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): April 30, 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
Termination of Chief Executive Officer
On April 30, 2026, a special committee (the “Special Committee”) composed of independent directors of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (the “Company”) terminated the employment of Christopher Missling, PhD as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer for Cause (as defined in the Employment Agreement, dated as of June 27, 2013, between Dr. Missling and the Company, as amended and restated), effective immediately, for, among other things, conduct that the Special Committee believed was inconsistent with Company policy. The Special Committee has also requested that Dr. Missling resign as a member of the Board.
Appointment of Interim Chief Executive Officer
On May 4, 2026, the Board appointed Terrie Kellmeyer, PhD as the Company’s Interim Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Kellmeyer possesses over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and has held executive leadership positions in Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Operations, and Medical Affairs across multiple therapeutic areas. Prior to her appointment, she was the Senior Vice President, Clinical Development of the Company from November 2023 to May 2025 and has continued to work with the Company as a Senior Advisor since that date. Dr. Kellmeyer has also been acting as Executive Vice President, Regulatory Affairs at Aardvark Therapeutics since May 2025. Prior to joining Anavex, Dr. Kellmeyer held strategic leadership positions, including Group Vice President of Clinical Development at Acer Therapeutics from August 2021 to November 2023, Head of Global Regulatory Affairs at Madrigal Pharmaceuticals from July 2019 to August 2021 and positions of increasing responsibility at Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Gen-Probe. Dr. Kellmeyer also served as a consultant to Tunnell Consulting from August 2022 to May 2026 and to i2o Therapeutics from July 2025 to December 2025. Dr. Kellmeyer received her BS degree in Biotechnology from Rochester Institute of Technology, a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology from SUNY Syracuse and did a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Rochester.
In connection with Dr. Kellmeyer’s appointment, her annual base salary was set at $500,000 and her annual bonus is anticipated to be 30% of her base salary. Pursuant to the terms of her employment agreement, Dr. Kellmeyer will be paid a one-time cash signing bonus of $150,000 and will be awarded 200,000 stock options at a meeting of the Company’s Compensation Committee as soon as reasonably practicable following her start date.
There are no family relationships between Dr. Kellmeyer and any Company director or executive officer, and no arrangements or understandings between Dr. Kellmeyer and any other person pursuant to which she was selected as an officer. There have been no transactions, and there are no currently proposed transactions, to which the Company was or is a participant and in which Dr. Kellmeyer had or is to have a direct or indirect material interest that would require disclosure pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
A copy of the press release issued by the Company on May 6, 2026, announcing the appointment of Dr. Kellmeyer is attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
(d) Exhibits
| 99.1 | Press Release dated May 6, 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/ Sandra Boenisch | |
| Name: Sandra Boenisch, CPA, CGA | |
| Title: Principal Financial Officer, Treasurer | |
| Date: May 6, 2026 |
EXHIBIT 99.1
Anavex Life Sciences Board of Directors Appoints Former Senior Vice President of Clinical Development Terrie Kellmeyer, PhD, as Interim Chief Executive Officer
NEW YORK, NY, May 6, 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 that its Board of Directors has appointed the Company’s former Senior Vice President of Clinical Development and current Senior Advisor, Terrie Kellmeyer, PhD, as Interim Chief Executive Officer. These appointments follow the departure of President and Chief Executive Officer Christopher Missling, PhD, MS, MBA, from the Company on April 30, 2026, and a request for his resignation from the Board of Directors. Dr. Kellmeyer will lead the Company’s next phase of growth that aligns with its strategic initiatives in enhancing the clinical development programs of the Company’s current portfolio.
“The Board has the utmost confidence in Dr. Kellmeyer’s ability to drive our clinical programs forward,” said Dr. Ma. “Terrie has extensive experience in senior leadership roles in the biotech and therapeutics space along with vast knowledge of our portfolio. We believe her expertise in clinical development, regulatory and medical affairs, and quality assurance makes her the right partner to advance our pipeline while working closely with both the FDA and the EMA.”
Dr. Terrie Kellmeyer is a seasoned pharmaceutical executive with nearly three decades of experience across the full spectrum of drug development. Dr. Kellmeyer has served as the Department Head for Global Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Development, Clinical Operations, Safety, Quality Assurance and Medical Affairs at numerous healthcare companies over the last 30 years. Dr. Kellmeyer is a proven strategic leader, which is supported by her track record of leading successful regulatory submissions resulting in multiple FDA and EMA approvals.
“I look forward to executing and refining Anavex’s clinical, regulatory and operational strategy and working closing with the regulatory authorities that will help advance the development of our compounds,” stated Dr. Kellmeyer. “We believe in our core mission in developing innovative oral therapies for individuals living with neurological disorders and central nervous system diseases. With a strong cash balance and no long-term debt, we will continue to focus on our lead candidate, oral blarcamesine, in early Alzheimer’s disease, and begin to build out the appropriate team while creating long-term shareholder value.”
The Company expects to file a Form 12b-25 to extend the filing date of its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, as it is currently not expected to meet the due date for such report under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The Company intends to host a conference call and webcast that will provide further information regarding its second quarter 2026 financial results and the filing of its Form 10-Q at a later date.
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. Further information is available at www.anavex.com.
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.
Investor Relations & Media Contact:
SCR Partners, LLC
Alex Arzeno
Tel: 203-550-3972
Email: alex@scr-ir.com
Tripp Sullivan
Tel: 615-942-7077
Email: tsullivan@scr-ir.com
Company Contact:
Sandra Boenisch
Principal Financial Officer
Anavex Life Sciences Corp.
Tel: 1-844-689-3939
Email: ir@anavexcorp.com