CHARLESTON, S.C., Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aeterna Zentaris Inc. (NASDAQ: AEZS) (TSX: AEZS), a biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing and commercializing pharmaceutical products, today announced the appointment of Leslie Auld as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer.

Ms. Auld has over twenty-five years of accounting, finance and pharmaceutical industry experience, with increasingly senior roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Helix BioPharma Corp., Luminex Diagnostics (formerly TM BioScience Corp.), Attwell Capital Inc. (formerly Fralex Therapeutics) and GeneNews Limited. A Chartered Professional Accountant, Ms. Auld graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Science, Pharmacology & Toxicology from the University of Western Ontario, and has a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Toronto.

Ms. Auld is replacing James Clavijo, who is leaving Aeterna Zentaris to pursue other interests.

“We are thankful to James for the important role he played with us while we implemented the first stage of our licensing arrangements with Strongbridge Biopharma plc,” stated Michael V. Ward, President and Chief Executive Officer for Aeterna Zentaris. “Now, having successfully launched Macrilen™ (macimorelin) this summer, we are excited to have been able to attract someone as accomplished and experienced as Leslie to our senior executive team.”

About Aeterna Zentaris Inc.

Aeterna Zentaris Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing, principally through out-licensing arrangements, Macrilen™ (macimorelin), an oral ghrelin receptor agonist, to be administered in the diagnosis of patients with adult growth hormone deficiency. Aeterna Zentaris has licensed Macrilen™ (macimorelin) to Strongbridge Biopharma plc in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit www.zentaris.com.