Aeterna Zentaris announces $12.1 million registered direct offering

Aeterna Zentaris Inc. (NASDAQ: AEZS; TSX: AEZ) (the "Company"), a late-stage drug development company specialized in oncology and endocrinology, announced today that it has received commitments from institutional investors to purchase US$12.1 million of securities in a registered direct offering. Under the terms of a Securities Purchase Agreement, the Company will sell to such institutional investors an aggregate of approximately 8.8 million common shares of its capital at a price of US$1.3725 per share and issue warrants to acquire an aggregate of approximately 4.4 million common shares at an exercise price of US$1.3725 per share.

The warrants to purchase additional common shares of Aeterna Zentaris will be exercisable immediately upon issuance and will expire on the fifth-year anniversary thereof. All of the securities were offered pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement filed in the United States. Proceeds from the transaction will be used to fund the Company's AEZS-108, AEZS-112 and AEZS-130 programs and for other general corporate and working capital purposes. The offering is expected to be consummated no later than June 18, 2010, subject to customary closing conditions.

Rodman & Renshaw, LLC, a subsidiary of Rodman & Renshaw Capital Group, Inc., (NASDAQ: RODM), acted as the exclusive placement agent for the transaction.

The proceeds from Aeterna Zentaris' registered direct offering that was completed on April 20, 2010 have been and are being used primarily in connection with perifosine, Aeterna Zentaris' lead oncology compound that is being developed in collaboration with its North American partner, Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: KERX), following various positive developments announced with respect to perifosine during the first quarter of 2010.