Pacira BioSciences Announces Strategic Collaboration to Significantly Expand ZILRETTA Promotional Efforts

Rhea-AI Summary

Pacira BioSciences (NASDAQ: PCRX) has announced a strategic collaboration with Johnson & Johnson MedTech to expand the market reach of ZILRETTA, their extended-release treatment for osteoarthritis knee pain. The partnership aims to leverage J&J's specialized early intervention sales force to co-promote the treatment.

The collaboration aligns with Pacira's 5x30 strategy and is expected to significantly expand access across the 7 million intra-articular knee injections administered annually in the U.S. The partnership will extend ZILRETTA's reach beyond orthopedic practices into sports medicine, pain management, and rheumatology specialties.

Positive

• Strategic partnership with Johnson & Johnson MedTech expands market reach
• Access to J&J's specialized sales force for co-promotion
• Potential to tap into 7 million annual intra-articular knee injection market
• Expansion into additional physician specialties beyond orthopedics

Negative

• None.

Insights

Pharmaceutical Industry Analyst

Pacira's ZILRETTA collaboration with J&J MedTech significantly expands market reach, potentially boosting revenues through enhanced commercialization capabilities.

This strategic partnership between Pacira BioSciences and Johnson & Johnson MedTech represents a substantial commercial opportunity for ZILRETTA, Pacira's extended-release osteoarthritis knee pain treatment. The collaboration leverages J&J's specialized early intervention sales force, which already promotes hyaluronic acid injections to the same target market.

The arrangement addresses a critical commercial challenge for Pacira: expanding their reach across the 7 million annual intra-articular knee injections administered in the U.S. By tapping into J&J's established sales infrastructure, Pacira gains access to additional physician specialties beyond orthopedics, including sports medicine, pain management, and rheumatology - effectively multiplying their commercial footprint without the substantial costs of building their own expanded sales force.

This collaboration aligns perfectly with Pacira's "5x30 strategy" of using targeted partnerships to drive growth while enhancing commercial presence. For ZILRETTA specifically, which offers extended pain relief through its unique formulation, broader physician awareness could substantially increase adoption rates in a market still dominated by traditional steroid injections and hyaluronic acid products.

The deal structure appears focused on commercial execution rather than development, suggesting Pacira maintains primary control of the product while gaining significant promotional support. This approach typically preserves higher margins compared to traditional licensing deals, while still addressing the market penetration challenge that smaller pharmaceutical companies often face with specialized products.

Partnership expected to advance 5x30 strategy by increasing ZILRETTA sales calls and extensively expanding patient access

BRISBANE, CA, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pacira BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCRX), the industry leader in the delivery of innovative, non-opioid pain therapies to transform the lives of patients, today announced a strategic collaboration¹ with Johnson & Johnson MedTech to significantly expand the market reach of ZILRETTA^® (triamcinolone acetonide extended-release injectable suspension), leveraging its specialized early intervention sales force to co-promote the treatment to existing and new customers. ZILRETTA is Pacira’s extended-release treatment for osteoarthritis knee pain. This agreement is expected to significantly expand access and extend reach across a large portion of the seven million intra-articular knee injections administered to patients annually in the U.S.

“This partnership embodies our 5x30 strategy of leveraging innovative, targeted collaborations that drive growth, enhance our commercial presence, and improve the patient journey with safe, effective non-opioid treatments," said Frank D. Lee, chief executive officer of Pacira BioSciences. “With its proven long-lasting benefits and distinct mechanism of action, ZILRETTA is uniquely positioned to meet a critical need in osteoarthritis pain management, and we believe this agreement will allow us to reach even more patients across the country,” added Mr. Lee.

With a significantly expanded promotional effort through a collaboration with Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s early intervention sales force, which currently promotes hyaluronic acid injections for osteoarthritis knee pain, this team now has the opportunity to support individualized pain management based on patient needs and preferences. This collaboration extends the reach of ZILRETTA beyond orthopedic practices into additional physician specialties, including sports medicine, pain management and rheumatology.

About Pacira
Pacira delivers innovative, non-opioid pain therapies to transform the lives of patients. Pacira has three commercial-stage non-opioid treatments: EXPAREL^® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension), a long-acting local analgesic currently approved for infiltration, fascial plane block, and as an interscalene brachial plexus nerve block, an adductor canal nerve block, and a sciatic nerve block in the popliteal fossa for postsurgical pain management; ZILRETTA^® (triamcinolone acetonide extended-release injectable suspension), an extended-release, intra-articular injection indicated for the management of osteoarthritis knee pain; and iovera_®º, a novel, handheld device for delivering immediate, long-acting, drug-free pain control using precise, controlled doses of cold temperature to a targeted nerve. The Company is also advancing the development of PCRX-201 (enekinragene inzadenovec), a novel, locally administered gene therapy with the potential to treat large prevalent diseases like osteoarthritis. To learn more about Pacira, visit www.pacira.com.

About ZILRETTA^® (triamcinolone acetonide extended-release injectable suspension)

On October 6, 2017, ZILRETTA was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the first and only extended-release intra-articular therapy for patients confronting osteoarthritis (OA)- related knee pain. ZILRETTA employs proprietary microsphere technology combining triamcinolone acetonide—a commonly administered, short-acting corticosteroid—with a poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) matrix to provide extended pain relief. The pivotal Phase 3 trial on which the approval of ZILRETTA was based showed that ZILRETTA significantly reduced OA knee pain for 12 weeks, with some people experiencing pain relief through Week 16. Learn more at www.zilretta.com.

