HealthCentral Partners with Aventis for Health Shop Site
Strategic arrangement provides MyDocOnline users with pharmacy services and non-prescription products
Emeryville, Calif. - August 13, 2001 - HealthCentral (Nasdaq: HCEN), a leading provider of healthcare e-commerce and content, announced that it has signed a strategic agreement with Aventis Pharmaceuticals subsidiary MyDocOnline, Inc. Through its WebRx.com online health superstore, HealthCentral will provide MyDocOnline`s participating users with an Internet Health Shop Site for both prescription and non-prescription products, including personal care, medical supplies, vitamins, health and nutritional supplements, and beauty and spa products. MyDocOnline`s participating users will be able to fill new and existing prescriptions, access WebRx`s drug interaction checker, and take advantage of its comprehensive "ask the Pharmacist" service.
In addition to prescription services, WebRx offers more than 20,000 products including health and beauty aids, contact lenses, healthy home appliances, and a large selection of vitamins, minerals and supplements. HealthCentral recently announced an outsource fulfillment arrangement for prescription drugs, but the WebRx website and customer experience for purchasing prescriptions remains the same. The outsource fulfillment arrangement only pertains to prescriptions and results in substantial cost saving for HealthCentral.
Fred Toney, CEO and President of HealthCentral stated, "We are pleased to work with one of the world`s leading pharmaceutical companies in their MyDoc Online program to offer this exciting value-added service to their customers. We are pleased that the Aventis relationship has rapidly progressed toward launching this new service, which we expect to begin shortly."
"HealthCentral`s WebRx online health superstore enables our consumer customers to easily buy the products they are looking for," said Audrey Nudd, Vice President of Technology and Operations at MyDocOnline. "After significant due diligence, we chose HealthCentral because they possess the technology and platform needed to drive transactions on the Internet in the healthcare marketplace for consumers."
With the new HealthCentral agreement, MyDocOnline will promote the Health Shop Site, which will be hosted, operated and maintained by WebRx and product sales will be fulfilled through WebRx and its fulfillment partners.
About HealthCentral
HealthCentral (Nasdaq: HCEN) is a leading provider of healthcare e-commerce to consumers through WebRxSM, a network of sites representing the consolidation of Vitamins.com, HealthCentral.com, RxList.com and others. Its e-commerce site, WebRxSM (www.webrx.com), features more than 25,000 products. WebRxSM features one of the largest on-line selections of vitamins, a Vision Center and a Comfort Living department (www.comfortliving.com) with a broad range of products including maternity and baby care, ergonomic chairs, water purifiers and an extensive line of allergy control products. HealthCentral.com (www.healthcentral.com) provides health-related information and commentary by Dr. Dean Edell, MD and other experts. RxList.com (www.rxlist.com) provides both patient-focused and professional-focused prescription drug information monographs.
About MyDocOnline, Inc.
MyDocOnline, Inc., acquired by Aventis Pharmaceuticals in October, 2000, is an Internet-based communication tool that enables physician practices to improve overall efficiency and enhance physician-patient interaction. The service provides patients, physicians and their staff with online communication tools to conveniently schedule appointments, refill prescriptions, receive specialist referrals, view laboratory results, receive answers to medical and billing questions, determine insurance eligibility and obtain general and specific health information online. A flash demo is available at www.mydoconline.com.
HealthCentral Forward Looking Statements
Except for historical information, the statements in this news release are forward-looking statements, involving risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company`s ability to successfully implement its operational plan, including the outsourcing of its pharmacy, the possible de-listing of the Company`s stock from the Nasdaq National Market, the Company`s limited operating history and need to generate revenues, the Company`s need to raise additional cash, including proposed asset sales, possible liability related to product or content on or accessed through the Company`s Web sites, possible systems interruptions, the substantial competition in the e-health market, the need to build a brand name quickly, the effect of substantial and changing government regulation, a failure to integrate acquisitions or manage resources, and a failure to retain key employees. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in HealthCentral.com`s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2001, Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000 and other documents filed with the SEC.
For Information Contact:
Diane Jankiewicz
Investor Relations
HealthCentral
Phone: 510-250-2658
dianej@healthcentral.com
www.ir.healthcentral.com
Melanie Hilario
Public Relations
HealthCentral
Phone: 510-250-3806
melanie.hilario@healthcentral.com
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