MELA Sciences Names Rpr Marketing Communications as its New Agency of Record

NEW YORK, Jan. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- MELA Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: MELA), the medical device company that developed MelaFind®, a breakthrough device intended to help dermatologists detect melanoma when it is still curable, announced today that it has named Rpr Marketing Communications as its U.S. public relations agency of record.

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"This partnership is a natural fit given both companies' unique expertise in skin cancer detection," said Joseph V. Gulfo, MD, President & CEO of MELA Sciences. "By driving awareness around melanoma detection, including the importance of annual mole checks and advanced diagnostic tools like MelaFind, we hope to help eradicate this deadly epidemic."

Rpr Marketing Communications will provide a full range of marketing communications based services, including consumer and professional media relations, corporate communications, professional meeting strategy and special initiative management. The New York City based agency has extensive experience within the aesthetic medicine, personal care and skincare industries, with proven success in the skin cancer awareness community.

"We planned to engage a marketing communications firm in the second half of our launch year to help us achieve our goals," said Dr. Gulfo.  "We chose Rpr after our search process because of their proven track record of widespread brand acceptance and adoption of products within our space.

Nearly one in five people are likely to get skin cancer this year. There are an estimated 130,000 new cases of melanoma diagnosed in the U.S. every year and according to the National Institutes of Health, 16 percent are diagnosed only after the disease has spread to other parts of the body. Nearly all patients diagnosed with early-stage melanoma can be treated and cured, but 85 percent of patients with late-stage melanoma die from it within five years.

MelaFind was recently recognized by the esteemed Cleveland Clinic as a "Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2013." The Cleveland Clinic reviews technologies from every major field in response to the question, "What innovations are game changers in your field and will have the biggest impact in 2013?" MelaFind uses light from visible to near-infrared wavelengths to evaluate skin lesions up to 2.5 mm beneath the skin.

About MELA Sciences, Inc.
MELA Sciences is a medical device company focused on the commercialization of its flagship product, MelaFind^®, and its further design and development.  MelaFind is a non-invasive tool to provide additional information to dermatologists during melanoma skin examinations. The device uses light from visible to near-infrared wavelengths to evaluate skin lesions up to 2.5 mm beneath the skin. The device provides information on a lesion's level of morphologic disorganization to provide additional objective information that may be used by dermatologists in the biopsy decision-making process. MelaFind has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in the US. In addition, MelaFind has received CE Mark approval and is approved for use in the European Union.

For more information on MELA Sciences, visit www.melasciences.com.

Safe Harbor:
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include but are not limited to our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that contain words such as "expects," "contemplates," "anticipates," "plans," "intends," "believes," "assumes," "predicts" and variations of such words or similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends, or that do not relate to historical matters. These statements are based on our current beliefs or expectations and are inherently subject to significant known and unknown uncertainties and changes in circumstances, many of which are beyond our control. There can be no assurance that our beliefs or expectations will be achieved. Actual results may differ materially from our beliefs or expectations due to financial, economic, business, competitive, market, regulatory and political factors or conditions affecting the company and the medical device industry in general, as well as more specific risks and uncertainties facing the company such as those set forth in its reports on Forms 10-Q and 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Factors that might cause such a difference include whether MelaFind® achieves market acceptance. Given the uncertainties affecting companies in the medical device industry such as the Company, any or all of these forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Therefore, you should not rely on any such factors or forward-looking statements. The Company urges you to carefully review and consider the disclosures found in its filings with the SEC which are available at www.sec.gov and www.melasciences.com.

SOURCE MELA Sciences, Inc.