David A. Dodd has been appointed president and chief executive officer of Aeterna Zentaris Inc., succeeding Juergen Engel, Ph.D. Mr. Dodd has also been appointed director of company’s board.
 
Mr. Dodd has more than 35 years of executive management experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Mr. Dodd has served as president, chief executive officer and chairman of BioReliance Corp., a provider of biological safety and related testing services, and served as non-executive chairman of Stem Cell Sciences Plc., where he oversaw the development and implementation of a strategic growth plan. Mr. Dodd also served as president, chief executive officer and director of Serologicals Corp., where under his leadership the market value of the company increased from $85 million in June 2000 to an all-cash sale to Millipore Corp. in July 2006 for $1.5 billion.
 
“With the appointment of David, we are taking an important first step in transforming Aeterna Zentaris from a company focused on R&D to a company focused on commercializing the promising compounds in our pipeline,” said Juergen Ernst, chairman of the board. “David’s reputation in the industry as a ‘transformation specialist’ is well deserved, with a record of successful and dramatic transformations of multiple pharmaceutical and biotechnology enterprises. David is a strong, focused leader with the ability to motivate employees, and significantly enhance shareholder value. We are delighted that he is joining our management team, and we look forward to his leadership and stewardship of Aeterna Zentaris.”