Diabetes Prevention Trial Enrolls First Patients; Study Seeks Additional Volunteers in California, Texas, Louisiana.

SAN DIEGO -- Pennington Management of Clinical Trials (PMCT) announced today that the first patients have been enrolled in a major diabetes-prevention research study. The study is sponsored by a major pharmaceutical company and is a phase III trial. Volunteers in California, Texas and Louisiana have signed up to be a part of the placebo-controlled, multi-center clinical study to determine the efficacy and safety of an investigational drug to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes in people who are at a high risk of developing the disease.

Health care professionals are concentrating on risk factors such as being 20 lbs or more overweight and having a family history of diabetes. Potential study participants will reach the tens of thousands throughout the entire qualification screening period, which ends in October. Trial participants, who are between the ages of 35 to 75, are tested for a condition known as pre-diabetes to see if they qualify. Approximately 2,100 people are expected to participate in the clinical research study.

"The recruitment phase of any clinical drug trial is vital to the success of the overall program," said Judy Sheard, Clinical Trials Manager, PMCT. "Enrollment for this trial, specifically, is essential due to the delicate nature of diabetes. Since diabetes is many times referred to as a silent killer, we hope to elevate awareness through this diabetes prevention research study."

Of the 20.8 million children and adults in the United States living with diabetes, 6.2 million of them are not aware they have the disease, according to the American Diabetes Association. Additionally, research has shown that the onset of type 2 diabetes can be averted when appropriate changes are made, such as exercise and proper nutrition.

"This research study offers volunteers an opportunity to be a part of something that can eventually help thousands of men and women who have pre-diabetes," Sheard said. "The findings from this trial have the potential to celebrate massive ramifications around the world by lowering the number of people who suffer from type 2 diabetes."

For more information on how to participate in PMCT's recruitment in the diabetes prevention research study, please call 1-866-986-detect or visit www.todetect.com.

About Pennington Management of Clinical Trials

PMCT L.L.C., established in 2002, is based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and San Diego, California. The company has developed methods for performing clinical studies more effectively, in particular accelerating the patient recruitment phase. PMCT is an affiliate of Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation and NMCT USA, Inc. NMCT USA is owned by NMCT AB in Sweden.

For more information about PMCT please contact Goran Gannedahl, tel [phone] or visit www.pmct-us.com.