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Dialog Adds Comprehensive Data on Adverse Drug Events

CARY, N.C., USA (January 29, 2004) — Dialog, a Thomson (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC) business and a leading worldwide provider of online-based information services and integrated information solutions, said today that it has added comprehensive data on adverse drug events to the extensive collection of pharmaceutical industry news and research available through the Dialog®-branded family of online services.

Dialog is the only online information services provider to offer the adverse drugs events data in a single searchable database format.

Researchers, regulatory compliance and quality control professionals, product development specialists and others in the pharmaceutical industry worldwide, as well as doctors, regulators and legal practitioners focused on drugs, healthcare and related topics, use Dialog and its sister service Dialog DataStar™ to conduct in-depth research, track industry news and monitor competitors. The services offer electronic access to a vast and continuously updated repository of pharmaceutical content.

"The great advantages of Dialog and Dialog DataStar are the breadth of the information offered under one umbrella and our ability to package the information in the most usable formats," said Viji Krishnan, Dialog vice president, publisher management. "With so much at stake in the pharmaceutical industry — from public safety to the best use of research and development capital — offering the world's best collection of pharmaceutical information is a top priority for us."

Added Krishnan: "The addition of the adverse drug events data underscores our commitment to ongoing enhancements to our pharmaceutical content collection."

The new adverse drug reactions content, known as DIOGENES®: Adverse Drug Events Database (File 181), is produced and supplied to Dialog by the Gaithersburg, Maryland-based FOI Services, Inc., which also provides both Dialog and Dialog DataStar with DIOGENES®: FDA Regulatory Updates database (Dialog File 158/DataStar DIOG).

The Adverse Drugs Events Database contains records about patient experiences with commercially available drugs or combinations of drugs as reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Drug manufacturers, individuals, health professionals and distributors generate the reports to the FDA. Each report includes such data as FDA numbers and receipt date, manufacturer's report number, drug name, reaction date, patient age and sex, reported reactions, outcomes and concomitant drugs used.

The new Dialog database contains records starting in 1969, when the FDA began requiring reporting of adverse drug reactions. In 1997, the FDA changed its reporting regulations to require submission of more comprehensive information, which allows the records available through Dialog from 1997 onward to be more comprehensive.

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About Dialog and The Thomson Corporation
Dialog, a pioneer in developing the technology behind electronic information retrieval, is the world leader in providing online-based information services to organizations seeking competitive advantages in such fields as business, science, engineering, finance and law.

Today, the online services provided by Dialog — offered through the Dialog®, Dialog Profound®, Dialog DataStar™, NewsEdge and Intelligence Data brands — give users the ability to precisely retrieve data from more than 1.4 billion unique records, accessible via the Internet or through delivery to enterprise intranets. Searchable content includes articles and reports from thousands of real-time news feeds, newspapers, broadcast transcripts and trade publications, plus research reports and analyst notes providing support for financial decision-making, as well as in-depth repositories of scientific and technical data, patents, trademarks and other intellectual property data. Information professionals and end-users at business, professional and government organizations in more than 100 countries prize Dialog services for their depth and breadth of content, precision searching and speed.

Based in Cary, N.C., USA, Dialog has operations in 31 other countries. Dialog (www.dialog.com) is a business of The Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC). With 2002 revenues from continuing operations of US$7.5 billion, Thomson (www.thomson.com) is a global leader in providing integrated information solutions to business and professional customers.

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All designated trademarks used herein are the property of The Dialog Corporation or its subsidiaries. Registered marks are registered by The Dialog Corporation or its subsidiaries with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All other marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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