depth information on common medical conditions, including High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Heartburn, Migraine Headaches, Asthma, and Arthritis, among others.

The National Health & Wellness Survey data are expected to be available this October. The follow-up longitudinal survey reports on Alzheimer's Disease, Depression, Diabetes, and Schizophrenia will be available in September and October.

For more information on Consumer Health Sciences or any of its reports, please contact Mr. Jeff Forringer at 609-924-4455, ext. 104 or at Forringer@aol.com.

Consumer Health Sciences, LLC is a privately held company that specializes in providing consumer healthcare data from professionally designed surveys and expert data analysis. CHS originated the concept of providing specific consumer healthcare data to pharmaceutical industry decision-makers and it maintains the largest commercially available database in this area. The firm has become profitable in just two years, more than doubling its revenues between 1997 and 1998.