Zila Completes First Phase of Global Marketing Initiatives for Oral Cancer Screening Product, ViziLite® Plus
February 11 2009 - 1:54PM
Business Wire
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 www.zila.com.
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