SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                         -------------------------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 12, 1999

                          PROFESSIONAL DETAILING, INC.
              ----------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

          DELAWARE                     0-24249                 22-2919486
----------------------------    -----------------------   ---------------------
(State or other jurisdiction       (Commission File           (IRS Employer
      of incorporation)                Number)             Identification No.)

     10 Mountainview Road,
    Upper Saddle River, NJ                                        07458
--------------------------------                          ----------------------
     (Address of principal                                     (Zip Code)
       executive office)

                                 (201) 258-8450
                  ---------------------------------------------
               Registrant's telephone number, including area code:

                                       N/A
           -----------------------------------------------------------
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

<PAGE>

Item 2. Acquisition and Disposition of Assets.

      On May 12, 1999 (the "Effective Date"), Professional Detailing, Inc. (the
"Company") acquired all the outstanding capital stock of TVG, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (TVG"), pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger
Agreement"), dated as of May 12, 1999, by and among the Company, TVG, TVG
Acquisition Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, and the ten
stockholders of TVG (the "TVG Stockholders").

      Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the Company issued 1,256,882 shares of
the Company's common stock, $.01 par value per share (the "Common Stock"), in
exchange for all the outstanding capital stock of TVG. Based upon the closing
price of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq National Market on May 12, 1999, the
transaction is valued at approximately $32 million. The transaction will be
accounted for as a pooling of interests. The Company issued authorized, but
previously unissued, shares of Common Stock in the acquisition. The number of
shares of Common Stock issued in exchange for the shares held by the TVG
Stockholders was determined in an "arms-length" negotiation and the transaction
was unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of the Company and TVG.
Prior to the effective date, neither the Company nor any of its affiliates, nor
any officer or director of the Company or any associate of any such officer or
director, had any material relationship with TVG.

      In connection with the Merger Agreement the Company and the TVG
Stockholders entered into a Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of May 12,
1999, pursuant to which the Company has agreed to file a Registration Statement
on Form S-3, on or prior to the 270th day following the Effective Date, for the
purposes of registering under the Securities Act of 1933 the shares of Common
Stock issued to such stockholders pursuant to the Merger Agreement.

      In addition, the Company, the TVG Stockholders, the representative of such
TVG Stockholders and American Stock Transfer and Trust Company, as Escrow Agent,
entered into an Escrow Agreement, dated as of May 12, 1999, providing, among
other things, that 10% of the Common Stock received by the TVG Stockholders
pursuant to the Merger Agreement will be held in escrow to reimburse the Company
in connection with breaches of representations, warranties or covenants made by
the TVG Stockholders in the Merger Agreement.

      TVG, based in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, is a high-quality provider of
communications programs, marketing research and marketing consulting services to
the pharmaceutical industry.

      The foregoing descriptions of the Merger Agreement and the Registration
Rights Agreement do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their
entirety by reference to the full text of each such agreement which are filed as
Exhibits 2.1 and 10.1, respectively, to this Current Report on Form 8-K and
incorporated herein by reference.


                                       2
<PAGE>

Item 7. Financial Statements, Pro-Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.

      (a) Financial Statements of Business Acquired.

            Financial statements of business acquired are not required as per
Rule 3-05(b) of Regulation S-X.

      (b) Pro-forma Financial Information.

            Pro-forma financial information is not required as per Rule 11-01(c)
of Regulation S-X.

      (c) Exhibits.

            2.1 Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among the Registrant, TVG,
Inc., TVG Acquisition Corp., and the shareholders of TVG, Inc., dated May 12,
1999.

            10.1 Registration Rights Agreement by and among the Registrant and
the former shareholders of TVG, Inc., dated May 12, 1999.

            99 Press Release.

                                    SIGNATURE

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                          PROFESSIONAL DETAILING, INC.


