PHILADELPHIA, PA USA-LONDON, UK - April 15, 2004 - Today The Thomson Corporation (NYSE:TOC: TSX: TOC) announced that it has acquired Newport Strategies, Inc., a leading provider of competitive intelligence for the pharmaceutical industry. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The van Tulleken Company represented Newport Strategies, Inc.

Newport content complements the extensive competitive intelligence information for global pharmaceutical companies currently offered by Thomson. "Using Newport products in conjunction with our existing industry-leading portfolio of information solutions will allow drug makers to make more effective strategic decisions throughout the product life cycle," said Bob Cullen, President & CEO of Thomson Scientific & Healthcare.

Newport offers comprehensive databases and consulting solutions to help drug manufacturers maximize profits in an era of rapidly increasing generic competition. The world's top generic pharmaceutical companies rely on Newport's Horizon Global intelligence system to find business development and licensing opportunities, target products for internal development, and identify strategic suppliers of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Leading pharmaceutical innovators turn to Newport's Vision CI for analysis of impending generic competition, patent challenges and active pharmaceutical ingredient sourcing systems. Current Newport CEO and Founder, Jean Hoffman, expressed similar enthusiasm saying, "we have great confidence that Newport's capabilities and intelligence combined with the Thomson global reach and leadership in the pharmaceutical industry will bring great benefit to our customers."

Newport Strategies will become part of the scientific business within the Thomson Scientific and Healthcare market group.

About Newport Strategies: Newport develops and markets cutting-edge systems that deliver the earliest and most reliable source of global intelligence on competition for launched pharmaceutical products. Innovator, generic and specialty pharmaceutical companies worldwide use Newport's systems and expert confidential consulting to predict competition, optimize product lifecycles, target and develop new business opportunities and source more effectively. Newport is the pioneer in interpreting how active pharmaceutical ingredient development predicts and impacts competition in global markets. The Company validates and analyzes intelligence on every launched product gathered through its worldwide industry network.

About The Thomson Corporation: The Thomson Corporation (www.thomson.com), with 2003 revenues of $7.6 billion, is a global leader in providing integrated information solutions to business and professional customers. Thomson provides value-added information, software tools and applications to more than 20 million users in the fields of scientific research and healthcare, law, tax, accounting, financial services, higher education, reference information, and corporate training and assessment. With operational headquarters in Stamford, CT, Thomson has approximately 39,000 employees and provides services in approximately 130 countries. The Corporation's common shares are listed on the New York and Toronto exchanges (NYSE:TOC; TSX: TOC).

About The van Tulleken Company: The van Tulleken Company is a leading international advisor to corporate clients, media executives and entrepreneurs on mergers and acquisitions in the publishing and information industries. With offices in New York and London, its clients include large international publishing and media companies as well as small and medium-sized private firms in the United States, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe.