Bioprogress and the Boots Company Execute Stage Three of Their First Product Development Agreement.

Business Editors & Medical Writers

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 2, 2002

BioProgress Technology International, Inc. ("BioProgress" or the "Company") (OTC BB: BPRG) today announced that it has executed stage three of its first Product Development Agreement with The Boots Company plc following successful consumer acceptability trials of the newly developed products.

The Product Development Agreement was first executed in October 2000 and proceeded to stage two during November of last year. The aim of the Product Development Agreement is to develop a range of innovative new consumer products utilizing BioProgress' unique XGel(TM) Film System encapsulation technology. For commercial reasons the specific products and categories are confidential.

The Boots Company plc is comprised of seven separate businesses with an annual turnover of more than $7 billion. Boots plc is one the UK's leading retailers, 27 million people (59% of the UK population) shop at Boots' 1300 pharmacy drug stores every month. Boots Contract Manufacturing is Europe's largest healthcare, cosmetics and toiletry contract manufacturer with seven facilities producing over 500 million units a year of over 8000 different products. Boots Healthcare International develops and markets innovative products and differentiated consumer healthcare brands in the global self-medication market. BHI's brands are sold around the world in over 130 countries with international market leading brands including Nurofen, in the analgesic sector, Strepsils in the cough and cold sector and brands including E45, in the skincare sector. About three quarters of BHI's business is generated outside the UK and its brands have leading positions in France and Germany, a strong profile in Australasia, and recently became available in China and Latin America. In the USA Boots acquisition of the Clearasil Brand from Proctor & Gamble for $340 million has provided a basis for building its Consumer Healthcare Brands in the USA and Japanese markets.

"We are delighted that consumers have reacted favourably to these new product concepts made possible by our unique XGel(TM) technology and that Boots is now confident to proceed to the next and final stage of our commercial agreement," stated Barry J. Muncaster, Chairman and Chief Executive of BioProgress. "The Boots team are committed to innovation and their extensive range of proprietary products coupled with our unique delivery system offers a host of exciting new product developments, which will be subject to separate agreements."

"Our first product development project with Boots has produced some exciting innovative new products which have now successfully completed consumer acceptability trials. We have agreed terms with Boots for the global commercialisation of these products including provision for the design and supply of custom production machines, supply of the proprietary film materials for their manufacture plus a technology license fee. Work on stage three of our agreement has commenced immediately, triggering a substantial six figure payment by Boots," stated Graham Hind, Managing Director of BioProgress Technology Ltd."

About BioProgress:

Following five years of research and development, BioProgress is emerging from its developmental stage. The Company is dedicated to commercializing its intellectual property in the field of water-soluble and biodegradable films and processes for their inclusion in high volume mass-market products. The Company is primarily focused on commercializing its proprietary XGel(TM) Film Systems, which are the world's first range of animal-free encapsulation processes. Versions of the XGel(TM) system can encapsulate liquids, coat tablets and deliver powders. These patented processes eliminate the use of gelatin, which is a protein derived from animal renderings. Since the mid-1930's, gelatin has been widely used for encapsulating non-aqueous products such as vitamin oils (dietary supplements), and pharmaceuticals. Two-piece, two color capsules made from gelatin are extensively used to deliver powder doses of pharmaceutical drugs and gelatin is also used as a tablet coating material. The Company believes its XGel(TM) Film Systems are a revolutionary step in eliminating animal by-products from pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements and offer substantial cost benefits when compared to current drug and supplement delivery methods.

In addition to Boots, BioProgress has executed agreements with Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG), Nestle and J T Racing LLP, a wholly owned subsidiary of Brass Eagle, Inc., (Nasdaq: XTRM). The Company has announced the sale of XGel(TM) Film Systems to Peter Black Healthcare, who have also executed an option to purchase five NRobe(TM) powder fill versions of the XGel(TM) technology. Farmasierra S.A., based in Madrid, has ordered an NRobe(TM) system to develop products for the pharmaceutical prescription medicine sector. The Company continues to work with several major international pharmaceutical Companies to determine the suitability of the various versions of the XGel(TM) Film Systems to replace traditional dosage forms and, in some cases, to facilitate new product development not possible with competitive technologies.

BioProgress is a fully reporting company having its ordinary shares quoted on the NASD OTC Bulletin Board (symbol BPRG). The Company's web site can be viewed at www.bioprogress.com

Statements included in this press release which are not historical in nature, are intended to be, and are hereby identified as "forward-looking statements" for purposes of the safe harbor provided by Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by Public Law 104-67 and provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward- looking statements may be identified by words including "anticipate," "believe," "intends," "estimates," "expects," and similar expressions. The Company cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including without limitation those relating to the Company's future business prospects are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements.