Anavex Announces Expansion of Scientific Advisory Board

NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Anavex Life Sciences Corp. ("Anavex" or the "Company") (OTCQB: AVXL) announced today the appointment of Dr. Ottavio Arancio, MD, PhD to the Company's Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Arancio is a cellular neurobiologist who has pioneered the field of mechanisms of synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease.  He is Associate Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology at the Columbia University Medical Center and The Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University. Over the last 10 years, Dr. Arancio has raised more than $25 million in grant funding and published more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers.

"We are very excited to have Dr. Arancio on the Scientific Advisory Board to support the advancement of our drug candidates and the Company's next phase of growth," said Christopher U. Missling, PhD, Anavex's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Dr. Arancio's research has contributed to the characterization of the mechanisms behind learning, both in normal conditions and during neurodegenerative diseases. His work is relevant to elucidate Anavex's potential of upstream acting mixed muscarinic and sigma-1 selective drugs both in Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases."

Dr. Arancio added, "I am very impressed with the data from Anavex's pipeline. Studies to date show very promising mechanistical features of synaptic improvements of function of memory with ANAVEX 2-73 and the synergic effect of ANAVEX PLUS, which is the combination of ANAVEX 2-73 with Aricept® (donepezil)."

Dr Arancio's honors include the "G. Moruzzi Fellowship" (Georgetown University), the "Anna Villa Rusconi Foundation Prize" (Italy), the "INSERM Poste vert Fellowship" (France), the Edward N. and Della L. Thome Memorial Foundation Award (2010), the Margaret Cahn Research Award (2008), the American Health Assistance Foundation Centennial Award (2007) and the Zenith Award (2007). He also founded Citta Pharmaceuticals, a biotech company for development of small molecules to treat Alzheimer's disease.

About ANAVEX 2-73

ANAVEX 2-73 is an orally available small molecule being investigated for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.  In addition to pre-clinical data indicating that ANAVEX 2-73 has the potential to prevent, halt and/or reverse the course of Alzheimer's disease, there was also a highly encouraging synergistic effect observed between ANAVEX 2-73 and Aricept® (donepezil). The combined therapeutics produced up to 80% greater reversal of memory loss in Alzheimer's disease models versus when the drugs were used individually. 

About Anavex Life Sciences Corp.

Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (www.anavex.com) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of novel drug candidates to treat Alzheimer's, CNS diseases and various types of cancer.  ANAVEX 2-73, a drug candidate developed to treat Alzheimer's through potential disease modification, has undergone an initial Phase 1 human clinical trial and was well tolerated in doses up to 55mg.  Results from pre-clinical studies indicate that ANAVEX 2-73 demonstrates anti-amnesic and neuroprotective properties.  Anavex is a publicly traded corporation quoted as AVXL.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical in nature are forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions based on current information and expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties.  Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in any of such statements due to various factors, including the risks set forth in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC.  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.  All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and Anavex Life Sciences Corp. undertakes no obligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

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SOURCE Anavex Life Sciences Corp.