FOR:                       BENTLEY PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.            EXHIBIT 99.1


                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

         NORTH HAMPTON, NH, Dec. 23 - Bentley Pharmaceutical,  Inc. (AMEX: BNT),

a drug delivery company and international  manufacturer,  marketer,  distributor

and  developer of  pharmaceutical  products,  announced  today that its Board of

Directors has adopted a Stockholder Rights Plan. The Plan is designed to prevent

a  potential  acquirer  from  gaining  control  of the  company  without  fairly

compensating  all of the company's  stockholders and to protect the company from

unfair or coercive  takeover  attempts.  The Plan was not adopted in response to

any specific effort to acquire the company.


         James R.  Murphy,  Chairman and CEO of Bentley  Pharmaceuticals,  said,

"The Board of  Directors  adopted the Rights  Plan to ensure that the  company's

stockholders  receive fair treatment in the event the company becomes a takeover

target. The Board is neither encouraging nor discouraging  potential  acquirers,

but is acting to mitigate the  possibility of a takeover that does not recognize

the  full  value  of the  company.  The  Plan  is not  intended  to  prevent  an

acquisition  of  the  company  if  the  terms  are  favorable  and  fair  to all

stockholders.  Bentley has made significant  progress with respect to developing

its drug delivery  technology that it acquired earlier this year. The company is

in  discussions   with  potential   licensees  of  its  technologies  and  these

discussions  will be  advanced  in the  coming  year.  Management  and the Board

believe that the market has yet to recognize  the  potential of this  technology

and the significance of the company's accomplishments this year."


         The Board of Directors  approved the declaration of the dividend of one

right for each  outstanding  share of the  company's  common stock on the record

date  of  December  27,  1999.  Each of the  rights,  which  are  not  currently

exercisable,  entitles the holder to purchase one  one-



thousandth of a share of Series A Junior  Participating  Preferred  Stock at an

exercise price of $16.50.  Until  exercisable, the rights are represented by and

traded with the company's common stock and no separate certificates for the

rights will be issued.


         In general,  the rights will become  exercisable  only if any person or

group of affiliated persons beneficially acquire(s) 15% or more of the company's

common stock.  Under certain  circumstances,  each holder of a right (other than

the person or group who acquired 15% or more of the  company's  common stock) is

entitled to purchase a defined number of shares of the company's common stock at

50% of the market price for the common stock at the time that the right  becomes

exercisable. The rights may be redeemed by the company for $.001 per right prior

to the acquisition of ownership of 15% or more of the company's common stock and

the rights will expire on December  21,  2004.  The rights  distribution  is not

taxable to stockholders. As soon as practicable after the record date, a summary

of the Plan will be mailed to each stockholder of record on the record date. The

company's  Rights  Plan  is  similar  to  those  adopted  by many  other  public

companies, including pharmaceutical companies.



         Bentley  Pharmaceuticals,  Inc. is a drug delivery  company  focused on

improving the  absorption of a wide range of drugs through its new drug delivery

technologies which is intends to commercialize through licensing  collaborations

in the U.S. and other major markets.  Bentley manufacturers and markets products

in Europe and collaborates with others to distribute its products in Asia, North

Africa,   and   Central   America   for   the   treatment   of   cardiovascular,

gastrointestinal,  neurological and infectious  diseases.


Safe Harbor Statement
Safe Harbor  Statement  under the Private  Securities  Litigation  Reform Act of
1995: The  statements  which are not  historical  facts  contained in this press
release  are   forward-looking   statements   that  involve  certain  risks  and
uncertainties   including  but  not  limited  to  risks   associated   with  the
uncertainity of future financial results, additional financing requirement,  the
ability to find  effective  market  distribution  channels,  development  of new
products,  regulatory

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approval   processes,   the  impact  of   competitive   products   or   pricing,
unpredictability  of patent  protection,  technological  changes,  the effect of
economic  conditions and other  uncertainties  detailed in the Company's filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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