Zila Completes First Phase Of Global Marketing Initiatives For Oral Cancer Screening Product, ViziLite(R) Plus

Main Category: Dentistry
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 13 Feb 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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Zila, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZILA) today said it has completed the first phase of the global rollout for its proprietary oral cancer screening product, ViziLite® Plus with TBlue®. Beginning in North America and through its direct sales force, Zila now markets ViziLite Plus in all 50 states of the U.S., as well as Puerto Rico and Canada. Since May 2008, the company expanded to Western Europe by forming strategic alliances to distribute ViziLite Plus in a number of European markets. Currently, the product is available in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Portugal, France and Greece. In the next phase of its expansion, the company has formed distribution agreements in other international markets, including Russia and Belarus, where product registration is in process. These markets and others in the Pacific Rim region, especially China and India, will form the bulk of the company's continued global expansion for ViziLite Plus.

"Oral cancer is a significant global health issue," said David Bethune, chairman and chief executive officer of Zila. "While the U.S. remains our strongest market, we are beginning to see some traction for ViziLite Plus in Europe. In the coming months we will work to further expand the potential market by establishing additional distribution agreements in other parts of the world."

About Oral Cancer and ViziLite Plus

Oral cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer worldwide, and in the U.S., one person dies every hour from the disease. According to American Cancer Society data, nearly as many women will be diagnosed with oral cancer as with cervical cancer this year. The key to reducing the impact of this disease is early detection, yet prior to the introduction of ViziLite Plus the only screening tools available were the manual and visual exam, which helps explain why the mortality and morbidity associated with oral cancer have not markedly improved in the past 40 years. Worldwide clinical trials have demonstrated that the conventional visual/tactile examination may fail to identify up to 40% of cancers and precancers. In other studies the addition of ViziLite Plus to conventional examination has been shown in the literature to result in identification of 100% of pathological lesions. ViziLite Plus, an oral screening technology that utilizes a chemiluminescent light source (ViziLite) and a patented vital tissue dye (TBlue), helps dentists and dental technicians identify and evaluate abnormalities in the mouth that could potentially harbor pathologic changes. The ViziLite Plus exam takes only minutes and is totally painless and non-invasive.

Oral Cancer Risk factors:

-- age - adults
-- tobacco use - particularly if combined with heavy alcohol consumption
-- heavy alcohol consumption
-- excessive sun exposure to the lips
-- sexually transmitted virus exposure (HPV)

A recent report in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that exposure to the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus number 16 (HPV16), causes oropharyngeal cancer (a type of oral cancer), and may help explain the increasing incidence of the disease in younger people.

About Zila, Inc.

Zila, Inc., is a fully integrated oral diagnostic company dedicated to the prevention, detection and treatment of oral cancer and periodontal disease. ViziLite® Plus with TBlue™, the company's flagship product for the early detection of oral abnormalities that could lead to cancer, is the first and only adjunctive medical device cleared by the FDA for use in a population at increased risk for oral cancer. In addition, Zila designs, manufactures and markets a suite of proprietary products sold exclusively and directly to dental professionals for periodontal disease, including the Rotadent® Professional Powered Brush, the Pro-Select Platinum® ultrasonic scaler and a portfolio of oral pharmaceutical products for both in-office and home-care use.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are based largely on Zila's expectations or forecasts of future events, can be affected by inaccurate assumptions and are subject to various business risks and known and unknown uncertainties, a number of which are beyond the Company's control. Therefore, actual results could differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained herein. A wide variety of factors could cause or contribute to such differences and could adversely affect revenue, profitability, cash flows and capital needs. There can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release will, in fact, transpire or prove to be accurate. For a more detailed description of these and other cautionary factors that may affect Zila's future results, please refer to Zila's Form 10-K for its fiscal year ended July 31, 2008 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2008.

For more information about the company and its products, please visit http://www.zila.com.

Zila, Inc.