Duke University Researchers to Further Study the Use of Nutrition 21'S Chromax in the Treatment of Depression.

Business Editors

PURCHASE, N.Y.--(BW HealthWire)--Sept. 25, 2001

Nutrition 21, Inc. (Nasdaq:NXXI) announced today that researchers at Duke University Medical Center have initiated a clinical study to confirm the benefits of Nutrition 21's Chromax(R) chromium picolinate for the treatment of depression. Chromium picolinate is the company's proprietary form of the essential trace mineral chromium.

The 24-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study will evaluate the effects of Chromax(R) chromium picolinate in the approximately 40% of depressed persons who experience a craving for food, weight gain, or excessive drowsiness or fatigue and who are less likely to respond to standard antidepressants. The study will also seek to substantiate the apparent benefits of chromium picolinate for depressed persons who also suffer from diabetes. Diabetes patients are twice as likely to be depressed than the general population.

James Komorowski, Nutrition 21's Director of Technical Services and Business Development, said: "This new use of chromium picolinate was originally discovered and patented by Dr. Malcolm McLeod, who is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. We acquired exclusive rights to Dr. McLeod's patents earlier this year after we reviewed his extensive data on depressed patients who had responded to chromium picolinate. We are financially supporting the Duke clinical trial to confirm the beneficial effects found by Dr. McLeod."

Nutrition 21's President and CEO Gail Montgomery, said, "There is a large market opportunity for chromium picolinate as an antidepressant. An estimated 18 million people in the United States have clinical depression. An estimated one out of eight people seek treatment for depression at some point in their lifetime. In a recent survey by the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association, over 75% of respondents said that they were dissatisfied with the efficacy and troubling side effects of standard antidepressant medications.

"The clinical study being conducted at Duke University on the anti-depressant benefit of Chromax chromium picolinate is representative of the high-quality research that has been performed at top academic institutions to substantiate the many health benefits of Nutrition 21 products. Nutrition 21 has sponsored or assisted with over 30 clinical studies using Chromax(R) chromium picolinate."

Nutrition 21 develops and markets clinically substantiated products that make a significant contribution to the health and well being of consumers.

The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate" and other similar expressions generally identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the company's current expectations and are subject to market, competitive and regulatory factors and the other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results can differ materially. The company makes no commitment to disclose any revisions to forward-looking statements.