---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0001731122-23-001007"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "AVXL"
cik: "0001314052"
company_name: "ANAVEX LIFE SCIENCES CORP."
filed_at: "2023-05-24T23:59:59+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-06-14T15:44:01.920216+00:00"
event_type: "other"
sentiment: "neutral"
materiality_score: 0.1
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.1
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Anavex shareholders elect all six directors, ratify Grant Thornton LLP at 2023 annual meeting

## Summary
- 65% of outstanding shares (52.1M) represented at May 23, 2023 meeting.
- All six director nominees elected, including CEO Christopher Missling (24.8M for, 1.9M withheld).
- Ratification of Grant Thornton LLP as auditor passed with 51.1M for, 0.7M against, 0.3M abstain.
- No broker non-votes on auditor ratification; all directors had ~25.3M broker non-votes.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0001731122-23-001007
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: AVXL
- cik: 0001314052
- company_name: ANAVEX LIFE SCIENCES CORP.
- filed_at: 2023-05-24T23:59:59+00:00
- event_type: other
- sentiment: neutral
- materiality_score: 0.1
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.1
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 5.07
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1314052/000173112223001007/0001731122-23-001007-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1314052/000173112223001007/e4737_8-k.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001731122-23-001007
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001731122-23-001007.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001731122-23-001007.txt

## Key facts
- Shareholder Votes
  ANAVEX LIFE SCIENCES CORP. shareholders approved Election of six directors: Christopher Missling, PhD, Claus van der Velden, PhD, Athanasios Skarpelos, Jiong Ma, PhD, Steffen Thomas, PhD and Peter Donhauser, D.O. at the 2023-05-23 meeting.
  - Proposal: director election
  - Outcome: passed
  - Meeting: 2023-05-23
  source text: The stockholders holding a majority of the Common Stock having voting power present in person or represented by proxy elected the six (6) directors by the following votes: Name For Withheld Broker Non-Votes Christopher Missling, PhD 24,844,203 1,895,064 25,349,339 Claus van der Velden, PhD 20,966,462 5,772,805 25,349,339 Athanasios Skarpelos 23,250,832 3,488,435 25,349,339 Jiong Ma, PhD 25,109,638 1,629,629 25,349,339 Steffen Thomas, PhD 25,236,805 1,502,462 25,349,339 Peter Donhauser, D.O. 25,186,408 1,552,859 25,349,339
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1314052/000173112223001007/0001731122-23-001007-index.htm
- Shareholder Votes
  ANAVEX LIFE SCIENCES CORP. shareholders approved Ratification of Grant Thornton LLP as the Company's independent registered accounting firm at the 2023-05-23 meeting.
  - Proposal: auditor ratification
  - Outcome: passed
  - Meeting: 2023-05-23
  source text: The stockholders holding a majority of the Common Stock having voting power present in person or represented by proxy ratified Grant Thornton LLP as the Company’s independent registered accounting firm by the following votes: For Against Abstain Broker Non-Votes 51,086,713 709,931 291,962 —
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1314052/000173112223001007/0001731122-23-001007-index.htm

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.