Zila to Introduce ViziLite Plus in India

Zila, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZILA) today announced that it has selected Getwell Life Sciences, based in New Delhi, to distribute Zila�s ViziLite� Plus with TBlue�, a proprietary oral cancer screening product, throughout India. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

�India is obviously a major market that represents an excellent opportunity for ViziLite Plus. Through our relationship with Getwell, we plan to aggressively introduce our product all over the country,� said David Bethune, chairman and CEO of Zila. �We are working closely with Getwell to gain the necessary regulatory approvals required by the Indian government in order to begin selling ViziLite Plus, which we expect to take approximately three months. Our plan is to offer the most cost effective product possible in order to reach the millions of Indians that could benefit from ViziLite Plus.�

�Oral cancer is the most common cancer in India, accounting for nearly 12% of all cancers detected and 50% to 70% of cancer-related deaths. The widespread practice of chewing various forms of tobacco and betel nut and smoking tobacco are the major causes of oral cancer,� said Suresh Pathak, CEO & Director of Getwell Life Sciences. �Abundant availability of ready-to-use tobacco pouches and gutkas are mainly responsible for the rampant use of tobacco, including by the young and educated. With cancer rates on the rise in India, the introduction of the new oral cancer screening product, ViziLite Plus, is particularly important.�

With more than 1.15 billion people, India is the world�s second most populous country. The Government of India has recently included early cancer detection in the Cancer Control Program making it a national health priority.

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 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 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 Getwell Life Sciences Getwell Life Sciences (India) Pvt. Ltd. is a company owned and managed by technocrats. Over the past five years the Company has established itself among the front runners in the business of generic oncology and supportive care products in India. It has a comprehensive product range and a professional sales and service staff. The Company plans its foray into cancer screening and oral healthcare through the launch of ViziLite Plus. Along with the early detection of oral cancer the Company also plans to popularize the use of ViziLite Plus in oncology clinics across India for the early screening of oral cancer relapse cases.

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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