AVANIR Strengthens Its Sales and Marketing Team

AVANIR Pharmaceuticals (AMEX:AVN) today announced that
it has appointed Keith Katkin as its Senior Vice President, Sales and
Marketing and Eric Benevich as its Senior Director, Marketing, to
further advance its plans for Neurodex(TM). Neurodex is the company's
product candidate currently undergoing New Drug Application review at
the Food and Drug Administration for the indication of pseudobulbar
affect and being evaluated in a recently initiated Phase III clinical
trial in patients with diabetic neuropathic pain. Both of these
positions are newly created.
   Keith Katkin will lead the team further developing the sales and
marketing capabilities of AVANIR. Initially the senior members of the
team will be both AVANIR's Senior Vice President, Corporate
Development, (David Hansen) and its Vice President, Commercial
Development (Gus Fernandez, Pharm. D.) in addition to Eric Benevich
and a to-be-recruited Director, National Sales.
   Most recently, Mr. Katkin served as the Vice President, Commercial
Development for Peninsula Pharmaceuticals, playing a key role in the
sale of Peninsula to Johnson & Johnson. Mr. Katkin's product launch
and brand management experience on products such as Neupogen,
Neulasta, and Biaxin will be especially valuable to AVANIR during its
planned transformation into a fully integrated pharmaceutical company.
Prior to his tenure at Peninsula, Mr. Katkin held Sales and Marketing
positions with InterMune, Amgen and Abbott Laboratories.
   Mr. Benevich, most recently Senior Director, Marketing at
Peninsula Pharmaceuticals, has over fourteen years of industry
experience at Amgen, AstraZeneca, and Astra Merck in various
marketing, market research, and sales roles. His extensive launch and
brand management experience on products such as Prilosec, Epogen and
Enbrel will be especially beneficial to AVANIR as it plans for the
launch of its Neurodex product.
   AVANIR Pharmaceuticals is a pharmaceutical company 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 the last modules of its "rolling" new
drug application for Neurodex(TM) for the treatment of pseudobulbar
affect. Additionally, AVANIR has initiated a double-blind,
placebo-controlled, multicenter, Phase III clinical trial of Neurodex
in patients with diabetic neuropathic pain. Recently, AVANIR partnered
its preclinical research and development program for inflammatory
disease with Novartis. 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.

   Except for the historical information presented herein, matters
discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements
that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from any future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements.
Statements that are not historical facts, including statements that
are preceded by, followed by, or that include such words like
"estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "plan," or "expect" or
similar statements are forward-looking statements. Forward looking
statements include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the
FDA's review of the Company's new drug application for Neurodex,
regulatory decisions by the FDA for the Company's drug candidates,
milestones, and royalties earned from licensees, and results of
clinical trials or product development efforts, as well as risks
described in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and
in subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and from time-to-time in
other publicly available information regarding the Company. Research
findings are not always supportable by evidence obtained from
subsequent clinical trials, and the Company can make no assurances
that clinical trials will yield positive results. Final review
decisions made by the FDA and other regulatory agencies concerning
clinical trial results are often unpredictable and outside the
influence and/or control of the company. The Company disclaims any
intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.