QUEBEC CITY, Sept. 20, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ – Aeterna Zentaris Inc. (NASDAQ: AEZS) (TSX: AEZ) (the “Company”) today announced that a poster on its oral prostate cancer vaccine candidate, AEZS-120, will be on display at the upcoming 32^nd Congress of the Société Internationale d’Urologie which will be held September 30 through October 4, 2012 at the Fukuoka International Congress Center in Fukuoka, Japan.

The abstract #839 titled, “Pre-Clinical Proof of Concept and Characterization of AEZS-120, a Therapeutic Oral Prostate Cancer Vaccine Candidate Based on Live Recombinant Attenuated Salmonella“, J. Fensterle, B. Bergmann, M. Teifel, J. Engel, T. Rudel, W. Goebel, U. Rapp, underlines the feasibility of an oral therapeutic vaccination approach against prostate cancer. The safety pharmacology and toxicology experiments suggest that the profile of AEZS-120 is similar to the approved carrier strain and, therefore, pave the way for Phase 1 clinical testing.

About AEZS-120

AEZS-120 is a live recombinant oral tumor vaccine candidate based on Salmonella typhi Ty21a as a carrier strain. Salmonella typhi Ty21a is an approved oral typhoid vaccine which has been safely applied in more than 350 million doses. The principle of AEZS-120 is based on the recombinant expression of prostate specific antigen fused to the B subunit of cholera toxin and a secretion signal in the presence of the Escherichia coli type I hemolysin secretion system. The proprietary system allows the secretion of the antigen together with an immunological adjuvant which has been demonstrated to be required for optimal induction of CD8 T-cell responses by recombinant Salmonella based bacterial vaccines. The proof-of-concept was already demonstrated for the mouse homologue of AEZS-120 in a mouse tumor-challenge model.

In general, by varying the antigen and/or the carrier, this proprietary platform technology is suitable for virtually any therapeutic or prophylactic vaccine indication with a relatively favorable cost of goods expectation in large scale.

About Aeterna Zentaris

Aeterna Zentaris is an oncology and endocrinology drug development company currently investigating treatments for various unmet medical needs. The Company’s pipeline encompasses compounds at all stages of development, from drug discovery through to marketed products. For more information please visit www.aezsinc.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbour provisions of the U.S. Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that 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 risk that safety and efficacy data from any of our Phase 3 trials may not coincide with the data analyses from previously reported Phase 1 and/or Phase 2 clinical trials, 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 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. We disclaim any obligation to update any such factors or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, unless required to do so by a governmental authority or by applicable law.

SOURCE: AETERNA ZENTARIS INC.