Aeterna Zentaris Regains Compliance with NASDAQ $1.00 Minimum Bid Price Rule

QUÉBEC CITY, Oct. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Aeterna Zentaris Inc. (NASDAQ: AEZS) (TSX: AEZ) (the "Company") today announced that on October 19, 2012, NASDAQ notified the Company that it has regained compliance with Rule 5450(a)(1), which requires a minimum bid price of $1.00 for continued listing on the NASDAQ Global Market.

Commenting on the announcement, Juergen Engel , Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, stated: "We are pleased that we have been able to regain compliance with NASDAQ's minimum bid price rule, which is important in maintaining liquidity in the trading of our common shares. We will continue to pursue our objective of maximizing shareholder value with a goal of becoming a specialty oncology and endocrinology company developing drugs for indications with various unmet medical needs."

About Aeterna Zentaris

Aeterna Zentaris is an oncology and endocrinology drug development company currently investigating treatments for various unmet medical needs. The Company's pipeline encompasses compounds at all stages of development, from drug discovery through to marketed products. For more information please visit www.aezsinc.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbour provisions of the U.S. Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. For example, because the market price of the Company's Common Shares will also be based on the Company's financial and operational results, its financial position, including its capital availabilities and liquidity resources, the development of its product pipeline, market conditions, the market perception of its business and other factors, which are unrelated to the number of shares outstanding, there can be no assurance that the market price of the Common Shares will in fact increase following the Consolidation or will not decrease in the future, or that the minimum closing bid price of the Common Shares will meet NASDAQ's minimum bid price requirement. Further, there can be no assurance that the Consolidation alone will guarantee the continued listing of the Common Shares on The NASDAQ Global Market or that the Common Shares will not be delisted due to a failure to meet other NASDAQ continued listing requirements. Other such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the availability of funds and resources to pursue R&D projects, the successful and timely completion of clinical studies, the risk that safety and efficacy data from any of our Phase 3 trials may not coincide with the data analyses from previously reported Phase 1 and/or Phase 2 clinical trials, the ability of the Company to take advantage of business opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry, uncertainties related to the regulatory process and general changes in economic conditions. Investors should consult the Company's quarterly and annual filings with the Canadian and U.S. securities commissions for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements. We disclaim any obligation to update any such factors or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, unless required to do so by a governmental authority or by applicable law.

SOURCE AETERNA ZENTARIS INC.