ZILA Zila (MM)

Zila, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZILA) today announced that it has selected DentalMed Russian Alliance, Ltd. to be the exclusive distributor of ViziLite� Plus with TBlue�, Zila�s proprietary oral cancer screening product, in Russia and Belarus. DentalMed has begun the registration process of ViziLite Plus in Russia and will begin training its sales representatives and preparing the market for the product launch after the registration process is completed. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The availability of ViziLite Plus in Russia and Belarus, with a combined population of more than 150 million, expands coverage beyond EU-member countries. Since May of this year, Zila has selected distributors for ViziLite� Plus in a number of European countries. �The marketing of ViziLite Plus in Russia and Belarus represents a solid step in our plan to provide this life saving product outside the U.S.,� said David Bethune, chairman and chief executive officer of Zila. "DentalMed has ties to the Russian National Institute of Adaptation of Marketing Strategies and has broad experience launching professional dental products in Russia. We are confident that DentalMed will build ViziLite Plus into an excellent brand in Russia and Belarus.� ViziLite� Plus with TBlue�, Zila'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. �ViziLite Plus is a much needed oral cancer screening product for the practitioners we call on,� said Konstantin Sadovski, executive director of DentalMed Russian Alliance. �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 will be a valuable aid in screening for precancerous lesions and early stage cancers before they reach more severe stages.� 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 - all 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 DentalMed DentalMed Russian Alliance, Ltd., is a division of �Dental� Ltd., operating in the Russian dental market since 1999. The main business of DentalMed, Ltd. is distribution of high quality dental products in Russia and Belarus as well as training programs and seminars for dental professionals. For marketing issues DentalMed Russian Alliance collaborates closely with the Russian National Institute of Adaptation of Marketing Strategies and participates with the help of this Institute in many Conferences, Symposiums and Dental Professional Congresses. 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, 2007 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 30, 2008. For more information about the company and its products, please visit www.zila.com.