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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February
20, 2026
ANAVEX LIFE SCIENCES CORP.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Nevada |
001-37606 |
98-0608404 |
| (State or other jurisdiction |
(Commission |
(IRS Employer |
| of incorporation) |
File Number) |
Identification No.) |
630 5th Avenue, 20th Floor, New York, NY
USA 10111
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
1-844-689-3939
Registrant’s telephone number, including area
code
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing
is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction
A.2. below):
☐ Written
communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐ Soliciting
material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a -12)
☐ Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d -2(b))
☐ Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e -4(c))
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of
the Act:
| Title of Each Class |
|
Trading Symbol(s) |
|
Name of Each Exchange on which
Registered |
| Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share |
|
AVXL |
|
Nasdaq Stock Market LLC |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an
emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark
if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards
provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors;
Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On February 20, 2026, the Board of Directors (the
“Board”) of Anavex Life Sciences Corp., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), upon the recommendation
of its Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, appointed Axel Paeger, MD, MBA, MBI as a member of the Board, effective February
23, 2026, to fill a vacancy on the Board.
Dr. Paeger will be compensated for his service as
a member of the Board consistent with the compensation paid to the Company’s other non-employee directors as previously disclosed
in the Company’s definitive proxy statement for its 2025 annual meeting of stockholders.
The Board determined that Dr. Paeger is an independent
director within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), the rules and
regulations promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder and the listing standards of the Nasdaq Capital Market. There
are no arrangements or understandings between Dr. Paeger and any other person in connection with his appointment as director of the Company,
and there are no transactions or relationships between Dr. Paeger and the Company and its subsidiaries that require disclosure under Item
404(a) of Regulation S-K.
Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.
On February 23, 2026, the Company
issued a press release announcing the foregoing, which is attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated
herein by reference.
This information shall not be deemed
“filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, and it shall
not be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as expressly
set forth by specific reference in such filing.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
(d) Exhibits
| 99.1 |
|
Press Release of the Company dated February 23, 2026 |
| 104 |
|
Cover Page Interactive
Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto
duly authorized.
| |
ANAVEX LIFE SCIENCES CORP. |
| |
|
| |
/s/ Christopher Missling |
| |
Name: |
Christopher Missling, PhD |
| |
Title: |
Chief Executive Officer |
| |
|
| Date: February 25, 2026 |
|
EXHIBIT 99.1
Anavex Life Sciences Appoints Seasoned Healthcare
Leader to Board of Directors
NEW YORK – February 23, 2026 –
Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (“Anavex” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: AVXL), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company
focused on developing innovative treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, neurodevelopmental,
neurodegenerative, and rare diseases, including Rett syndrome, and other central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today announced the appointment
of Dr. Axel Paeger, MD, MBA, MBI to its Board of Directors.
“We
are delighted to
welcome Dr. Paeger to our Board of Directors at Anavex,” said Christopher U. Missling, PhD, President and Chief Executive
Officer of Anavex. “Dr. Paeger brings three decades of strong leadership experience
in the healthcare industry, offering invaluable guidance as we continue to advance Anavex’s mission of developing new medicines
for the treatment of neurological disorders and progress our innovative pipeline. His extensive knowledge of patient care will be instrumental
in shaping Anavex’s strategic evolution with a focus on progressing our late-stage candidates and bringing potential new therapies
to people living with CNS disorders.”
Dr.
Paeger is a seasoned
leader in healthcare with over 30 years of experience in running inpatient medical care. Dr. Paeger currently serves as Chief Executive
Officer of the AMEOS Group, headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, which is today among the leading healthcare providers in Europe.
The AMEOS Group owns and runs 85 hospitals and polyclinics and additionally 23 long-term elderly care and long-term mental care facilities.
19,300 employees serve about half a million patients per year. While the AMEOS Group generates about one third of its revenues from its
psychiatric hospitals, it is the market leader in psychiatric inpatient care in the DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) region, a region
in Europe with a combined GDP approaching $6 trillion. The AMEOS Group is also a major provider of inpatient neurological care. Dr. Paeger
started his career as hospital manager subsequent to gaining several years of clinical medicine experience in hospitals. He worked for
Pacific Health, Inc. in the U.S. and for Asklepios Kliniken GmbH in Germany, before founding AMEOS as a start-up company in 2002. The
AMEOS Group is today among the leading healthcare providers in Europe. Dr. Paeger holds degrees in medicine (MD), in business administration
(MBA), and in business informatics (MBI).
“Anavex has developed an innovative patient-oriented
precision medicine approach in neurology for potential transformative treatment options in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, as well
as neurodevelopmental disorders,” said Dr. Paeger. “I’m looking forward to collaborating closely with the board to help
advance the Company’s strategy for all stakeholders, including patients, practitioners and stockholders.”
About Anavex Life Sciences Corp.
Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (Nasdaq: AVXL) is a publicly
traded biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative, neurodevelopmental,
and neuropsychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, Rett syndrome, and other
central nervous system (CNS) diseases, pain, and various types of cancer. Anavex’s lead drug candidate, ANAVEX®2-73 (blarcamesine),
has successfully completed a Phase 2a and a Phase 2b/3 clinical trial for Alzheimer’s disease, a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study
in Parkinson’s disease dementia, and both a Phase 2 and a Phase 3 study in adult patients and one Phase 2/3 study in pediatric patients
with Rett syndrome. ANAVEX®2-73 is an orally available drug candidate designed to restore cellular homeostasis by targeting SIGMAR1
and muscarinic receptors. Preclinical studies demonstrated its potential to halt and/or reverse the course of Alzheimer’s disease.
ANAVEX®2-73 also exhibited anticonvulsant, anti-amnesic, neuroprotective, and anti-depressant properties in animal models, indicating
its potential to treat additional CNS disorders, including epilepsy. The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research previously
awarded Anavex a research grant, which fully funded a preclinical study to develop ANAVEX®2-73 for the treatment of Parkinson’s
disease. We believe that ANAVEX®3-71, which targets SIGMAR1 and M1 muscarinic receptors, is a promising clinical stage drug candidate
demonstrating disease-modifying activity against the major hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease in transgenic (3xTg-AD) mice, including
cognitive deficits, amyloid, and tau pathologies. In preclinical trials, ANAVEX®3-71 has shown beneficial effects on mitochondrial
dysfunction and neuroinflammation. Further information is available at www.anavex.com.
You can also connect with the Company on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that
are not strictly historical in nature are forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions based on current information
and expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected
in any of such statements due to various factors, including the risks set forth in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form
10-K filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of
the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and Anavex Life Sciences
Corp. undertakes no obligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.
For Further Information:
Anavex Life Sciences Corp.
Research & Business Development
Toll-free: 1-844-689-3939
Email: info@anavex.com
Investors:
Andrew J. Barwicki
Investor Relations
Tel: 516-662-9461
Email: andrew@barwicki.com
