Bentley Pharmaceuticals Named One of Forbes 200 Best Small Companies.

EXETER, N.H. -- Bentley Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: BNT), a specialty pharmaceutical company, announced today that it has been ranked number 95 on the Forbes list of America's 200 Best Small Companies. This is the second consecutive year Bentley has been named to what Forbes describes as a list of "the most robust, fundamentally disciplined public outfits . . ."

The Forbes 200 Best Small Companies list include those public companies with sales between $5 million and $750 million and a share price over $5 as of September 29, 2006, with three-month average volume of 10,000 or more shares. For the past 5-year and 12-month periods, these companies must hold profit margins of greater than 5%, with positive sales and profit growth on average. The companies included in the list are ranked on their current and historical financial performance. Sources of the list are Reuters Fundamentals and Institutional Brokers' Estimate System via FactSet Research Systems. These analyses were done independent of Bentley. For Bentley's historical financials, refer to our website at www.bentleypharm.com.

John A. Sedor, president of Bentley, said, "Bentley has executed a strategy of balanced growth, delivering steady, profitable performance. We are pleased that Bentley's inclusion in the list of America's 200 Best Small Companies acknowledges this track record. Looking ahead, we will continue to capitalize on our proven strengths in specialty generic pharmaceutical markets, as we aggressively pursue higher-margin opportunities based on our patented drug-delivery technology. We believe that this hybrid business model will continue to drive Bentley's growth."

Bentley Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on advanced drug delivery technologies and generic pharmaceutical products. Bentley's proprietary drug technologies enhance or facilitate the absorption of pharmaceutical compounds across various membranes. Bentley also manufactures a growing portfolio of generic and branded generic pharmaceuticals in Europe for the treatment of cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, infectious and neurological diseases through its subsidiary, Laboratorios Belmac, and markets these pharmaceutical products through its subsidiaries, Laboratorios Belmac, Laboratorios Davur, Laboratorios Rimafar and Bentley Pharmaceuticals Ireland; and manufactures and markets active pharmaceutical ingredients through its subsidiary, Bentley API.

Additional information regarding Bentley Pharmaceuticals may be obtained through Bentley's web site at www.bentleypharm.com.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains forward looking statements, including without limitation, statements regarding the prospects for continued growth of our business. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such statements. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the following: clinical trials, the timing and nature of regulatory approvals, changes in third-party reimbursement and government mandates that impact pharmaceutical pricing, development and commercialization of Bentley's proprietary products and formulations, competition from other manufacturers of generic and proprietary pharmaceuticals, intellectual property litigation, the efficacy and safety of Bentley's products, the unpredictability of patent protection, international operations, and other uncertainties detailed under "Risk Factors" in Bentley's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and its other subsequent periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Bentley cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this release. These statements speak only as of the date of this document, and Bentley undertakes no obligation to update or revise the statements, except as may be required by law.