EXHIBIT 99.2

Ventiv Health, Inc. Completes Sale of United Kingdom-Based CSO Business To
United Drug Plc

SOMERSET, N.J., Oct 17, 2002 Ventiv Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: VTIV) today announced
that it has completed the divestiture of its United Kingdom-based Contract Sales
Organization (CSO) business to Ireland-based United Drug plc (ISE: UDG.I; LSE:
UDG.L). Total consideration for the purchase was $7.5 million (Stg 4.8 million
pounds sterling), which was satisfied in cash and paid in full on completion of
the transaction.

Mr. Eran Broshy, CEO of Ventiv, stated, "We are pleased to have completed the
sale of our U.K.-based CSO business. As communicated in our most recent
quarterly press release, we adopted a plan to explore the divestiture of our
European CSO businesses, in order to focus our resources on our U.S.-based
contract sales and analytics businesses, which we believe offer greater
potential for growth. The successful completion of the sale of our U.K. business
demonstrates the substantial progress we have made in executing this strategy."

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking
statements involve known and unknown risks that may cause Ventiv Health's
performance to differ materially. Such risks include, without limitation:
changes in trends in the pharmaceutical industry or in pharmaceutical
outsourcing; our ability to compete successfully with other services in the
market; our ability to maintain large client contracts or to enter into new
contracts; uncertainties related to future incentive payments; and, our ability
to operate successfully in new lines of business. Readers of this press release
are referred to documents filed from time to time by Ventiv Health Inc. with the
Securities and Exchange Commission for further discussion of these and other
factors.

SOURCE Ventiv Health, Inc.

CONTACT:
Investors - Corporate, John Emery, CFO of Ventiv Health, Inc.,
1-732-537-4800,
or investor@ventiv.com