etrials Worldwide, Inc. Retains Emerging Growth Equities, Ltd., As its Exclusive Financial Advisor

Business Wire, Oct 6, 2008

MORRISVILLE, N.C. -- etrials Worldwide, Inc. (Nasdaq: ETWC), a leading provider of adaptive eClinical software and services that optimize clinical trial management, announced today that it's Board of Directors has retained Emerging Growth Equities, Ltd. (EGE) as its exclusive financial advisor to assist in evaluating strategic or other alternatives with a focus on acquisitions that may be available to the Company.

"With a strong balance sheet and a comprehensive product offering of integrated eClinical solutions, we feel strongly that the time is right to engage EGE to assist the company in enhancing shareholder value and advancing the company's overall growth strategy," said Robert Brill, etrials' Chairman. "EGE's expertise and experience in the healthcare IT sector positions the firm to evaluate, advise and guide us through opportunities that are intended to result in greater value to our customers and our shareholders."

About etrials(R)

etrials Worldwide, Inc. (Nasdaq: ETWC) a leading provider of eClinical software and services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and contract research organizations offers adaptive, Web-based tools that work together to coordinate data capture, logistics, patient interaction and trial management - turning data into intelligence and shortening the pathway to an actionable study endpoint. etrials is one of the only top-tier solution providers that offers electronic data capture (EDC), interactive voice and Web response (IVR/IWR), electronic patient diaries (eDiary) as part of a flexible and integrated software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform or as individual solutions to capture high quality data from multiple pivot points to enable real-time access for perfectly informed decision-making. As an experienced leader, etrials has facilitated over 900 trials involving more than 400,000 patients in 60 countries; and has participated in 33 studies used for new drug applications. To learn more, visit us at www.etrials.com. etwcf

About Emerging Growth Equities, Ltd.

Founded in 1999, Emerging Growth Equities, Ltd., is a full service investment banking and brokerage firm focused on advising and raising capital for emerging technology companies addressing high-growth industry sectors. The company provides a range of services including public and private equity offerings, research, sales and trading, strategic and financial advisory services and wealth management, among others.

Forward-Looking Statements

No timetable has been set for the completion of this exploration of strategic alternatives. In addition, no assurance can be given by the company that this process will result in any specific proposal, agreement or transaction, or any other action by the company, being entered into or consummated as a result of this review, or that, if completed, any agreements or transactions will be successful or on attractive terms.

This announcement contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding future performance targets by the Company, all of which involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those discussed. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, delays in the current schedule for clinical trials by existing clients, utilization of our software and services by clients to a lesser degree than is currently expected and terminations of existing projects, all of which are possible because our client agreements do not generally have minimum volume guarantees and can be terminated without penalty by clients, and failure to secure new project bookings at the rate management currently targets. More information about potential factors which could cause actual results to differ from the forward looking statements included in this announcement is included in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the Risk Factors section of the Form 10-KSB filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 10, 2008. All forward-looking statements are based on information available to us on the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update such statements.

etrials[R] is the registered trademark in the United States of etrials Worldwide, Inc. Other marks belong to their respective owners and are used with permission.