WHI Capital Partners Invests in Pharmaceutical Services Firm Clinical Resource Network, LLC.

CRN helps solve two of the biggest clinical trial challenges: patient recruitment and retention

CHICAGO -- WHI Capital Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm focusing on the lower-middle market, announced today, that it has made an investment in Clinical Research Network (CRN), a leading provider of clinical trial services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies as well as contract research organizations (CRO).

Incorporated in 2003, CRN's services significantly accelerate the pace of clinical trials by leveraging its growing network of home healthcare agencies with its more efficient processes and industry expertise. The company's approach dramatically improves patient recruitment, compliance and retention and increases patient and investigator satisfaction.

The demand for CRN's services has been growing rapidly due to the results the company has achieved for its customers. These results have translated into a reduction in patient recruitment time and an increase in the patient retention rate, in some cases by over 50 percent and 95 percent, respectively. The company utilizes a rigorous qualification process in bringing home healthcare agencies into its network. Currently, CRN has qualified more than 2,000 home healthcare agencies across the United States and Canada to become part of its network and will perform more than 50 trials in 2007.

CRN's services include training and managing home healthcare providers on conducting selected clinical trial visits. Visits include administration of study product, blood draws and safety assessments in the patient's home or alternate site such as their workplace or travel destination. The healthcare professionals provide required documentation to ensure compliance with the protocol and FDA regulations. CRN's efforts have created substantial value by saving development time and expense versus the traditional model of conducting investigator site visits.

"By bringing clinical trials into patients' homes through the use of qualified and trained home healthcare providers, we have helped solve two of the biggest challenges in the clinical trial process: patient recruitment and retention," said Gail Adinamis, founder and CEO of Clinical Resource Network. "Our goal is to help speed the development of healthcare solutions by providing timely, reliable and high value services to improve the quality of life for our stakeholders - including the patients, investigators, study sponsors and ultimately consumers."

"CRN is directly addressing some of the most significant problem areas experienced by biopharmaceutical companies and their CROs," says Adam Schecter, Managing Partner of WHI Capital Partners. "The results that CRN consistently achieves for its customers provide for a clear and extremely compelling value proposition and return on investment."

About Clinical Resource Network, LLC 

Clinical Resource Network (www.clinicalresource.net) is a provider to biotechnology, pharmaceutical and other healthcare companies of specialized in-home and alternate site clinical services utilized primarily to expedite clinical trial studies in most therapeutic areas and age groups. CRN partners with biopharmaceutical companies and their contract research organizations to help them enhance patient recruitment, data collection and patient retention with the clinical trial process.

About WHI Capital Partners

WHI Capital Partners (www.whicapital.com) is a Chicago-based private equity firm that invests in leading niche manufacturing, value-added distribution and specialty service companies with revenues between $10 - 100 million. WHICP focuses on creating a true partnership with a company's management team with the goal of enhancing operational efficiency along with developing and executing a clearly defined growth plan to build value. Backed by the financial strength and resources of its parent firm, William Harris Investors, Inc., WHI Capital Partners provides a unique solution to help a company capitalize on its long-term opportunities.