AEterna Zentaris to Hold Annual Shareholders Meeting on May 26 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Montreal QUEBEC CITY, May 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AEterna Zentaris Inc. (TSX: AEZ; Nasdaq: AEZS) announced that its annual shareholders meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, May 26 2005 at 10:30 a.m. ET, in the Ovale room of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Montreal. Gilles Gagnon, President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jurgen Engel, Executive Vice President, Global R-D and Chief Operating Officer, as well as Dennis Turpin, Vice President, Chief Financial Officer will be highlighting 2004 corporate achievements as well as providing perspectives for 2005. About AEterna Zentaris Inc. AEterna Zentaris Inc. is an oncology and endocrine therapy focused biopharmaceutical company with proven expertise in drug discovery, development and marketing. The Company's broad 20 product pipeline leverages six different therapeutic approaches, including LHRH antagonists and signal transduction inhibitors. The lead LHRH antagonist compound, cetrorelix, is currently marketed for in vitro fertilization under the brand name Cetrotide(R). Cetrorelix is also in late-stage clinical development for endometriosis and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The lead signal transduction inhibitor compound, perifosine, is a novel, first-in-class, oral anticancer agent that modulates several key signal transduction pathways, including AKT, MAPK, and JNK that have been shown to be critical for the survival of cancer cells. Perifosine has demonstrated single agent anti-tumor activity in Phase I and Phase II studies and is currently being studied as a single agent and in combination with several forms of anti-cancer treatments for various forms of cancer, including non-small cell lung cancer and breast cancer. AEterna Zentaris also owns 50.3% of Atrium Biotechnologies Inc. (TSX: ATB.sv), a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of value-added products for the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, chemical and nutritional industries. News releases and additional information about AEterna Zentaris are available on its Web site http://www.aeternazentaris.com/ . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. 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 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 the 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. DATASOURCE: AETERNA ZENTARIS INC. (FORMERLY/ANCIENNEMENT - LES LABORATOIRES AETERNA CONTACT: Media Relations: Paul Burroughs, (418) 652-8525 ext. 406, ; Investor Relations: Ginette Vallieres, (418) 652-8525 ext. 265, ; Europe: Matthias Seeber, +49 69 42602 3425, ; To request a free copy of this organization's annual report, please go to http://www.newswire.ca/ and click on reports@cnw.

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