AVANIR Pharmaceuticals Appoints Scott M. Whitcup, M.D., to Board of Directors

AVANIR Pharmaceuticals (AMEX:AVN) announced today that
Scott M. Whitcup, M.D., has been elected to the company's board of
directors to fill a vacancy resulting from the resignation of Kenneth
E. Olson.
   Dr. Whitcup is the Executive Vice President and Head of Research &
Development at Allergan, where he is responsible for Allergan's drug
discovery efforts as well as the ophthalmology, Botox(R)/neurology,
skin care and new technology development programs worldwide. Prior to
joining Allergan, Dr. Whitcup was Clinical Director of the National
Eye Institute and also served as Chair of the NIH Medical Executive
Committee. Dr. Whitcup is Board Certified in both internal medicine
and ophthalmology, and is currently on the faculty at the Jules Stein
Eye Institute/David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dr. Whitcup
graduated from Cornell University and Cornell University Medical
College.
   "AVANIR is very fortunate to have an R&D executive of Scott's
stature joining its board of directors. His extensive clinical
expertise and regulatory experience, coupled with his intense
commercial exposure with a successful multi-billion dollar company,
will bring to the board a tremendous wealth of medical and business
knowledge," said Charles Mathews, chairman of the board of AVANIR. "As
we welcome Scott to AVANIR's board of directors, we also thank Ken
Olson for his seventeen years of continuous board service since the
inception of the company," Mathews continued.
   AVANIR Pharmaceuticals is focused on developing and
commercializing novel therapeutic products for the treatment of
chronic diseases. AVANIR's product candidates address therapeutic
markets that include central nervous system and cardiovascular
disorders, inflammation, and infectious disease. AVANIR recently
submitted to the FDA its New Drug Application for Neurodex(TM) for the
treatment of pseudobulbar affect. Additionally, AVANIR has initiated a
Phase 3 clinical trial of Neurodex(TM) for the treatment of diabetic
neuropathic pain. AVANIR has active collaborations with two
international pharmaceutical companies, Novartis International
Pharmaceutical Ltd. for the treatment of inflammatory disease, and
AstraZeneca UK Limited for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
The Company's first commercialized product, Abreva(R), is marketed in
North America by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare and is the
leading over-the-counter product for the treatment of cold sores.
Further information about AVANIR can be found at www.avanir.com.

   The information contained in this press release, including any
forward-looking statements contained herein, should be reviewed in
conjunction with the company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K
and quarterly report on Form 10-Q and other publicly available
information regarding the company. Copies of such information are
available from the company upon request. Such publicly available
information sets forth many risks and uncertainties related to the
company's business and technology. Forward-looking statements often
contain such words like "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "plan" or
"expect." AVANIR disclaims any intent or obligation to update these
forward-looking statements.