Pacira Biosciences Inc Stock Price, News & Analysis

Pacira BioSciences (NASDAQ: PCRX) has announced a settlement of patent litigation with Fresenius Kabi USA and other companies regarding EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension). The settlement grants Fresenius two key licenses:

1. A volume- license starting in early 2030, beginning with high-single-digit percentage of U.S. market volumes, gradually increasing to the high thirties percentage by the final three years.

2. An unlimited volume license beginning no earlier than 2039.

The agreement comes before the July 2, 2044 expiration of Pacira's last Orange Book-listed EXPAREL patent. The settlement resolves all outstanding claims and includes Consent Judgments filing with various U.S. Courts to prevent Fresenius from marketing generic versions before the agreed terms.

Pacira BioSciences (PCRX) has initiated Phase 2 clinical trials for PCRX-201, a novel gene therapy for knee osteoarthritis treatment. The first patient has been dosed in the ASCEND study, which will evaluate the safety and efficacy of this locally administered therapy.

The study will involve 135 patients aged 45-80 with knee OA, testing two doses (1.4 x 10¹⁰ and 1.4 x 10¹¹ genome copies) against saline. PCRX-201 uses a proprietary high-capacity adenovirus vector platform to boost IL-1Ra production, targeting inflammation in the knee joint.

The two-part trial's primary endpoint focuses on safety through Week 52, with secondary endpoints measuring pain and physical function. Initial topline results are expected by late 2026. In Phase 1, a single injection demonstrated pain relief lasting at least two years across all OA severity levels.

Pacira BioSciences (Nasdaq: PCRX), a leading provider of non-opioid pain therapies, has announced its participation in the 24th Annual Needham Virtual Healthcare Conference. The company will engage in an analyst-led fireside chat scheduled for Monday, April 7, 2025, at 11:45 AM ET.

Interested parties can access the live audio stream of the virtual event through the 'Events' section on the company's investor website at investor.pacira.com. A recording of the webcast will remain available for two weeks after the event.

Pacira BioSciences (PCRX) has confirmed receiving director nominations from DOMA Perpetual Capital Management for its 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. DOMA has proposed three candidates for election to Pacira's Board of Directors.

In response, Pacira stated that its Board and management team are implementing actions to enhance shareholder value, including a recently completed comprehensive portfolio review and the establishment of their '5x30 plan'. The company's Nominating, Governance and Sustainability Committee will evaluate DOMA's proposed candidates as part of their standard review process.

The Board will present its formal recommendation regarding director nominees in the upcoming definitive proxy statement. No immediate shareholder action is required, and the 2025 Annual Meeting date has not been announced. Evercore and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz are serving as financial and legal advisors respectively.

DOMA Perpetual Capital Management, owning 4.2% of Pacira BioSciences (NASDAQ: PCRX), has nominated three directors to the company's board amid concerns over poor performance and capital allocation. The activist investor highlighted that Pacira's stock has declined 76% over the past decade while the S&P 500 gained 167%.

The key concerns include:

• 33% stock price decline under current CEO Frank Lee
• Management compensation totaling nearly half a billion dollars (approximately 50% of current market cap)
• Questionable capital allocation strategies

DOMA's nominated candidates include: Joseph Kromholz (IP law expert), Philip Pucciarelli (healthcare investment banking veteran), and Eric de Armas (DOMA's CFO/CCO). DOMA aims to accelerate share buybacks and return cash to shareholders while avoiding substantial risks until IP battle certainty is achieved.

Pacira BioSciences (PCRX) has granted inducement awards to six new employees on March 4, 2025, under its Amended and Restated 2014 Inducement Plan. The awards include:

• Stock options for 23,500 shares granted to five employees, with a 10-year term and exercise price of $23.53 per share
• 29,400 restricted stock units (RSUs) distributed among six employees

The stock options follow a four-year vesting schedule with 25% vesting on first employment anniversary and quarterly installments over 36 months thereafter. RSUs vest annually in four equal installments starting March 1, 2026. All awards require continued employment and were approved by the Compensation Committee under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

Pacira BioSciences (PCRX) reported its Q4 and full-year 2024 financial results, achieving record revenues of $701 million for the year, a 4% increase from 2023. The company posted a full-year GAAP net loss of $99.6 million and adjusted EBITDA of $223.9 million.

Key Q4 metrics include revenues of $187.3 million and GAAP net income of $16 million. Product performance showed EXPAREL sales at $147.7 million (+3%), ZILRETTA at $33.1 million (+15%), and iovera° at $6.5 million (+7%).

The company announced its new Five-Year Plan (5x30) to transition into an innovative biopharmaceutical organization, focusing on musculoskeletal pain. Strategic moves include acquiring the remaining 81% stake in GQ Bio for $32 million and receiving FDA clearance for a new iovera° SmartTip for chronic low back pain management.

For 2025, Pacira projects total revenue between $725-765 million, with non-GAAP gross margins of 76-78%.

Pacira BioSciences (PCRX) has acquired the remaining 81% equity stake in GQ Bio Therapeutics for approximately $32 million. The transaction includes $18 million paid at closing, $8 million over three years for key employee retention, and a $6 million post-closing indemnity holdback.

The acquisition strengthens Pacira's '5x30' strategy to become an innovative biopharmaceutical organization, adding GQ Bio's high-capacity adenovirus (HCAd) gene therapy vector platform. This platform enables efficient genetic medicines delivery and supports multiple gene constructs, particularly focusing on musculoskeletal diseases.

The deal eliminates Pacira's future milestone payment obligations of up to $64 million, including a $4.5 million payment due for PCRX-201's Phase 2 clinical trial initiation. Pacira plans to maintain GQ Bio's operations and invest in the HCAd platform, leveraging its clinical, regulatory, and commercial capabilities to address chronic pain conditions affecting nearly 1 in 4 Americans.

Pacira BioSciences (Nasdaq: PCRX), a leader in non-opioid pain therapies, has announced its participation in two major healthcare conferences in March 2025. The company will engage in analyst-led fireside chats at:

• The Raymond James 46th Annual Institutional Investors Conference on March 5th at 10:25AM ET
• The Barclays 27th Annual Global Healthcare Conference on March 12th at 8:00AM ET

Both events will be accessible via live audio on the company's website investor.pacira.com under the 'Events' section. Webcasts will remain available for replay for two weeks following each event.