Pacira Pharmaceuticals

What Pacira Pharmaceuticals does

Pacira Pharmaceuticals is the commercial brand under which Pacira BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCRX), a publicly traded specialty pharmaceutical company headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey with operational offices in San Diego and Tampa, develops and markets non-opioid therapies for postsurgical and chronic pain. The company's portfolio comprises three core commercial products: EXPAREL (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension), a long-acting local analgesic using the proprietary pMVL (multivesicular liposome) drug delivery platform to provide up to 72 hours of postsurgical pain relief from a single injection; ZILRETTA (triamcinolone acetonide extended-release injectable suspension), an intra-articular corticosteroid using PLGA microsphere technology to deliver up to 12 weeks of knee osteoarthritis pain relief; and iovera°, an FDA-cleared cryoneurolysis device that uses extreme cold to temporarily block peripheral nerve pain signals. The company also has a pipeline including PCRX-201, an investigational IL-1 pathway gene therapy for knee osteoarthritis currently in Phase 2 trials.

Pacira generates revenue primarily through pharmaceutical product sales to hospitals, health systems, outpatient hospital departments (HOPDs), and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), supplemented by licensing and distribution revenue from regional partnerships such as the LG Chem arrangement for South Korea and Thailand. Go-to-market is executed through an enterprise field sales force targeting anesthesiologists, orthopedic surgeons, rheumatologists, sports medicine physicians, pain management specialists, dental surgeons, and plastic surgeons, with products embedded in hospital formularies and GPO contracts. Additional revenue mechanics include upfront, milestone, and royalty payments from licensing deals such as the AmacaThera AMT-143 agreement (up to $230 million in milestones plus royalties). The company also pursues direct-to-consumer campaigns, advocacy partnerships (e.g., Voices for Non-Opioid Choices), and real-world evidence generation through the PROBE Consortium. Customer outcomes include more than 15 million cumulative EXPAREL patients and over 1.25 million ZILRETTA patients treated, supporting brand equity and physician loyalty across the non-opioid pain management category.

Name

Pacira Pharmaceuticals

Legal name

Pacira BioSciences, Inc.

Website

http://www.pacira.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Pacira Pharmaceuticals (Pacira BioSciences, NASDAQ: PCRX) is a publicly traded specialty pharmaceutical company developing and commercializing non-opioid therapies — EXPAREL, ZILRETTA, and iovera — for postsurgical, musculoskeletal, and chronic pain, serving hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and physicians in the U.S. and select Asia-Pacific markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Pharmaceuticals — Non-Opioid Pain Management

NAICS

Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510), Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Electromedical & Electrotherapeutic Apparatus (3845), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Pain Management & Anesthesiology Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pain Management (Spine & Musculoskeletal) (HLAKALAM), Pain Medicine (Interventional/Neuropathic Pain) (HLAKAIAM)

Keywords

• Non-opioid pain management
• Postsurgical analgesics
• Liposomal drug delivery
• Cryoneurolysis devices
• Extended-release injectables

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Product Sales: Pacira generates revenue primarily from the sale of prescription pharmaceutical products — EXPAREL, ZILRETTA, and iovera — to hospitals, health systems, outpatient surgery centers, and physician offices. Revenue is recurring through ongoing surgical and chronic pain patient volumes. EXPAREL is projected at $600–620M in 2026.
2. Licensing and Distribution Revenue: Pacira earns licensing and distribution revenue through agreements such as the LG Chem partnership for EXPAREL distribution in South Korea and Thailand (effective 2026) and the exclusive global licensing agreement with AmacaThera for AMT-143. These partnerships generate upfront, milestone, and royalty payments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pacira develops, manufactures, and commercializes non-opioid pain management pharmaceuticals and medical devices, including EXPAREL (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension for postsurgical pain), ZILRETTA (extended-release corticosteroid for osteoarthritis knee pain), and iovera (cryoneurolysis device for peripheral nerve pain). The portfolio addresses postsurgical, chronic, and musculoskeletal pain using proprietary drug delivery platforms, including the multivesicular liposome (pMVL) technology and PLGA microsphere formulation.

Product overview

Pacira BioSciences is a pharmaceutical company offering a portfolio of non-opioid pain management therapies. The core commercial products include EXPAREL (a long-acting local anesthetic using pMVL liposome technology for postsurgical pain), iovera° (a cryoneurolysis device using extreme cold for nerve pain blocking), and ZILRETTA (an extended-release corticosteroid injection for osteoarthritis knee pain). The pipeline includes PCRX-201, an investigational gene therapy for osteoarthritis. All products focus on opioid-sparing pain management across acute, chronic, and musculoskeletal pain conditions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EXPAREL: Bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension - a local anesthetic administered at surgery to control pain and reduce opioid use for acute postsurgical pain. The only non-opioid option approved for postsurgical local analgesia in patients 6 years and older.
• ZILRETTA
• iovera
• PCRX-201 (enekinragene inzadenovec)
• pMVL Technology

