Zila Europe, a division of Zila, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZILA), international provider of healthcare products for dental/medical professionals and consumers, announced the introduction of the OraTest(R) oral cancer diagnostic product in Belgium and Luxembourg. The product is available from MEDIPLUS, a Belgian company distributing dental products to dentists and hospital-based clinicians in Belgium and Luxembourg. MEDIPLUS can be reached at 02 653 88 18, fax 02 654 20 03. Oral cancer symposiums organized by national dental associations are being held in Luxembourg on September 22, and Belgium on September 23 and 25. Leading oral cancer specialists from the region's hospitals and dental schools are presenting the case for dentists to screen all patients annually for oral cancer. Practitioners are being warned to be especially vigilant with those most at risk, namely patients who are over forty and use tobacco (in any form) and/or drink heavily. Joining the experts is Dr. Gerald Feaver, a United Kingdom authority on oral cancer screening and the use of the OraTest product. Zila's product is the world's first oral cancer detection aid to be used in conjunction with a full head, neck and soft tissue examination on patients at risk. A simple, reliable sequence of three rinse solutions, OraTest is administered chairside in a 5-10 minute procedure. Any suspicious lesions are confirmed by repeating the test 10-14 days later. A second stain in the same area requires referral to a hospital specialist. The OraTest product is designed to detect difficult- to-observe, asymptomatic, early-stage cancerous lesions. According to medical literature, when oral cancer is detected at advanced stage, 5-year survival rates are as low as 18 percent. But with early detection, survival rates exceed 90 percent. In Luxembourg and Belgium, more than 400 people are diagnosed with oral cancer each year. Worldwide, nearly 900,000 new cases of oral cancer occurred in 1996; incidence and mortality rates are rising. The OraTest product is now available or approved in 14 countries; additional regulatory approvals and distribution agreements are being pursued in many countries worldwide. In the UK and Australia, the product is marketed as OraScreen(TM). Additional OraTest product marketing launches are planned in Europe and the Middle East in the coming months. In the United States, Douglas Burkett, Ph.D., President of Zila Manufacturing, noted that the Company recently installed a second computer- controlled production line for Zila(R) Tolonium Chloride, the active ingredient in the OraTest product. "Zila is increasing production by a factor of five in order to meet increasing demand for Zila Tolonium Chloride," said Dr. Burkett, who also manages tolonium chloride research and development. Zila is working with researchers at the University of Chicago School of Medicine who are exploring the use of Zila Tolonium Chloride in diagnosing cancerous and pre-cancerous lesions in the esophagus, colon and rectum.
This document 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. These include possible political, economic or contractual complications involved in foreign business dealings. 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 document 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 annual report on Form 10-K for its fiscal year ended July 31, 1998, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. ots Original Text Service: Zila, Inc. Internet: http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: Adrian Webber of Zila Europe, 01722 412312