Our Company

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. The company was founded in 1988 as Lidak Pharmaceuticals, Inc. with a focus on research based human therapeutics. In the mid-1990s the name changed to Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and the mission was re-focused to the areas of cardiovascular, autoimmune and infectious diseases. In 1999, the company in-licensed NUEDEXTA® and began clinical development. In January 2015, Avanir became a subsidiary of Otsuka America, Inc. (OAI), a holding company established in the U.S. in 1989. OAI is wholly owned by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a global healthcare company with the corporate philosophy: 'Otsuka-people creating new products for better health worldwide.'