Mela Sciences a Leader in the Fight Against Melanoma, Hosts Symposium at 8th World Congress of Melanoma

IRVINGTON, N.Y., July 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- MELA Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: MELA), the medical device company that has developed and is commercializing MelaFind®, the first and only FDA approved optical diagnostic device for melanoma detection used by dermatologists in their fight against melanoma, presented at the 8th World Congress of Melanoma held in Hamburg, Germany, on July 19, 2013, to a well-attended room.

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The symposium, led by Axel Hauschild, MD, PhD, Professor and Head of the Interdisciplinary Skin Cancer Center at the Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel, Germany, and by Andreas Blum MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Dermatology at the Medical University of Tuebingen, Germany, and Public, Private and Teaching Practice Dermatology, Konstanz, Germany, focused on mole management and incorporating MelaFind® technology into skin examinations. A panel on "Managing Melanocytic Nevi: How it's Done Today & MelaFind®'s Place in This World," was led by Dr. Blum, followed by an open discussion led by Dr. Hauschild on "Detecting Early Melanomas: MelaFind® Clinical Studies, International Perspectives on Mole Management 2013 & Beyond."

According to data presented by Dr. Hauschild, the detection, diagnosis and management of melanoma by dermatologists improves when using the information generated by MelaFind®. "The additional, objective information and images of a lesion 2.5 mm below the skin surface that MelaFind® offers, when combined with the clinical expertise of dermatologists, leads to a clinically significant increase of thin melanomas detected at the earliest, most curable stage of the disease," said Dr. Hauschild. "Early detection or rule out is the first step in proper melanoma management and the objective analytical information from MelaFind® clearly helps."

"As leading dermatologists will tell you, survival rate for melanoma significantly improves when detected at its earliest stages and the additional clinical information provided by MelaFind®, as the only optical diagnostic tool that sees 2.5 mm below the skin surface, helps dermatologists effectively find melanomas when they are most curable," said Robert Coradini, Interim CEO for MELA Sciences. "MelaFind® is being successfully implemented in dermatologists' offices across Germany and the United States, and we are pleased to show our research at the World Congress to raise awareness of MelaFind® as the new standard of care for melanoma detection and management."

MelaFind® has been recognized by the Cleveland Clinic as a Top 10 Medical Innovation for 2013. Consumers can learn more about the device or locate a dermatologist with MelaFind® in their area by visiting www.melafind.com.

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.