                                          By: /s/ Charles T. Saldarini
                                              ---------------------------------
                                              Charles T. Saldarini
                                                 Chief Executive Officer

Date: May 25, 1999


                                       3
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                         -------------------------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 12, 1999

                          PROFESSIONAL DETAILING, INC.
              ----------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

          DELAWARE                     0-24249                 22-2919486
----------------------------    -----------------------   ---------------------
(State or other jurisdiction       (Commission File           (IRS Employer
      of incorporation)                Number)             Identification No.)

     10 Mountainview Road,
    Upper Saddle River, NJ                                        07458
--------------------------------                          ----------------------
     (Address of principal                                     (Zip Code)
       executive office)

                                 (201) 258-8450
                  ---------------------------------------------
               Registrant's telephone number, including area code:

                                       N/A
           -----------------------------------------------------------
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Item 2. Acquisition and Disposition of Assets.

      On May 12, 1999 (the "Effective Date"), Professional Detailing, Inc. (the
"Company") acquired all the outstanding capital stock of TVG, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (TVG"), pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger
Agreement"), dated as of May 12, 1999, by and among the Company, TVG, TVG
Acquisition Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, and the ten
stockholders of TVG (the "TVG Stockholders").

      Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the Company issued 1,256,882 shares of
the Company's common stock, $.01 par value per share (the "Common Stock"), in
exchange for all the outstanding capital stock of TVG. Based upon the closing
price of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq National Market on May 12, 1999, the
transaction is valued at approximately $32 million. The transaction will be
accounted for as a pooling of interests. The Company issued authorized, but
previously unissued, shares of Common Stock in the acquisition. The number of
shares of Common Stock issued in exchange for the shares held by the TVG
Stockholders was determined in an "arms-length" negotiation and the transaction
was unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of the Company and TVG.
Prior to the effective date, neither the Company nor any of its affiliates, nor
any officer or director of the Company or any associate of any such officer or
director, had any material relationship with TVG.

      In connection with the Merger Agreement the Company and the TVG
Stockholders entered into a Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of May 12,
1999, pursuant to which the Company has agreed to file a Registration Statement
on Form S-3, on or prior to the 270th day following the Effective Date, for the
purposes of registering under the Securities Act of 1933 the shares of Common
Stock issued to such stockholders pursuant to the Merger Agreement.

      In addition, the Company, the TVG Stockholders, the representative of such
TVG Stockholders and American Stock Transfer and Trust Company, as Escrow Agent,
entered into an Escrow Agreement, dated as of May 12, 1999, providing, among
other things, that 10% of the Common Stock received by the TVG Stockholders
pursuant to the Merger Agreement will be held in escrow to reimburse the Company
in connection with breaches of representations, warranties or covenants made by
the TVG Stockholders in the Merger Agreement.

      TVG, based in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, is a high-quality provider of
communications programs, marketing research and marketing consulting services to
the pharmaceutical industry.

      The foregoing descriptions of the Merger Agreement and the Registration
Rights Agreement do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their
entirety by reference to the full text of each such agreement which are filed as
Exhibits 2.1 and 10.1, respectively, to this Current Report on Form 8-K and
incorporated herein by reference.

                                       2
Item 7. Financial Statements, Pro-Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.

      (a) Financial Statements of Business Acquired.

            Financial statements of business acquired are not required as per
Rule 3-05(b) of Regulation S-X.

      (b) Pro-forma Financial Information.

            Pro-forma financial information is not required as per Rule 11-01(c)
of Regulation S-X.

      (c) Exhibits.

            2.1 Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among the Registrant, TVG,
Inc., TVG Acquisition Corp., and the shareholders of TVG, Inc., dated May 12,
1999.

            10.1 Registration Rights Agreement by and among the Registrant and
the former shareholders of TVG, Inc., dated May 12, 1999.

            99 Press Release.

                                    SIGNATURE

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                          PROFESSIONAL DETAILING, INC.

                                          By: /s/ Charles T. Saldarini
                                              ---------------------------------
                                              Charles T. Saldarini
                                                 Chief Executive Officer

Date: May 25, 1999

                                       3