AEterna Zentaris Acquires All Assets from Ardana for Growth Hormone Secretagogue Compound...( All amounts are in US dollars ...)

All amounts are in US dollars

QUEBEC CITY, June 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - AEterna Zentaris Inc. (NASDAQ: AEZS; TSX: AEZ), a global biopharmaceutical company focused on endocrine therapy and oncology, today reported that after regaining from Ardana Biosciences Ltd. ("Ardana"), the worldwide rights to the growth hormone secretagogue ("GHS") / ghrelin agonist, AEZS-130, it has entered into an agreement with the administrators of Ardana to acquire all Ardana assets relating to AEZS-130 for $232,000. These assets include development data, inventory of compound, regulatory authorizations, including IND and orphan drug status as a diagnostic test granted in the United States, as well as a patent application protecting the use of AEZS-130 for the diagnostic of growth hormone secretion deficiency.

Ardana had developed AEZS-130 up to the initiation of Phase 3 clinical trials in the United States for use as an oral diagnostic test of growth hormone secretion deficiency. In addition to the diagnostic indication, AEZS-130, based on results of Phase 1 studies conducted by Ardana, has potential applications for the treatment of cachexia, a condition frequently associated with severe chronic diseases such as cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and AIDS.

"We are pleased to gain access to a project in an advanced development stage," said Juergen Engel, Ph.D., President and CEO of AEterna Zentaris. "Our product portfolio is now complemented with an additional project in Phase 3 clinical trials. We are confident that we can retain the interest of potential strategic partners for this project as we have already initiated partnering discussions."

AEZS-130 Poster Presentation at ENDO

The poster #P2-749 entitled, "Use of an oral GHS ghrelin-mimetic GHS as a simple diagnostic test for adult GH deficiency", G.R. M
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