Avexa Limited Nominates Proven Pharmaceuticals Executive to Its Board of Directors

Avexa Limited (ASX:AVX) today announced the appointment of Mr. Joe Baini to Avexa’s Board of Directors, as a Non-Executive Director. Joe Baini has more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry focused primarily on commercialization, marketing and sales of a variety of top selling drugs. His vast responsibilities have also included partnership, government and licensing negotiations.

"We are confident that Joe will be a strong addition to Avexa’s board of directors. His impressive track record within large pharmaceutical companies, in particular his most recent experience at Gilead, will be especially beneficial as we continue to focus on advancing Avexa’s clinical assets,” said Mr. Nathan Drona, Chairman of Avexa.

Prior to founding consulting company Exec Factor Pty. Ltd in 2008, Mr. Baini was the General Manager of Gilead Sciences Australia, New Zealand and Asia. At Gilead, Mr. Baini grew the business in Australia and New Zealand by almost 900% during his five years with the Company. He led the team which successfully launched Viread®, achieving the fastest market share uptake in Australian HIV history. Mr. Baini’s team also successfully launched Hepsera™ for Hepatitis B and Truvada® for HIV. Under his leadership Gilead Australia and New Zealand also succeeded in negotiating premium pricing for all of its highly specialised drugs. In addition, he was a senior member of Gilead’s International Commercial Committee responsible for investigating opportunities for expansion into new territories for the company.

Prior to Gilead, Mr. Baini was Marketing Director for Bayer Australia where he successfully realigned the organisation’s focus enabling the strong re-launch of two important drugs. He also chaired the Australasian steering committee between Bayer and GlaxoSmithKline for the regional co-promotion of Levitra® (vardenafil). Mr. Baini has also held management positions at Pharmacia & Upjohn, and Merck Sharpe and Dohme, and he’s currently on the Board of the BioMelbourne Network. Holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacology and Biochemistry from the University of Melbourne, Mr. Baini has also completed extensive coursework in marketing, product management and situational leadership.

"I look forward to making a contribution to Avexa’s promising future from the moment I join the board,” stated Joe Baini, incoming non-executive director. "I am very focused on assisting the realisation of apricitabine’s considerable potential, as well as applying my experience to help develop the balance of Avexa’s exciting clinical portfolio.”

Mr. Baini commences his position on the board on 22 April 2009.

About Avexa

Avexa Limited is a Melbourne-based biotechnology company with a focus on discovery, development and commercialization of small molecules for the treatment of infectious diseases. Avexa has dedicated resources and funding for key projects including apricitabine (ATC), its HIV integrase program, its HCV polymerase program and an antibiotic program for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. The Company’s lead program, ATC, is an anti-HIV drug that has successfully completed the 96 week dosing of its Phase IIb trial and is currently in Phase III trials worldwide.

About apricitabine (ATC)

ATC is currently in a Phase III clinical trial in HIV patients with NRTI resistance. Dr. Jonathan Coates, Avexa’s Chief Scientific Offer, is a former Project Leader for multiple anti-viral programs at GlaxoSmithKline and a co-inventor of anti-viral drug 3TC, one of the best selling anti-HIV drugs in history with over USD $8 billion in global sales to date. ATC targets a current unmet medical need that has earned the compound Fast Track status with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. More than 130 sites have been initiated for ATC’s Phase III trial with initial 16 week data results expected in June 2009.

www.avexa.com.au

Viread®, Hepsera™ and Truvada® a registered trademarks of Gilead.

Levitra® is a registered trademark of Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation, GlaxoSmithKline and Schering-Plough.