Pacira Highlights New NOPAIN Act Survey Data Conducted by Voices for Non-Opioid Choices

Rhea-AI Summary

Pacira (Nasdaq: PCRX) highlighted survey findings from Voices for Non-Opioid Choices showing early impacts of the NOPAIN Act after its Jan 1, 2025 effective date. The national ATU survey of nearly 750 facilities found 85% awareness, 52% increased non-opioid use steps, and reductions in opioid prescribing.

Respondents reported decreases in immediate post-surgical prescribing (83%) and at discharge (88%), plus perioperative and postoperative protocol changes (52% and 51%).

Positive

• 85% facility awareness of NOPAIN Act among surveyed directors
• 52% of facilities reported taking steps to increase non-opioid utilization
• 83% reported decreased opioid prescribing immediately after surgery
• 88% reported decreased opioid prescribing at discharge
• 52% changed perioperative pain protocols and 51% changed postoperative protocols

Negative

• 48% of facilities had not taken steps to increase non-opioid use
• Survey sampled nearly 750 facilities, which may limit national representativeness

BRISBANE, Calif., Feb. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pacira BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: PCRX), the industry leader in its commitment to deliver innovative, non-opioid pain therapies, today highlighted new survey findings released by the Voices for Non-Opioid Choices (Voices) coalition following the first year of the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction (“NOPAIN”) Act.

Made up of more than 250 organizations dedicated to preventing opioid addiction before it starts, Voices is the nation’s leading nonpartisan coalition dedicated to ensuring patient access to non-addictive pain management approaches

Data were gathered from a national awareness, trial, and usage (ATU) survey of nearly 750 hospitals, health systems, and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) directors of pharmacy, medical directors, surgeons, and anesthesiologists. Results illustrate the early impacts of the NOPAIN Act, which went into effect on January 1, 2025, with key highlights including:

• Eighty-five percent of facility representatives surveyed were aware of the legislation, and more than half (52 percent) of facilities surveyed had taken steps to increase utilization of qualifying non-opioid options.
• More than 80 percent of those surveyed reported that the legislation has decreased opioid prescribing immediately after surgery (83 percent) and at discharge (88 percent); and
• The majority of respondents report changing perioperative and postoperative pain management protocols (52 and 51 percent, respectively) to increase the use of non-opioids and decrease the use of opioids.
  

“The NOPAIN Act is a pivotal step forward for patients and for Pacira’s mission,” said Frank D. Lee, Chief Executive Officer at Pacira. “We are already seeing clear evidence that this policy is providing an important catalyst for expanding access to safe, effective non-opioid pain management options for Medicare patients, with commercial payers increasingly recognizing the value and following suit.”

“We are very encouraged to see the NOPAIN Act delivering on its core promise of reducing our reliance on opioids in the postsurgical setting,” said Chris Fox, Executive Director of Voices for Non-Opioid Choices. “By reducing our overreliance on prescription opioids, we can prevent opioid addiction and save lives. We remain committed to working alongside providers, patients, and facilities to advance access to non-opioid options, and look forward to consistently tracking the growing impact of this important reimbursement policy.”

Signed into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, the NOPAIN Act sought to prevent opioid addiction by increasing access to qualifying non-opioid pain management options for Medicare beneficiaries undergoing surgery in ASC and hospital outpatient department settings.

For more information on the ATU, including the complete results, click here.

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 a pipeline of clinical-stage assets for musculoskeletal pain and adjacencies, its most advanced product candidate, PCRX-201 (enekinragene inzadenovec), a novel locally administered gene therapy, is in Phase 2 clinical development for osteoarthritis of the knee. To learn more about Pacira, visit www.pacira.com.

About Voices for Non-Opioid Choices
Voices for Non-Opioid Choices is a nonpartisan coalition dedicated to preventing opioid addiction before it starts by increasing patient and provider access to non-opioid therapies and approaches to manage acute pain. For more information, visit www.nonopioidchoices.org.

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 “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “can” 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: the contributions of new directors; '5x30', our growth and business strategy, our future outlook, the strength and efficacy of our intellectual property protection and patent terms, our future growth potential and future financial and operating results and trends, our plans, objectives, expectations (financial or otherwise) and intentions, including our plans with respect to the repayment of our indebtedness, anticipated product portfolio and product development programs, strategic alliances, plans with respect to the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (“NOPAIN”) Act and any 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 these 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 United States economic conditions (including tariffs, inflation and rising interest rates), and our business, including our revenues, financial condition, cash flows 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, iovera° and any of our other product candidates, including PCRX-201; the commercial success of EXPAREL, ZILRETTA and iovera°; the related timing and success of United States 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 and 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. 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.

These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements. These factors include the matters discussed and referenced in the “Risk Factors” of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in other filings that we periodically make with the SEC.

Investor Contact: Susan Mesco, (973) 451-4030 susan.mesco@pacira.com
Media Contact: Sara Marino, (973) 370-5430 sara.marino@pacira.com

FAQ

What did the February 12, 2026 Pacira (PCRX) release say about awareness of the NOPAIN Act?

Eighty-five percent of surveyed facility leaders were aware of the NOPAIN Act. According to Pacira, the ATU survey of nearly 750 hospitals, health systems, and ASCs found widespread awareness after the law took effect on January 1, 2025.

How many facilities reported increasing non-opioid use under the NOPAIN Act, per Pacira (PCRX)?

Fifty-two percent of facilities reported taking steps to increase qualifying non-opioid options. According to Pacira, that figure comes from the ATU survey of nearly 750 facility directors in the first year after the law.

What impact did the NOPAIN Act have on immediate post-surgery opioid prescribing, according to Pacira (PCRX)?

Eighty-three percent of respondents said the law decreased opioid prescribing immediately after surgery. According to Pacira, this result reflects clinicians reporting reduced immediate post-surgical opioid use in the ATU survey.

How did the NOPAIN Act affect opioid prescribing at discharge, per the Pacira (PCRX) announcement?

Eighty-eight percent reported decreased opioid prescribing at discharge. According to Pacira, the ATU survey indicates stronger reductions in discharge prescribing following the NOPAIN Act's Jan 1, 2025 implementation.

What protocol changes did facilities report in Pacira's (PCRX) NOPAIN Act survey results?

A majority reported changing protocols: 52% perioperative and 51% postoperative. According to Pacira, these protocol shifts aim to increase non-opioid use and decrease opioid reliance in surgical care pathways.

Does the Pacira (PCRX) release note any limitations of the NOPAIN Act survey data?

The release indicates the ATU survey covered nearly 750 facilities, implying scope but not full national certainty. According to Pacira, the findings reflect early impacts after the law but are based on facility-reported responses.