ZILA Zila (MM)

The Board of Directors of Zila, Inc. (Nasdaq GM: ZILA) elected Dr. David Sidransky to join its ranks, effective October 24, 2006. Dr. Sidransky will complete the term of a resigning Board member and will stand for election at the next Annual Shareholders� Meeting in December. �As we transform Zila into a high growth cancer diagnostic company, we are honored to have someone of Dr. Sidransky�s stature and expertise join Zila�s Board. As the preeminent oncologist, researcher and entrepreneur in the field of head and neck cancer, Dr. Sidransky�s commitment to Zila further strengthens our ability to establish Zila�s cancer detection technologies as the standard of care,� stated Zila Chairman, CEO and President Douglas Burkett, Ph.D. David Sidransky, M.D. is the Director of the Head and Neck Cancer Research Division at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In addition, he is Professor of Oncology, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Urology, Genetics, and Pathology at Johns Hopkins University and Hospital. Dr. Sidransky is certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology by the American Board of Medicine and is best known for his pioneering efforts in molecular detection approaches based on the identification of genetic changes in many bodily fluids. He was named America�s Best Oncologist by Time magazine in 2001. Dr. Sidransky has served as a member of the Board of Directors of ImClone since January 2004. He is a founder of several private biotechnology companies and has served on numerous scientific advisory boards of many private and public companies, including Medimmune, Roche, and Amgen. Dr. Sidransky sits on numerous editorial boards, has over 250 peer-reviewed publications, and has contributed more than 40 cancer reviews and chapters and also holds numerous issued biotechnology patents. He has been the recipient of many awards and honors, including the 1997 Sarstedt International prize from the German Society of Clinical Chemistry, the 1998 Alton Ochsner Award Relating Smoking and Health by the American College of Chest Physicians and the 2004 Hinda and Richard Rosenthal Award from the American Association of Cancer Research. Dr. Sidransky also serves as the Chairman of Zila�s Medical Advisory Board. Dr. Sidransky replaces Mike Lesser who has served Zila�s Board since 1995. �We are deeply appreciative of the many years of service, insight and counsel that Mike Lesser has provided as a Zila Board Member,� said Dr. Burkett. About Oral Cancer Oral cancer is among the most deadly cancer types in the U.S., largely owing to the fact that roughly two-thirds of all oral cancers are detected at advanced stage. There are some 30,000 new cases of oropharyngeal cancer each year, and 8,000 related deaths. When oral cancer is detected early, survival rates are about 80%; detected late, the survival rate falls to 20%. The American Dental Association says that while most cases of oral cancer affect people who use tobacco and/or drink heavily, more than a quarter of oral cancers occur in people who do not smoke and have no other risk factors. About Zila, Inc. Zila, Inc., headquartered in Phoenix, is a leading cancer diagnostic company initially focused on oral cancer: Zila Pharmaceuticals is dedicated to establishing ViziLite� Plus as the new standard of care for the early detection of oral abnormalities that could lead to cancer. Zila Biotechnology is focused on achieving regulatory approval for the next generation oral cancer diagnostic, OraTest�, followed by the development of additional applications of its cancer detection technologies including products for the early detection of cervical and esophageal cancer. For more information about Zila, visit www.zila.com. 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 impact revenues, 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 31,2006. The Board of Directors of Zila, Inc. (Nasdaq GM: ZILA) elected Dr. David Sidransky to join its ranks, effective October 24, 2006. Dr. Sidransky will complete the term of a resigning Board member and will stand for election at the next Annual Shareholders' Meeting in December. "As we transform Zila into a high growth cancer diagnostic company, we are honored to have someone of Dr. Sidransky's stature and expertise join Zila's Board. As the preeminent oncologist, researcher and entrepreneur in the field of head and neck cancer, Dr. Sidransky's commitment to Zila further strengthens our ability to establish Zila's cancer detection technologies as the standard of care," stated Zila Chairman, CEO and President Douglas Burkett, Ph.D. David Sidransky, M.D. is the Director of the Head and Neck Cancer Research Division at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In addition, he is Professor of Oncology, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Urology, Genetics, and Pathology at Johns Hopkins University and Hospital. Dr. Sidransky is certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology by the American Board of Medicine and is best known for his pioneering efforts in molecular detection approaches based on the identification of genetic changes in many bodily fluids. He was named America's Best Oncologist by Time magazine in 2001. Dr. Sidransky has served as a member of the Board of Directors of ImClone since January 2004. He is a founder of several private biotechnology companies and has served on numerous scientific advisory boards of many private and public companies, including Medimmune, Roche, and Amgen. Dr. Sidransky sits on numerous editorial boards, has over 250 peer-reviewed publications, and has contributed more than 40 cancer reviews and chapters and also holds numerous issued biotechnology patents. He has been the recipient of many awards and honors, including the 1997 Sarstedt International prize from the German Society of Clinical Chemistry, the 1998 Alton Ochsner Award Relating Smoking and Health by the American College of Chest Physicians and the 2004 Hinda and Richard Rosenthal Award from the American Association of Cancer Research. Dr. Sidransky also serves as the Chairman of Zila's Medical Advisory Board. Dr. Sidransky replaces Mike Lesser who has served Zila's Board since 1995. "We are deeply appreciative of the many years of service, insight and counsel that Mike Lesser has provided as a Zila Board Member," said Dr. Burkett. About Oral Cancer Oral cancer is among the most deadly cancer types in the U.S., largely owing to the fact that roughly two-thirds of all oral cancers are detected at advanced stage. There are some 30,000 new cases of oropharyngeal cancer each year, and 8,000 related deaths. When oral cancer is detected early, survival rates are about 80%; detected late, the survival rate falls to 20%. The American Dental Association says that while most cases of oral cancer affect people who use tobacco and/or drink heavily, more than a quarter of oral cancers occur in people who do not smoke and have no other risk factors. About Zila, Inc. Zila, Inc., headquartered in Phoenix, is a leading cancer diagnostic company initially focused on oral cancer: -- Zila Pharmaceuticals is dedicated to establishing ViziLite(R) Plus as the new standard of care for the early detection of oral abnormalities that could lead to cancer. -- Zila Biotechnology is focused on achieving regulatory approval for the next generation oral cancer diagnostic, OraTest(R), followed by the development of additional applications of its cancer detection technologies including products for the early detection of cervical and esophageal cancer. For more information about Zila, visit www.zila.com. 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 impact revenues, 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 31,2006.