ZILA Zila (MM)

Zila, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZILA) today announced that it has selected Panadent Limited to be the exclusive distributor of ViziLite� Plus with TBlue�, Zila�s proprietary oral cancer screening product, in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Panadent successfully launched ViziLite Plus at the British Dental Conference & Exhibition, the British Dental Association�s annual conference, on May 1-3, 2008 in Manchester, England. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. �We believe Panadent is a strong partner that has the experience and ability to build ViziLite Plus into a leading brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland,� said David Bethune, chairman and chief executive officer of Zila. �Panadent�s specialty in selling dental products to dentists and hygienists through education, technical expertise and service will make them an effective marketer of ViziLite Plus. The U.K. market represents a significant opportunity for Zila and establishes a solid foothold for expanding throughout the rest of Europe.� �ViziLite Plus is a much needed oral cancer screening product for patients in the U.K.,� said Peter Gowers, managing director of Panadent. �Given that 25% of oral cancers occur in people who do not smoke and have no other behavioral risk factors, it is imperative that every adult, particularly those at high risk for oral cancer, be screened at least once a year. ViziLite Plus is a proven technology and should prove to be a valuable aid to practitioners in the United Kingdom.� The population of the U.K. and the European Union exceed 60 million and 490 million, respectively. About Oral Cancer and ViziLite Plus Oral cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer worldwide. 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. ViziLite Plus, an oral screening technology that utilizes a chemiluminescent light source (ViziLite) and a patented pharmaceutical-grade 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. Zila began marketing the product through its direct sales force in the U.S. in February 2007 and in Canada in November 2007. Oral Cancer Risk factors: -- age - all adults -- gender - more men than women develop oral cancer -- smoking - particularly if combined with heavy alcohol consumption -- chewing tobacco or using snuff -- heavy alcohol consumption - particularly if combined with smoking -- excessive sun exposure to the lips 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 Panadent Limited Panadent is a leading supplier of dental products in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Celebrating its fortieth anniversary this year the company has significantly grown in recent years due to its ability to bring �high tech� innovation to the market through its highly knowledgeable sales team and emphasis on sales supported by education. 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, 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 Rota-dent� 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, 2007 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended January 31, 2008. For more information about the company and its products, please visit www.zila.com.