Nutrition 21 Receives Commitment from WellMed to Purchase Diachrome® for Patients with Diabetes

Diachrome incorporated into clinical guidelines for type 2 diabetes patients

PURCHASE, NY, and SAN ANTONIO, TX, April 18, 2006 – Nutrition 21, Inc. (NXXI: NASDAQ) and WellMed Medical Management, Inc. today announced an agreement for a five-year program that will provide Diachrome® to people with type 2 diabetes who participate in WellMed’s diabetes disease management program in San Antonio, Texas. 
     WellMed is a physician-owned practice management company which owns ten clinics and provides management services to 18 additional clinics in the San Antonio area.  WellMed will purchase Diachrome directly from Nutrition 21 and provide the product to their participants as a daily nutritional support regimen designed specifically for people with diabetes. 
     “The WellMed commitment results from our strategy of working directly with healthcare provider groups and disease management organizations to incorporate Diachrome into their treatment protocols,” said Paul Intlekofer, COO of Nutrition 21.
     “WellMed appreciated Diachrome’s unique value proposition in addressing a healthcare crisis in the United States.  Having participated as a study center in our recently completed 447 subject study conducted with XLHealth, a disease management firm, WellMed’s first hand experience with Diachrome led them to make a decision to not only recommend the product, but to buy it directly and provide it to their patients.”
     “Their commitment further heightens awareness of the safety and efficacy of Diachrome as an adjunct therapy for people with diabetes as we begin with our plan to roll-out Diachrome nationally in major drug chains and also continue to work with other managed care organizations,” added Intlekofer.
     Diachrome is a non-prescription, nutrient-based insulin sensitizer for adults who have type 2 diabetes that has shown a positive dual effect on blood sugar as well as lipid metabolism in clinical studies and practice.  It is a patented composition with United States and international patent protection through 2017. 
     “We are excited about the opportunity to include Diachrome in our treatment regimen for people with diabetes,” said George M. Rapier, III, M.D, CEO for WellMed. “We have seen compelling clinical evidence on Diachrome’s safety and efficacy.  Including this affordable complementary therapy into our current program will offer our diabetes participants another means of controlling their diabetes while substantially lessening the economic burden of the disease.”
     As part of the agreement, WellMed has included Diachrome in its clinical guidelines for providing care to patients with diabetes.  Diachrome will be delivered initially to 1,500 WellMed patients participating in the WellMed diabetes disease management program.  This number is expected to grow as more patients with diabetes are identified and moved into the disease management program and as WellMed’s service locations expand.  Diachrome is currently available at CVS/pharmacy in the Home Diagnostic/Diabetes Care section.
     According to the American Diabetes Association, there are 18.2 million people in the United States, or 6.3 percent of the population, who have diabetes.  The economic impact of diabetes was estimated at $132 billion in 2002, including direct medical expenditures and the costs of lost productivity.  From 1997 to 2002, the per capita annual cost of diabetes rose 30 percent. 

About Nutrition 21
Nutrition 21 is a nutritional bioscience company and the maker of chromium-based supplements with health benefits substantiated by clinical research.  The Company markets Chromax® chromium picolinate, http://www.chromax.com/, which is the most-studied form of the essential mineral chromium.  Nutrition 21 also developed Diachrome®, http://www.diachrome.com.  Nutrition 21 holds 36 patents for nutrition products and uses, 27 of which are for chromium compounds and their uses.  More information is available at http://www.nutrition21.com.

About WellMed Medical Management
Established in San Antonio in 1990, WellMed is a physician-owned practice management company managing the operations of medical groups specializing in senior health care services.  WellMed owns 10 clinics and provides management services to 18 additional clinics in the San Antonio area. In addition to a focus on senior and disabled patients, WellMed also contracts to provide primary care services to 6,000 San Antonio area veterans. WellMed has been recognized for its early adoption of Electronic Medical Records in its delivery of healthcare to 60,000-plus patients in the San Antonio area.  www.wellmedmedicalgroup.com

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This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements.  The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate” and other similar expressions generally identify forward-looking statements.  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.  These forward-looking statements are based largely on the Company's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including without limitation: the effect of the expiration of patents; regulatory issues; uncertainty in the outcomes of clinical trials; changes in external market factors; changes in the Company's business or growth strategy or an inability to execute its strategy due to changes in its industry or the economy generally; the emergence of new or growing competitors; various other competitive factors; and other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2005 and subsequent reports on From 10-Q.  Actual results could differ materially from the results referred to in the forward-looking statements.  In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the results referred to in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release will in fact occur.  Additionally, the Company makes no commitment to disclose any revisions to forward-looking statements, or any facts, events or circumstances after the date hereof that may bear upon forward-looking statements.
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