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Outpatient Care, Self-Insured Employers Drive Growth Of Non-Opioid Pain Meds

 
• By Ben Comer

Opioids are cheap, but the economics of clinical practice, including the shift of care from inside the hospital to outpatient or ambulatory facilities, are creating new opportunities for Pacira BioSciences’ non-opioid treatments for pain. Improved reimbursement and increased usage among anesthesiologists are the biggest revenue drivers for the company’s two marketed products.

Pacira BioSciences office building

Pacira BioSciences’ two products – Exparel (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension), indicated for postsurgical analgesia in adults and children over six years, and Iovera, a handheld device that delivers cryoanalgesia, or a freezing of nerves, intended for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty – represent alternatives to opioid therapies. With record numbers of opioid-related deaths in 2020, and increasing evidence suggesting that patients can become addicted, even after using a prescribed opioid as intended, it is not surprising that effective non-opioid pain relief is a goal pursued by a growing number of drug developers.

In May, Heron Therapeutics received FDA approval for Zynrelef (bupivacaine and meloxicam), for the treatment of post-operative pain; the company...

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Is Advanced AI Revolutionizing Sales Enablement In Pharma?

 
• By Marina Hickson

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Rising Leaders 2025: Doxie Jordan, From UNC Graduate To Global Market Strategist

 
• By Jo Shorthouse

Bristol Myers Squibb executive Doxie Jordan discusses his path to global commercial leadership and the principles guiding pharmaceutical market strategy

Podcast: Brain+ CEO Discusses “Groundbreaking” Potential Of CST Assistant For Dementia Patients

 
• By Anabel Costa-Ferreira

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Behind The Buyout: Dispatches From The Dealmaking Table

 
• By Jo Shorthouse

In a challenging funding environment for biopharma, strategic dealmaking has become a critical growth engine. In Vivo explores what it truly takes to navigate high-stakes acquisitions and partnerships, drawing on insights from seasoned industry leaders.