Aeterna Zentaris Appoints Dr. Richard Sachse as Chief Scientific Officer

QUÉBEC CITY, Jan. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ - Aeterna Zentaris Inc. (NASDAQ: AEZS) (TSX: AEZ) (the "Company") today announced the appointment of Richard Sachse, MD, PhD, as Senior Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer. Before joining Aeterna Zentaris, Dr. Sachse was Vice President, Head of Global Translational Medicine at Boehringer Ingelheim.

"We are very proud to welcome Dr. Sachse to our leadership team. As CSO, he will be responsible for all areas of our global research and development activities, while also serving on the corporate Operating Committee. In developing his industry career, Dr. Sachse has held increasingly responsible positions with several leading pharmaceutical companies, including Bayer, Schwarz Pharma, UCB and Boehringer Ingelheim, overseeing major drug development programs in a variety of different therapeutic areas, including oncology and endocrinology", said David Dodd, President and CEO of Aeterna Zentaris.

Dr. Sachse added, "I am delighted to get the opportunity to become part of Aeterna Zentaris' team and very much looking forward to contribute in advancing the Company's portfolio pipeline along the value chain. I believe that the combination of Aeterna Zentaris' highly qualified and motivated personnel, together with its strong scientific platform, holds much promise for the future success of our projects."

Dr. Sachse's Background

Dr. Sachse holds a degree in medicine from the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen, in Germany, and a board certification in Clinical Pharmacology. With more than 20 years experience as a physician and scientist, he has extensive expertise in a variety of different therapeutic areas including endocrinology and oncology. In addition to registration studies, he is especially experienced in the design and implementation of translational programs to bridge research programs to the clinic, as well as in the design and implementation of clinical pharmacology programs, including all required profiling studies and activities, enabling successful registration of products at the international level.

From 1996 to 2000, he was International Project Leader at the Bayer AG Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, and Principal Investigator at the Bayer Clinical Pharmacology Unit, implementing innovative exploratory development tools, including biomarkers to demonstrate early Proof of Concept. From 2001 to 2006, Dr. Sachse held a variety of different management positions within early and late phase clinical development programs, including responsibilities for completed Phase 3 programs leading to successful NDA/MAA submissions. In 2007, after a merger, he became Senior Director, Head of Experimental Medicine, at UCB in Belgium, where he managed the implementation of novel biomarkers in clinical development to provide data supporting identification of appropriate target indication and target population. In 2010, Dr. Sachse became Vice President, Head of Global Translational Medicine at Boehringer Ingelheim.

About Aeterna Zentaris Inc.

Aeterna Zentaris is a specialty biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing novel treatments in oncology and endocrinology. The Company's pipeline encompasses compounds from drug discovery to regulatory approval. For more information, 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, including forward-looking statements relating to the expected impact of the transfer of the listing of the Company's shares on the NASDAQ Capital Market. 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. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, market reaction to the transfer of the listing of the shares on the NASDAQ Capital Market, 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.