Core Insights - Pacira BioSciences has announced a strategic collaboration with Johnson & Johnson MedTech to enhance the market reach of ZILRETTA, an extended-release treatment for osteoarthritis knee pain, by leveraging Johnson & Johnson's specialized sales force [1][2] - The partnership aims to significantly increase ZILRETTA sales calls and expand patient access, targeting a substantial portion of the seven million intra-articular knee injections administered annually in the U.S. [1][3] Company Overview - Pacira BioSciences specializes in innovative, non-opioid pain therapies, with three commercial-stage products: EXPAREL, ZILRETTA, and iovera° [4] - ZILRETTA is the first and only extended-release intra-articular therapy approved by the FDA for osteoarthritis-related knee pain, utilizing proprietary microsphere technology for prolonged pain relief [5] Strategic Collaboration Details - The collaboration with Johnson & Johnson MedTech will enhance promotional efforts and extend ZILRETTA's reach beyond orthopedic practices into other specialties such as sports medicine, pain management, and rheumatology [3] - This partnership is part of Pacira's "5x30 strategy," which focuses on leveraging targeted collaborations to drive growth and improve patient outcomes with non-opioid treatments [2]

Core Insights - Pacira BioSciences, Inc. is focusing on non-opioid pain therapies to improve patient outcomes and reduce opioid dependency [1][4] - The film "The Next Frontier: Mark & Leah's Story" showcases the personal journey of Mark Allen, who overcame opioid dependency through non-opioid treatments [2][3] - The opioid crisis remains a significant public health issue, with chronic pain affecting approximately 82 million Americans and costing the U.S. up to $635 billion annually [4] Company Overview - Pacira offers three commercial-stage non-opioid treatments: EXPAREL, ZILRETTA, and iovera°, aimed at managing pain without opioids [5] - EXPAREL is a long-acting local analgesic approved for various pain management applications, while ZILRETTA is for osteoarthritis knee pain, and iovera° provides drug-free pain control [5] - The company is also developing PCRX-201, a gene therapy targeting prevalent diseases like osteoarthritis [5] Industry Context - The U.S. experienced approximately 80,391 drug overdose deaths in 2024, with opioid-related deaths decreasing to 54,743, indicating a need for alternative pain management solutions [4] - Despite the decline in opioid-related deaths, the overall opioid crisis continues to have a severe impact on public health [4] - Investment in novel pain treatments has decreased, highlighting the urgent need for innovative non-opioid therapies [4]