ERES East Resources Acquisition Company

eResearchTechnology Signs $6 Million Franchise Agreement for Cardiac Safety Monitoring and Distribution Services Agreement Delivers Capacity and Compliance for Multi-National Drug Developer, Mitigating Risks Associated with Industry Capacity Constraints PHILADELPHIA, June 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- eResearchTechnology, Inc. (eRT), (NASDAQ:ERES), a leading provider of centralized electrocardiographic (ECG) collection and interpretation services, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with a total value of about $6 million over two years with a multi-national drug developer to provide comprehensive cardiac safety and related services for compounds in all phases of clinical development. eRT will leverage its Digital ECG Franchise program to deliver core laboratory services associated with this agreement. The Digital ECG Franchise program offers a unique approach designed to address the growing capacity demands for eRT's ECG services through partnerships with sponsors that desire dedicated resources within eRT to address specific levels of cardiac safety monitoring transactions. "eRT's latest Franchise agreement is built on the foundation of a strong partnership in the clinical pharmacology area with this significant multi- national pharmaceutical organization and extends collaboration across all phases of clinical development," said Scott Grisanti, senior vice president of business development and chief marketing officer at eRT. "This Franchise demonstrates continued momentum in demand for cardiac safety services for new drug developers that have elected to secure dedicated resources to mitigate risks associated with potential industry capacity constraints. The agreement includes built-in provisions to flexibly expand capacity beyond the $6 million commitment level as required by the sponsor's clinical development programs. Also, the agreement further validates eRT's unique Franchise strategy, which provides sponsors with dedicated resources that ensure capacity, quality, and cost effectiveness." eRT will perform digital collection, measurement, interpretation, review, and distribution of cardiac safety data through its EXPeRT(R) workflow enabled data handling technology, the first solution in production that was designed explicitly to meet emerging international regulatory guidance and technical standards. In addition to a significant number of ECG transactions and built-in expansion capabilities, the Franchise program includes a variety of related services: -- Allocation of standing 12-lead ECG units and continuous 12-lead ECG recording devices directly to the sponsor's selected sites for each trial. -- Project Assurance services to address key operational requirements such as project management, site support, and a 24x7 Global Customer Care Call Center. -- Access to eRT's Digital ECG Community, which delivers timely cardiac safety data feedback at the trial, center, and patient level, along with related metrics, such as trial enrollment, as well as the ability to organize and publish a variety of study-specific information and the ability to link data points in a report direct to digital ECG waveforms. -- Powerful eReporting capabilities designed to provide information critical to collaboration between sponsors, research sites, and eRT to attain mastery in the digital age. eReporting can be delivered automatically via fax or via eRT's eReporting Bulletin Board - a sponsor, program, and trial specific secure Web site. Based in Philadelphia, PA, eResearchTechnology, Inc. (http://www.ert.com/) is a provider of technology and services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries on a global basis. The company is a market leader in providing centralized core-diagnostic electrocardiographic (ECG) technology and services to evaluate cardiac safety in clinical development. The company is also a leader in providing technology and services to streamline the clinical trials process by enabling its customers to automate the collection, analysis, and distribution of clinical data in all phases of clinical development. Statements included in this release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties such as competitive factors, technological development, market demand, and the company's ability to obtain new contracts and accurately estimate net revenues due to variability in size, scope and duration of projects, and internal issues in the sponsoring client. The sponsor may cancel this agreement at its discretion. As a result, actual results may differ materially from any financial outlooks stated herein. Further information on potential factors that could affect the company's financial results can be found in the company's Reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. DATASOURCE: eResearchTechnology, Inc. CONTACT: Joan Sterlacci, eResearchTechnology, Inc., +1-908-203-6473; or Matt Hayden, Hayden Communications, +1-858-456-4533, for eResearchTechnology Web site: http://www.ert.com/

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