Matritech Announces More Than 600,000 NMP22(R) BladderChek(R) Tests Sold for Testing of...

NEWTON, Mass. -- Company Also Indicates Importance of Testing Women for Bladder Cancer - Prevalence of Bladder Cancer in Women is Comparable to Ovarian and Cervical Cancers Yet, Women often Diagnosed in Later Stages of Disease

Matritech, Inc. (Amex: MZT) a leading developer of protein-based diagnostic

products for the early detection of cancer, today announced that more than 600,000 of its NMP22(R) BladderChek(R) Tests, a point-of-care cancer diagnostic, have been sold. This milestone reflects the increasing adoption of the BladderChek Test by urologists worldwide and also indicates an increase in the number of individuals being tested for bladder cancer with the test.

"This is a significant achievement for Matritech," said David L. Corbet, President and COO. "We believe this usage demonstrates recognition by urologists of the clinical benefits of the BladderChek Test. The BladderChek Test is improving the way cancer is being detected and is becoming a standard of care for bladder cancer patient management."

Mr. Corbet added, "For many individuals diagnosed with bladder cancer, the BladderChek test facilitates an early diagnosis of their cancer, which can improve outcomes. Patients and physicians are being provided life saving information quickly, during the patient's office visit. In many instances, this rapid detection saves time in confirming the presence of the disease, allowing for an improved prognosis for the patient. Patients also benefit from the in-office test when the BladderChek Test results are negative because those results help physicians focus on other probable causes of the patient's symptoms."

Matritech believes women should be viewed as an at risk group when considering testing for bladder cancer. Historically women have been underestimated for bladder cancer risk; as a result, bladder cancer has been detected in women at later stages, and as a group they are living 5 years less than men with bladder cancer. The Company also points to the recent SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results) data from the National Cancer Institute, which indicates the prevalence of bladder cancer in women is comparable to ovarian and cervical cancer.

Mr. Corbet also commented, "The more than 600,000 BladderChek(R) Tests sold is not only a testimony of the clinical acceptance of BladderChek Test. We believe it is also a strong indication of the opportunities for continued growth of the BladderChek Test business. We look forward to announcing the sale of the one millionth BladderChek Test in early 2006."

In May, 2005 the NMP22 BladderChek Test was featured in a number of platform presentations at the 100th annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA); these included clinical trial results and a cost impact study. Earlier in the year, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), published results from a large scale multi-site clinical trial of the NMP22 BladderChek Test citing in its news, "New Test Improves Detection of Bladder Cancer." The study results published in JAMA showed the NMP22 BladderChek point-of-care test identified life threatening cancers missed during cystoscopic examination, and it detected three times as many bladder cancer malignancies as cytology, a commonly used laboratory based urine test. The study further showed that when the BladderChek Test is combined with cystoscopic examination, it increases overall bladder cancer detection to 94%.

About the NMP22(R) BladderChek(R) Test

The NMP22 BladderChek Test was developed and commercialized by Matritech, an international biotechnology company headquartered in Massachusetts.

The NMP22 BladderChek Test detects elevated levels of the NMP22 protein in a single urine sample. Some healthy individuals have very small amounts of the NMP22 protein in their urine. Bladder cancer patients commonly have elevated NMP22 protein levels, even at early stages of the disease.

The NMP22 BladderChek Test, a painless and non-invasive assay, is the only in-office test approved by the FDA for the diagnosis of bladder cancer. The BladderChek Test, which is reimbursed by Medicare and other medical insurers, is more cost effective than cell-based laboratory cytology tests. It is approved for use in a physician's office with results available during the patient visit, allowing a rapid, accurate and cost-effective way to aid in the detection of bladder cancer. NMP22(R) Tests have been approved by the FDA four times for two formats and claims, most recently in April 2003 for point-of-care use for diagnosis.

About Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer is the fifth most common form of cancer in the United States and the ninth most common form of cancer in the world today. The American Cancer Society estimates that over 63,000 new cases of bladder cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year (over 47,000 men and 16,000 women), and over 13,000 people will die of the disease (nearly 9,000 men and 4,000 women). Worldwide it accounts for 330,000 new cases and 100,000 deaths each year. It is also one of the most chronic cancers, recurring in almost 70% of patients. The most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine, a condition referred to as hematuria.

Bladder cancer occurs primarily in men age 60 and older and roughly twice as frequently in white men as in black men. Men are four times more likely to be diagnosed with bladder cancer than women; age-adjusted mortality rates from bladder cancer are similarly higher for men than for women. Among U.S. males, the incidence of new bladder cancer cases is almost as large as the incidence of colon cancer.

The most common risk factor for bladder cancer is smoking. Smokers are twice as likely to develop bladder cancer as nonsmokers. In the United States, smoking is estimated to be associated with about 50% of bladder cancer deaths among men and 30% among women.

Occupational exposures to chemicals (aromatic amines) used in dry cleaning facilities and the production of dyes, paper, rope, apparel, rubber and petroleum products have been associated with increased risk for bladder cancer. Other industrial exposures implicated as risk factors for developing bladder cancer include combustion gases and soot from coal, chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons and chlorination by-products in heated water.

If diagnosed in its early stages, bladder cancer has a five-year survival rate of 95%. If diagnosed at an advanced stage, however, the five-year survival rate can be less than 10%. It has been estimated that this year in the United States about 25% of bladder cancer patients will be diagnosed after their disease has become invasive or metastatic, significantly lowering the five year survival rate.

About Bladder Cancer in Women

Among U.S. women, according to the most recent SEER data, the prevalence of bladder cancer (140,000) is comparable to the number of women with cervical (184,000) and ovarian (159,000) cancers. According to information from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), women with bladder cancer survive 5 years less than men. The 10-year survival rate in women, 69 percent, is equivalent to the 15-year survival rate in men. It is postulated that diagnosis in women is delayed because symptoms are misinterpreted; this delay is correlated with a disproportionately higher death rate among women.

About Matritech

Matritech is using its patented proteomics technology to develop diagnostics for the detection of a variety of cancers. The Company's first two products, the NMP22(R) Test Kit and NMP22(R) BladderChek(R) Test, have been FDA approved for the monitoring and diagnosis of bladder cancer. The NMP22 BladderChek Test is based on Matritech's proprietary nuclear matrix protein (NMP) technology, which correlates levels of NMPs in body fluids to the presence of cancer. Beginning with a patent portfolio licensed exclusively from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Matritech's patent portfolio has grown to more than 15 other U.S. patents. In addition to the NMP22 protein marker utilized in the NMP22 Test Kit and NMP22 BladderChek Test, the Company has discovered other proteins associated with cervical, breast, prostate, and colon cancer. The Company's goal is to utilize these protein markers to develop, through its own research staff and through strategic alliances, clinical applications to detect cancer. More information about Matritech is available at www.matritech.com.

Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act

Any forward-looking statements relate to the Company's current expectations of the Company's product sales and technology. Actual results may differ materially from those predicted in such forward-looking statements due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in the Company's business, including without limitation risks and uncertainties in obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval, market acceptance of and continuing demand for the Company's products, the impact of competitive products and pricing, and technical challenges in completing product and technology development. Please refer to the risk factors detailed in the Company's periodic reports and registration statements as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees. There can be no assurance that the Company's expectations for its products or future financial performance will be achieved. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Matritech undertakes no responsibility to revise or update any such forward-looking information.