AEterna Zentaris CEO to Chair Cancer Symposium Session at Upcoming BIT’s 8th Annual Congress of International Drug Discovery Science and Technology in Beijing

Québec City, Canada, October 19, 2010 – Aeterna Zentaris Inc. (NASDAQ: AEZS, TSX: AEZ), today announced that its President and CEO, Juergen Engel, Ph.D., will chair the cancer symposium session titled, “PI3K Kinase of Symposium 1: Emerging Targets, Pathways, Biomarkers and Validation”, on October 26, 2010, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. (local time), during the 1st Annual Inaugurate Symposia on Severe Cancer Drug Discovery of BIT’s 8th Annual Congress of International Drug Discovery Science and Technology (IDDST), which will be held October 23 through 26, 2010, at the Beijing International Convention Center in Beijing, China.

Also during this session, Dr. Engel will make an oral presentation at 8:50 a.m. (local time) titled, “Dual inhibition of the PI3K and MAPK pathways as an attractive novel approach in cancer therapy.”

About Aeterna Zentaris Inc.

Aeterna Zentaris is a late-stage oncology drug development company currently investigating potential novel treatments for multiple myeloma, colorectal, ovarian, endometrial and other types of cancer. The company’s innovative approach is to tailor treatments to a patient’s specific condition and unmet medical needs. The Company’s deep pipeline is drawn from its own research and development library of 120,000 molecules, delivering constant and long-term access to state-of-the-art therapeutic options. For more information please visit www.aezsinc.com.

Investor Relations Ginette Vallières Investor Relations Coordinator (418) 652-8525 ext. 265 gvallieres@aezsinc.com

Media Relations Paul Burroughs Director of Communications (418) 652-8525 ext. 406 pburroughs@aezsinc.com