Products and services

• EXPAREL (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) A long-acting, non-opioid local anesthetic administered at the time of surgery via infiltration (patients 6 years and older) or via interscalene brachial plexus nerve block (adults) to control postsurgical pain and reduce or eliminate opioid use. Uses the proprietary pMVL (multivesicular liposome) drug delivery platform to encapsulate bupivacaine for sustained release over up to 72 hours. Sold to hospitals, HOPDs, ASCs, and specialty surgeons including anesthesiologists, orthopedic surgeons, and plastic surgeons.
• ZILRETTA (triamcinolone acetonide extended-release injectable suspension) The first and only FDA-approved extended-release intra-articular corticosteroid injection for osteoarthritis knee pain, combining triamcinolone acetonide with a PLGA (poly lactic-co-glycolic acid) microsphere matrix to provide up to 12 weeks of pain relief from a single injection. Targeted at orthopedic surgeons, rheumatologists, and pain management specialists treating knee OA patients; benefits from orphan drug exclusivity.
• iovera (Cryoneurolysis System) An FDA-cleared, handheld cryoneurolysis device that uses focused extreme cold to temporarily ablate targeted peripheral nerves, blocking pain signal transmission for up to three months from a single treatment. Drug-free, non-opioid, non-pharmaceutical pain management option for patients seeking alternatives to medications. Used by pain management specialists, orthopedic surgeons, and other interventional physicians.
• PCRX-201 (enekinragene inzadenovec) An investigational gene therapy for knee osteoarthritis currently in Phase 2 clinical trials. Designed to inhibit IL-1 pathway activation by delivering IL-1Ra production via an inflammation-responsive promoter, with the goal of providing durable pain relief from a single injection. Pipeline product within Pacira's broader musculoskeletal pain franchise.
• pMVL (Multivesicular Liposome) Drug Delivery Technology Platform Proprietary drug delivery technology that encapsulates active pharmaceutical ingredients in microscopic, spherical, lipid-based particles composed of honeycomb-like internal aqueous chambers, enabling controlled, prolonged release of drugs over extended periods. Commercialized via EXPAREL and licensed to partners including AmacaThera for AMT-143 under an exclusive global licensing agreement.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 15 million cumulative EXPAREL patients treated since product launch.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered regional, minor and core.

• LG ChemregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 13 January 2026Distribution agreement for EXPAREL (bupivacaine multivesicular liposome) in South Korea and Thailand. LG Chem will handle local regulatory approvals, marketing, and distribution in these Asia-Pacific markets, with the partnership effective in 2026.
• PROBE ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2025Pacira joined the PROBE (Patient-centered Research in Osteoarthritis/Broader Experiences) Consortium to advance osteoarthritis research, contributing real-world evidence and patient-reported outcomes to support the understanding and treatment of knee OA.
• AmacaTheracoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 4 November 2025Exclusive global licensing agreement for AMT-143, a novel injectable depot formulation leveraging Pacira's proprietary multivesicular liposome (pMVL) technology. Deal terms include upfront, development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments worth up to $230 million, plus royalties. Pacira provides its pMVL technology platform while AmacaThera develops the product.
• Johnson & Johnson MedTechcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Expanded strategic partnership to broaden the reach of ZILRETTA (extended-release intra-articular corticosteroid for knee osteoarthritis pain). The goal is to triple ZILRETTA's market reach, combining J&J MedTech's commercial infrastructure with Pacira's product portfolio to expand access for OA patients.
• Voices for Non-Opioid ChoicesminorOthers · 1 January 2025Pacira is a member of Voices for Non-Opioid Choices, a nonprofit coalition advocating for policies that expand patient access to non-opioid pain management alternatives in healthcare settings.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Heron Therapeutics: Specialty pharmaceutical company focused on postoperative and oncology pain management with non-opioid products like Zynrelef (bupivacaine/meloxicam extended-release) — a direct competitor to Pacira's EXPAREL franchise in the postsurgical local analgesia market.
• Collegium Pharmaceutical: Specialty pharma focused on responsible pain management with products like Xtampza ER (oxycodone extended-release) and the Jornyx PM buphrenorphine franchise, competing in the broader non-opioid and opioid-sparing pain management space alongside Pacira.
• Assertio Therapeutics: Specialty pharma commercializing non-opioid and opioid-sparing pain therapies (e.g., Gralise, Zipsor, Cambia), targeting the same prescribers (pain specialists, orthopedic surgeons) with overlapping positioning in the alternative pain management market.

Emerging players

• Flexion Therapeutics (now Pacira subsidiary): Pre-acquisition developer of ZILRETTA, the intra-articular extended-release corticosteroid for knee OA pain — now part of Pacira, but historically a direct specialty-pain peer targeting the same osteoarthritis prescriber base.
• Vertex Pharmaceuticals: Biotech advancing non-opioid pain candidates (e.g., VX-548, suzetrigine) for acute and neuropathic pain — a credible emerging competitor signaling the entry of large R&D players into Pacira's core non-opioid pain category.

Broad incumbents

• Johnson & Johnson MedTech: Diversified medical device and pharma leader with substantial orthopedic surgical and pain management presence; strategic partner to Pacira for ZILRETTA expansion and a broad incumbent in musculoskeletal pain treatments.
• Pfizer: Global pharmaceutical incumbent with broad pain and inflammation portfolio including Celebrex, Lyrica, and Eliquis; competes in adjacent pain categories and has the commercial scale to enter Pacira's segments.
• Eli Lilly: Major pharma incumbent with significant pain and immunology portfolio (e.g., Emgality, Taltz) and aggressive investment in non-opioid pain therapeutics, positioning it as a large-scale competitor and potential disruptor.
• AbbVie: Diversified pharma giant with leading pain and inflammation franchises (Humira, Skyrizi, Rinvoq); its scale and commercial reach in orthopedic and rheumatology channels make it a relevant broad incumbent peer.
• Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals: Specialty pharma with a portfolio spanning pain management (e.g., Roxicodone, Exalgo) and hospital products — overlapping with Pacira in postsurgical pain prescribing channels, though primarily in opioid-based therapies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PaciraBio
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@PaciraBio
• Facebookfacebook.com/180221595381303
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pacira-pharmaceuticals-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/pacirabio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A4 records

Investments10 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pacira Pharmaceuticals