Avanir Pharmaceuticals Announces Appointment of Elona Kogan, Esq. as Vice President of Legal Affairs

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., May 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVNR) today announced the appointment of Elona Kogan, Esq. to the position of vice president of legal affairs.

"At this time of growth and transition to a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company, Elona's legal, regulatory and business expertise will be a valuable asset to our organization," said Keith A. Katkin, president and CEO of Avanir. "The executive team and I are pleased to have Elona's extensive experience and expert counsel as we move ahead with our exciting new endeavors."

Ms. Kogan has over 17 years of experience covering areas of commercial and regulatory compliance, patient assistance programs, privacy issues, contracting, litigation and corporate governance. Most recently Ms. Kogan was associate general counsel and privacy officer at King Pharmaceuticals, where she was the primary legal liaison for corporate strategic and tactical commercial initiatives. Previously, Ms. Kogan was counsel for U.S. Medicines at Bristol-Myers Squibb. Prior roles included positions at Bergen Brunswig Corporation, and Epstein, Becker & Green. Ms. Kogan earned her J.D. degree from Southwestern University and her B.A. degree in Economics from Columbia University.

About Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on bringing innovative medicines to patients with central nervous system disorders of high unmet medical need. As part of our commitment, we have extensively invested in our pipeline and are dedicated to advancing medicines that can substantially improve the lives of patients and their loved ones. For more information about Avanir, please visit www.avanir.com.

AVANIR™ is a trademark owned by Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

©2011 Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

SOURCE Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.