According to the docket posted, on September 7, 1999, the Court entered the certified copy of the Judgment issued in lieu of a formal mandate from the U.S. Court of Appeals. According to the Judgment, the District Court’s judgment to dismiss the Amended Complaint is affirmed.

As summarized by the Company’s FORM 10-Q for the twelve weeks ended May 1, 1999, Defendants moved to dismiss the Complaint on December 2, 1996 and plaintiffs subsequently filed an Amended Complaint dated March 21, 1997. On March 30, 1998, the Court granted the motions of all defendants to dismiss the Amended Complaint with prejudice. On April 20, 1998, the plaintiffs filed a Notice of Appeal with the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The appeal has been fully briefed and was argued on December 2, 1998.

On August 2, 1996, an action was commenced against the Company in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania entitled Klein et al. v. General Nutrition Companies, Inc. et al., Civil Action No. 96-1455. Plaintiffs assert that the Company is liable for violations of Sections 11 and 12(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 1-501(a) of the Pennsylvania Securities Act, arising out of allegedly false and misleading statements in the Prospectus and Registration Statement for a public offering of common stock of the Company which took place on February 7, 1996, and for violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and for negligent misrepresentation arising out of allegedly false and misleading public statements during the period from the public offering through May 28, 1996. Plaintiffs also allege that certain officers, directors and shareholders of the Company, as well as the underwriters for the public offering, are liable for other violations of the federal and state securities laws and for negligent misrepresentation.

The first filed class action complaint was filed on June 24, 1996, Lavalla v. Lee et al, C.A. No.15080, was against the Company and two directors and shareholders in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, Newcastle County, alleging violations of the federal securities laws arising out of the Prospectus and Registration Statement (the "Prospectus") for a public offering of common stock of the Company which took place on February 7, 1996 (the "Public Offering"). The action was dismissed without prejudice on December 29, 1997 pursuant to the parties' stipulation. The named plaintiff, Gaetan Lavalla, subsequently became a named plaintiff in Klein et al v. General Nutrition Companies, Inc. et al.