Indication and Select Important Safety Information for ZILRETTA

Indication: ZILRETTA is indicated as an intra-articular injection for the management of OA pain of the knee. Limitation of Use: The efficacy and safety of repeat administration of ZILRETTA have not been demonstrated.

Contraindication: ZILRETTA is contraindicated in patients who are hypersensitive to triamcinolone acetonide, corticosteroids or any components of the product.

Warnings and Precautions:

• Intra-articular Use Only: ZILRETTA has not been evaluated and should not be administered by epidural, intrathecal, intravenous, intraocular, intramuscular, intradermal, or subcutaneous routes. ZILRETTA should not be considered safe for epidural or intrathecal administration.
• Serious Neurologic Adverse Reactions with Epidural and Intrathecal Administration: Serious neurologic events have been reported following epidural or intrathecal corticosteroid administration. Corticosteroids are not approved for this use.
• Hypersensitivity reactions: Serious reactions have been reported with triamcinolone acetonide injection. Institute appropriate care if an anaphylactic reaction occurs.
• Joint infection and damage: A marked increase in joint pain, joint swelling, restricted motion, fever and malaise may suggest septic arthritis. If this occurs, conduct appropriate evaluation and if confirmed, institute appropriate antimicrobial treatment.

Adverse Reactions: The most commonly reported adverse reactions (incidence ≥1%) in clinical studies included sinusitis, cough, and contusions.

Please see ZILRETTALabel.com for full Prescribing Information.

Forward-Looking Statements
Any statements in this press release about Pacira’s future expectations, plans, trends, outlook, projections and prospects, and other statements containing the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements related to: '5x30', our growth and business strategy, our future outlook, our intellectual property and patent terms, our growth and future operating results and trends, our plans, objectives, expectations (financial or otherwise) and intentions, future financial results and growth potential, including our plans with respect to the repayment of our indebtedness, anticipated product portfolio, development programs, development of products, strategic alliances, plans with respect to the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (“NOPAIN”) Act, the expected cost savings and benefits of the July 2025 reduction in force and other statements that are not historical facts. For this purpose, any statement that is not a statement of historical fact should be considered a forward-looking statement. We cannot assure you that our estimates, assumptions and expectations will prove to have been correct. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including risks relating to, among others: the failure to realize the anticipated benefits and synergies from the acquisition of GQ Bio Therapeutics GmbH; risks associated with acquisitions, such as the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully, that such integration may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected or that the expected benefits of the transaction will not occur; our manufacturing and supply chain, global and U.S. economic conditions (including inflation and rising interest rates), and our business, including our revenues, financial condition, cash flow and results of operations; the success of our sales and manufacturing efforts in support of the commercialization of EXPAREL, ZILRETTA and iovera°; the rate and degree of market acceptance of EXPAREL, ZILRETTA and iovera°; the size and growth of the potential markets for EXPAREL, ZILRETTA and iovera° and our ability to serve those markets; our plans to expand the use of EXPAREL, ZILRETTA and iovera° to additional indications and opportunities, and the timing and success of any related clinical trials for EXPAREL, ZILRETTA and iovera°; the commercial success of EXPAREL, ZILRETTA and iovera°; the related timing and success of U.S. Food and Drug Administration supplemental New Drug Applications and premarket notification 510(k)s; the related timing and success of European Medicines Agency Marketing Authorization Applications; our plans to evaluate, develop and pursue additional product candidates utilizing our proprietary multivesicular liposome (“pMVL”) drug delivery technology; the approval of the commercialization of our products in other jurisdictions; clinical trials in support of an existing or potential pMVL-based product; our commercialization and marketing capabilities; our ability to successfully complete capital projects; the outcome of any litigation; the recoverability of our deferred tax assets; assumptions associated with contingent consideration payments; assumptions used for estimated future cash flows associated with determining the fair value of the Company; the anticipated funding or benefits of our share repurchase program; and factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in other filings that we periodically make with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent our views as of the date of this press release. Important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by forward-looking statements, and as such we anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. Except as required by applicable law, we undertake no intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, and readers should not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

---

¹ Co-Promotion Agreement between Pacira Pharmaceuticals Inc. and DePuy Synthes Sales, Inc.

Investor Contact:
Susan Mesco, (973) 451-4030
susan.mesco@pacira.com

Media Contact:
Sara Marino, (973) 370-5430
sara.marino@pacira.com

FAQ

What is the new partnership between Pacira BioSciences (PCRX) and Johnson & Johnson MedTech?

The partnership is a strategic collaboration where Johnson & Johnson MedTech will co-promote ZILRETTA, Pacira's extended-release treatment for osteoarthritis knee pain, using their specialized early intervention sales force.

How will the PCRX collaboration affect ZILRETTA's market reach?

The collaboration will expand ZILRETTA's reach beyond orthopedic practices into additional physician specialties, including sports medicine, pain management, and rheumatology, targeting the 7 million annual intra-articular knee injections market in the U.S.

What is ZILRETTA and what is it used for?

ZILRETTA is Pacira BioSciences' extended-release injectable suspension treatment specifically designed for osteoarthritis knee pain.

How does this partnership align with Pacira's business strategy?

The partnership aligns with Pacira's 5x30 strategy of leveraging innovative collaborations to drive growth, enhance commercial presence, and improve patient access to non-opioid treatments.