Bentley Pharmaceuticals to begin selling anti-constipation prescription drug, Belmalax, in Spain; This month, company will start marketing a more convenient, less expensive form of lactulose, a safe and effective laxative for treating constipation in the elderly, but whose use had been discouraged because of it's high cost and user-unfriendly packaging.

TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 1, 1996-- Bentley Pharmaceuticals Inc. (AMEX:"BNT") announced today that, this month, it will begin selling a prescription drug -- Belmalax (lactulose) -- in Spain for treatment of constipation in the elderly. According to International Marketing Survey (IMS), Belmalax will participate with other laxatives in the $49 million Spanish laxative market, of which at least 20 percent of the total market is represented by lactulose products. Bentley will be one of only three companies competing in this market segment. The product is reimbursable under the Spanish health care system.

"Our new strategy is to combine Bentley's drug-delivery know-how, low-cost manufacturing competence and marketing muscle to seize opportunities in niche markets where the giant drug companies cannot afford to compete cost-effectively," said James R. Murphy, president and chief executive officer of Bentley Pharmaceuticals.

"The launch of Belmalax is a perfect example of Bentley's evolution from an R&D-focused pharmaceutical company into a successful marketer and manufacturer of drugs in niche markets by improving the efficacy and/or delivery of existing products," said Murphy. "The prevalence of constipation increases markedly after 65 years of age, and treatment is especially difficult in elderly patients. While lactulose is safe and effective in the treatment of constipation in the elderly, its use has been discouraged because of its high cost, and the fact that our competitors sell the drug in a gallon-sized container without a handle, making it very difficult for elderly patients to use.

"Our marketing strategy involves the packaging of Belmalax into small containers with handles that are easy for elderly persons to hold. We believe that our 54-person sales force in Spain should be able to take market share away from our two competitors because Belmalax is easy to use and costs less than competing brands," Murphy concluded.

Lactulose also is used in the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy, a central nervous system impairment. The degradation of lactulose in the intestine acidifies the colon contents. Ammonia, which is a cause of encephalopathy, will migrate into the colon, be transformed into the ammonium ion and eliminated from the body.

The manufacturing facility (45,000 square feet) of Bentley's wholly owned subsidiary Laboratorios Belmac in Zaragoza, Spain, has been newly renovated to comply with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) of the European Union, of which Spain is a member. The GMP accreditation, in conjunction with excess manufacturing capacity, has permitted Laboratorios Belmac to increase its contract manufacturing activities for other pharmaceutical firms. Bentley's strategy is to manufacture drugs in Spain, where labor costs are relatively low and export markets are accessible.

Leveraging competetive advantages of relatively low-cost GMP-accredited manufacturing capability, novel drug-delivery technologies and an international sales-and-marketing presence, Tampa-based Bentley Pharmaceuticals Inc. (AMEX:BNT) is an emerging pharmaceutical company with a broad and expanding line of off-patent ("generic") drugs that prevent or treat illnesses in the following therapeutical categories -- cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, neurological, dermatological, analgesic and women's health care.

CONTACT: Bentley Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Michael D. Price, 813/286-4401

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Ronald Trahan Associates Inc.

Ron Trahan, 508/651-1180