Health Professionals Inc. announces major research agreements.

FORT LAUDERDALE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 29, 1997--Health Professionals Inc. (ASE:HPI) Wednesday announced that its principal subsidiary, Center for Special Immunology Inc. (CSI) has signed research agreements with two major pharmaceutical companies to participate in four multi-site clinical trials.

CSI Clinical Trials Inc. will be the operating unit responsible for conducting this pharmaceutical research within the CSI network. These trials mark the first time that in addition to its core company-owned sites, CSI will be including affiliated physician sites in a major research effort.

Two Phase II multi-site trials will seek to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a new anti-viral drug in reducing the severity and duration of herpes genitalis and herpes labialis in a non-HIV infected population. Ten CSI sites will participate in these trials and will seek to enroll at least 2000 individuals. With full enrollment, these studies will generate in excess of $4.4 million in research revenue.

Two Phase II multi-site HIV drug trials will investigate the safety of a new anti-retroviral drug in combination with AZT, 3TC and Indinavir. Six CSI sites will participate in these trials and may enroll at least 20 participants in each study. With full accrual, these studies are expected to generate in excess of $650,000 in research revenue.

Although historically the company has usually achieved full enrollment into its clinical trials, it can give no assurances that full enrollment into these trials will be achieved.

All four trials will be initiated during the company's current quarter, with a 9 - 12 month expected trial duration. The company anticipates that most of the resulting revenue will be earned during the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 1997 and that incremental expenses associated with these trials will range between 30% - 40% of revenue.

"The company has made considerable investment during these past years in the development of its research department, laboratory, information technologies system and clinical network. It is this investment in infrastructure that has enabled the company to obtain these large-scale clinical research contracts," stated Dr. William M. Reiter, the company's chairman and CEO.

Health Professionals Inc. through its subsidiary, Center for Special Immunology, owns and operates an integrated health care delivery system that includes a multi-state network of primary care and clinical research facilities specializing in immune system disorders, primarily HIV and AIDS, and Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS). This network also conducts multi-center clinical research trials in cooperation with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

CONTACT: Health Professionals Inc.

Susanne Loarie, 954/766-2552