Anavex Life Sciences Corp (AVXL)

[seventhwave]

notion that there is no deal as speculated and hoped by many

I think you're right. The new timeline chart serves to clean up and focus on the 3 impending trials.
Clean up, because a pathway for "Epilepsy" in the old pipeline was too generalized - as dadofM&M pointed out AVXL will initially target the genetic syndromes involving epileptic condition like Rett, Angelman syndrome, fragile x syndrome, Lennox-gastaut syndrome FIRST. Conditional on success, AVXL will then target focal (partial onset seizures) epilepsy and idiopathic and/or symptomatic generalized epilepsy (terminologies borrowed from dadofM&M). So you see, it didn't make sense to have just one pipeline pathway labeled "Epilepsy" and now AVXL is being SPECIFIC.
In the old chart, I had no idea what the pathway labeled "Cognition in Neuropsychiatric (Disorders)" was all about - it may have been a generalized placeholder for specific trials to come. Now it's gone - probaby means they will be addressed much later.
Dropping MS is certainly odd as work has been ONGOING and in the forefront although preclinical. Maybe there are no plans to start clinical work in the near future unless a sponsor steps up as they certainly don't have funds for it - no funds = no plan timeline. Not good enough reason to drop it though as other compounds/indications remain on the chart. Baffling move to say the least but impending (BIIB) outlicense couldn't have prompted it as it would be an uncalled for manoeuver and an unjustified omission.