Health Benchmarks(R) Presented at the European Society for Organ Transplantation Congress in Geneva, Switzerland; Research Findings from Two Transplant Studies Presented at the 12th ESOT Congress.

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. -- Health Benchmarks(R) Inc. (HBI) presented the findings from two transplant studies conducted in collaboration with Novartis Pharma AG at the 12th ESOT (European Society for Organ Transplantation) Congress in Geneva, Switzerland, in October 2005. Both studies were based on information from a unique database that linked commercial claims from more than thirty million members with national transplant registry data. One of the studies, "Use of Gastrointestinal Medications Following Renal Transplantation", examined the relationships between immunosuppressive agents and the use of gastrointestinal medications following renal transplantation, and quantified the increase in pharmacy costs incurred by commercial health plans that were associated with gastrointestinal medication use. The other study, Graft Loss and Costs Following Gastrointestinal Complications and Mycophenolate Mofetil Discontinuation in Renal Transplant Patients", assessed the combined impact of discontinuing use of mycophenolate mofetil and gastrointestinal complications on three year graft loss in renal transplant recipients.

Health Benchmarks(R) Inc. (HBI) is an applied health services research company that specializes in transforming healthcare data into meaningful, actionable information for managed care organizations, pharmaceutical companies, large employers, and other health services organizations. Utilizing the company's analytical assets, HBI conducts complex health outcomes research and analysis to facilitate evidenced based decision-making in an increasingly competitive marketplace. HBI is an industry leader in the development of physician and hospital pay-for-performance programs, and delivers real world business solutions that drive and sustain high quality and value in the healthcare industry. Please visit www.healthbenchmarks.com or call 1-800-465-6575 for more information.