Bridge Announces the CRO Industry's First China-US Visiting Scholar Program for Its Employees.

* Bridge has the CRO industry's leading preclinical CRO training program

* Bridge announces the first CRO Specific China-US Visiting Scholar Program

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- Bridge Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a global leader in preclinical drug testing with facilities in the US and China, today announced initiation of a Visiting Scholar Program for its employees. This program will provide full support for qualified US employees to relocate and cross train in Bridge's laboratories in Beijing, China or alternatively, for its qualified China employees to cross train in its laboratories in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

"People, process and passion--we believe people make the company, and we believe cross technical, regulatory, scientific and cultural training in China and the US will greatly facilitate our global integration," said Glenn Rice, Ph.D., CEO and President of Bridge. "We encourage it, we nurture it, we believe in it--globalization is the future and we are not just talking it, we are living and evolving it--Bridge intends to lead this industry, and quite simply, our employees drive Bridge."

Training of its technical staff is a top priority at Bridge. The Company is committed to assuring that every employee has all of the skills needed to deliver high quality results with preparation that goes well beyond just the basic requirements outlined in industry regulations. All laboratory employees spend their first 3-10 weeks in training to become certified in needed technical skills. In addition, Bridge is providing its employees many other industry leading benefits, including RQAP certification in the Quality Assurance arena, support for scientists seeking DABT, DACVP, and DACLAM board certification, support for Project Management Certificates for our Study Managers, English lessons in China and Mandarin lessons in Maryland; China Animal Veterinarian Care Certification; AALAS and other training certifications in the US and China, and support for continuing education. Bridge is also the first proctor site for AALAS certification in China. Bridge also has in place internal instruction on unique aspects of US FDA GLP versus China SFDA GLP regulations and practices, as well as the preclinical requirement prior to the start of clinical trial in China versus in the US, as well as training and education in the best business practices in the two different countries.

"Our employees are aggressively pioneering the globalization of drug development and they are embracing it, developing it, evolving it, and in the process, transforming this industry," said Rice. "From safety testing, bioanalytical testing, procurement, project management, regulatory affairs--they are becoming industry leading globalization experts. This program is intended to develop these skills even further. The Bridge Visiting Scholar Program and other associated in house training programs provide a unique advantage to our employees, and ultimately, a huge advantage to our clients."

About Bridge Pharmaceuticals

Bridge Pharmaceuticals is the first and only non clinical contract organization company to develop drugs to US level standards in Asia. Bridge is US-headquartered (S. San Francisco, CA) with laboratories in Beijing, PRC and Gaithersburg, MD and is focused on providing cost effective, FDA compliant drug development services in Asia for US, EU and Asian- based clients. Bridge is a spin off of SRI International (Menlo Park, CA). Bridge's current capabilities encompass nearly all aspects of non clinical pharmaceutical and biotech drug development, including pharmacokinetics and ADME, safety pharmacology and GLP compliant toxicology. Bridge also provides regulatory and technical services for full IND compilation and submission, and is the first contract development company to receive US FDA approval for US Investigational New Drug Applications (IND's), based entirely on Asian preclinical data packages. In the past two years, Bridge has raised over $39M in venture capital from leading US, Taiwan and Singapore investment banking and venture capital firms.