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

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 plans to take on Pacira directly, by pricing Zynrelef at...