NEWS RELEASE

For more information, contact:
Stephen P. Cotugno,
Vice President - Corporate Development
Professional Detailing, Inc.
(201) 258-8429

         PROFESSIONAL DETAILING, INC. ACQUIRES TVG, INC., ADDING MEDICAL
            COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING RESEARCH CAPABILITIES

Upper Saddle River, New Jersey (May 12, 1999). Professional Detailing, Inc.
(Nasdaq: PDII), a leading provider of comprehensive customized sales solutions
to the pharmaceutical industry, announced today that it has acquired TVG, Inc, a
high quality provider of communications programs, marketing research and
marketing consulting services to the pharmaceutical industry. TVG, based in Fort
Washington, PA, recorded gross revenue of $18.4 million in 1998.

The acquisition of TVG expands the scope of high quality services that PDI
provides to the pharmaceutical industry. TVG's client base includes 18 of the
top 20 pharmaceutical companies. Through its Marketing Research and Consulting
Division, TVG provides brand marketing strategy, product profiling, positioning,
and message development services. Projects run across the full range of product
lifecycles, with an emphasis on the critical pre-launch planning phase. Through
its Education/Communications Division, TVG provides a broad spectrum of
promotional and educational communications programs, including dinner meetings,
symposia, teleconferences and on-site hospital programs.

The transaction is expected to be accretive to PDI's 1999 earnings (prior to
non-recurring acquisition related charges). PDI issued approximately 1,257,000
shares of its common stock in exchange for all of the outstanding stock of TVG
in a transaction that will be accounted for as a pooling of interests. Based
upon PDI's closing price on May 11, 1999, the value of the transaction was
approximately $31 million.

"Since inception PDI has focused on providing high quality customized sales
solutions to our pharmaceutical clients. With the addition of TVG's products and
services PDI can now connect superior detailing, promotional programs, medical
education and marketing research for its clients" stated Chuck Saldarini,
President & CEO of PDI. "PDI's ability to drive results at the physician level -
the primary focus of our business - is greatly enhanced by combining TVG's
marketing research skills and high quality communication capabilities,"
Saldarini added.

"TVG looks forward to integrating our multifaceted communication services with
detailing programs to enhance message impact for our clients," stated Frank
Smith, President of TVG's Education/Communications Division. Marc Julius,
President of TVG's Marketing Research & Consulting Division added, "our ability
to help refine brand positioning and messages will accelerate our combined
ability to drive sales for our clients' brands. This is a unique opportunity to
offer vertically integrated solutions to PDI's and TVG's client needs."

Professional Detailing, Inc. is a leading provider of comprehensive customized
sales solutions to the pharmaceutical industry. The Company has designed and
managed customized product detailing programs for some of the world's largest
pharmaceutical companies. With the acquisition of TVG, the Company will now
provide three principal services:


            o     Customized contract sales services;
            o     Promotion and education services; and
            o     Marketing research and marketing consulting services.

PDI was advised by Hambrecht & Quist LLC in connection with this transaction.

In accordance with the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform act of 1995, the Company notes that statements in this release
which look forward in time involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual
results or achievements to materially differ from those indicated by the
forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include any
statements relating to the integration of the acquired business with the
Company's business, expansion of the Company's business as well as any other
statements that are not solely historical. The Company's plans and objectives
are based on assumptions involving judgments with respect to future economic,
competitive and market conditions and future business decisions, all of which
are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond
the control of the Company. Therefore, there can be no assurance that the
forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. The Company's documents
filed with the SEC, including its Annual Report on form 10-K identify important
factors that may cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from
those indicated by the forward-looking statements.