Largest Addiction Outpatient Treatment Provider in Massachusetts Becomes First in the State to Offer Hythiam's PROMETA(R) Protocols.

Preventive Medicine Associates to Initially Offer PROMETA

in 4 of 17 Locations That Treat Substance Dependency

LOS ANGELES -- Hythiam, Inc. (NASDAQ:HYTM), a healthcare services management company that licenses the PROMETA([R])treatment protocols designed to treat alcohol, methamphetamine and cocaine dependence, announced today that the PROMETA protocols have been licensed for use initially at up to four locations of the largest outpatient substance dependence providers in Massachusetts, Preventive Medicine Associates (PMA). PMA operates 17 facilities in Massachusetts that all treat addictive disorders.

Each year, PMA treats 12,000 unique patients for substance dependencies among its network of addiction medicine providers with 36,000 patient visits per year.

"We are excited to offer the PROMETA protocols as we have been paying close attention to several leading practitioners in the addiction field who are reporting positive initial outcomes with the protocols," said Dr. Punyamurtula Kishore, President and Founder of PMA. "We hope that PROMETA may provide our patients with a better foundation as they begin to recover from the myriad biological and psychosocial effects resulting from their dependencies."

Dr. Kishore continued, "We will first integrate the PROMETA protocols into the offerings of our sites that see high volumes of patients seeking treatment; we will then ultimately consider offering PROMETA throughout our system so availability of the protocols is geographically convenient for any of our new and existing patients."

Dr. Kishore has been a member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) since 1987. He is also a public health scientist, receiving his MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health. In addition to PMA, Dr. Kishore operates 3 sober living residences and is the medical director of 8 others in the state of Massachusetts. He is also the founder of the National Library of Addictions, creating the library when he noticed the lack of a central repository for all of the latest news in addiction treatment. The National Library of Addictions is an intellectual gathering place for health care professionals and community members who are working to overcome the effects of addictions.

The Library serves as an educational institute and research facility for addiction professionals to exchange ideas and to further the development of treatment methodologies.

"We expect to see continued growth in Hythiam's private pay business segment with the addition of licensees like Dr. Kishore's Preventive Medicine Associates, reflecting the increased interest from larger providers of addiction treatment services," said Terren Peizer, Hythiam's Chairman and CEO. "It is gratifying to partner with a well-respected addiction medicine practice that provides the highest level of care for their substance dependent patients and with Dr. Kishore who promotes, through his personal efforts, the latest advances in treating substance dependence."

Continued Peizer, "PMA is among the several top treatment providers in the key geographic northeast region that Hythiam has specifically targeted as a part of our expansion strategy. We continue to enjoy momentum in our discussions with treatment facilities, third party providers, and individual doctors in this heavily populated region."

About Preventive Medicine Associates (PMA)

Preventive Medicine Associates (PMA) are the largest outpatient substance dependence providers in the state of Massachusetts. Operating 17 locations in the state, PMA offers the following services: alcohol and drug abuse treatment, detox services, drug therapies, drug testing, sober living residencies, psychological and psychiatric care, group therapies, and specialty clinics.

About PROMETA([R])

Hythiam's PROMETA([R])treatment protocols are designed for use by healthcare providers seeking to treat individuals diagnosed with dependencies to alcohol, cocaine or methamphetamine, as well as combinations of these drugs. The PROMETA treatment protocols comprise nutritional supplements, FDA-approved oral and IV medications used off-label and separately administered in a unique dosing algorithm, as well as psychosocial or other recovery-oriented therapy chosen by the patient and his or her treatment provider. As a result, PROMETA represents an innovative approach to managing alcohol, cocaine, or methamphetamine dependence that is designed to address physiological, nutritional, and psychosocial aspects of the disease, and is thereby intended to offer patients an opportunity to achieve sustained recovery. To learn more, please visit www.prometainfo.com.

About Hythiam, Inc.

Hythiam([R]) is a healthcare services management company focused on delivering solutions for those suffering from alcoholism and other substance dependencies. Hythiam researches, develops, licenses and commercializes innovative physiological, nutritional, and behavioral treatment protocols that seek to address substance dependence. Additionally, Hythiam provides proprietary administrative services to assist physicians and facilities with staff education, training, marketing and outreach support, and outcomes tracking for data analysis. For further information, please click on www.hythiam.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for statements of historical fact, the matters discussed in this press release are forward looking and made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect numerous assumptions and involve a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that may cause actual results to differ materially from stated expectations. These risk factors include, among others, limited operating history and lack of statistically significant formal research studies, the risk that treatment protocols might not be effective, difficulty in developing, exploiting and protecting proprietary technologies, intense competition and substantial regulation in the healthcare industry; and additional risks factors as discussed in the reports filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available on its website at http://www.sec.gov.