Pacira Pharmaceuticals
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.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
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.
Pacira Pharmaceuticals firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Pacira Pharmaceuticals industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Pacira Pharmaceuticals is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Pacira Pharmaceuticals business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- 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.
- 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
Pacira Pharmaceuticals product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Pacira Pharmaceuticals
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Pacira Pharmaceuticals technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Pacira Pharmaceuticals partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered regional, minor and core.
- LG ChemregionalDistribution 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 ConsortiumminorPacira 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.
- AmacaTheracoreExclusive 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 MedTechcoreExpanded 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 ChoicesminorPacira 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
Pacira Pharmaceuticals competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Pacira Pharmaceuticals social profiles
Digital presencePacira Pharmaceuticals financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pacira Pharmaceuticals leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Pacira Pharmaceuticals subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Pacira Pharmaceuticals funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pacira Pharmaceuticals M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A4 records
Investments10 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pacira Pharmaceuticals
What does Pacira Pharmaceuticals do?
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.
Is Pacira Pharmaceuticals a public or private company?
Pacira Pharmaceuticals is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Pacira Pharmaceuticals founded?
Pacira Pharmaceuticals was founded in 1989. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Pacira Pharmaceuticals based?
Pacira Pharmaceuticals is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pacira Pharmaceuticals make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Pharmaceutical Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are licensing and Distribution Revenue.
Who are Pacira Pharmaceuticals's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Heron Therapeutics, Collegium Pharmaceutical and Assertio Therapeutics. Emerging players are Flexion Therapeutics (now Pacira subsidiary) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Broad incumbents are Johnson & Johnson MedTech, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, AbbVie and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals.
Does Pacira Pharmaceuticals have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pacira Pharmaceuticals.
What industry is Pacira Pharmaceuticals in?
Pacira Pharmaceuticals's product category is Specialty Pharmaceuticals — Non-Opioid Pain Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAIAAAN, Pain Management & Anesthesiology Pharmaceuticals, with a secondary code of HLAKALAM, Pain Management (Spine & Musculoskeletal). Its NAICS code is 334510 and its SIC code is 2834.