AVANIR Pharmaceuticals to Present at the White Mountain Capital 3rd Annual Biotechnology Conference.

SAN DIEGO -- AVANIR Pharmaceuticals (AMEX:AVN) will be presenting at the White Mountain Capital Biotechnology Conference on Tuesday, April 19th in New York. AVANIR's President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Gerald J. Yakatan will be presenting a corporate overview at the investor conference at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time.

The presentation will focus on AVANIR's lead product candidate, Neurodex(TM), for the treatment of two central nervous system (CNS) disorders, pseudobulbar affect and diabetic neuropathic pain. AVANIR has successfully completed two pivotal Phase III trials with Neurodex for the treatment of pseudobulbar affect, a neurological disorder that affects approximately one million people in the U.S. AVANIR began submission of a "rolling" new drug application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at the end of 2004 and expects to submit the final module in mid-year 2005. The FDA has granted AVANIR's NDA a Priority Review, which is an accelerated six-month review timeline.

AVANIR is also in the process of initiating a pivotal Phase III clinical trial for Neurodex in the treatment of diabetic neuropathic pain under a Special Protocol Assessment from the FDA.

AVANIR Pharmaceuticals is a drug discovery and development company focused on treatments for chronic diseases. Our product candidates address therapeutic markets that include central nervous system and cardiovascular disorders, inflammation, and infectious 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 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". Final review decisions made by the FDA and other regulatory agencies concerning clinical trial results are unpredictable and outside the influence and/or control of the company. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.