BEN VENUE LABORATORIES

AWARDED NATIONAL
CANCER INSTITUTE CONTRACT

Is Latest in Series of Uninterrupted Contracts
Stretching Back to 1960s

BEDFORD, OH--October 2, 1997--Ben Venue Laboratories, Inc., announced that it has received a new five-year $9.2 million contract from the National Cancer Institute for the development and manufacture of anti-cancer and anti-AIDS compounds. Ben Venue has won similar contracts each time they have come up for bid since 1967, one of the longest running relationships in the pharmaceutical industry.

"We are particularly proud to receive the contract this year, because it represents a vote of confidence from the scientific community," said Thomas Russillo, president and COO of Ben Venue. "In contrast to past years, the recommendation for the award this year was made entirely by a peer review committee comprised of scientists not employed by the NCI. Our success is a tribute to the thoroughness, skills and professionalism of our product development staff over the last 30 years in achieving the goals of the NCI. These same efforts are also applied to their work for our other contract customers."

The new contract will support process development/scale-up, specialized processing and analyses, validation work and personnel in handling these projects. Ben Venue will also receive support for academic investigational work related to formulation, lyophilization and other manufacturing processes for unique doses and delivery systems.

Ben Venue's long history of work with the National Cancer Institute has contributed to the success of many well-known anti-tumor and anti-AIDS products, including: Taxol, Cisplatin, BiCNU, DTIC, Fludara, DDI, Methotrexate and Daunorubicin.

Ben Venue Laboratories, Inc. develops and manufactures liquid and lyophilized sterile products under contract to its customers. It is the oldest, largest and most experienced contract manufacturer of lyophilized products in the United States. Through its Bedford Laboratories division, the company is also a leading producer of generic injectable pharmaceuticals.

The company is located at 300 Northfield Rd., Bedford, OH 44146. Telephone (440) 232-3320; FAX (440) 439-6398.