Pacira BioSciences Presents Two Real-World Studies from Its Innovations in Genicular Outcomes Registry (IGOR)
-- Studies highlight the clinical effectiveness of EXPAREL for total knee arthroplasty and long-term pain management with ioveraº for patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee --
-- Data presented at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons 2026 Annual Meeting --
BRISBANE, Calif., March 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pacira BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCRX), the industry leader in its commitment to deliver innovative, non-opioid pain therapies to transform the lives of patients, today presented real-world evidence from its Innovations in Genicular Outcomes Registry, (IGOR), a first-of-its-kind multicenter, prospective, longitudinal observational registry. The first study demonstrated that EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) was associated with improvements in pain, opioid use, function, and length of stay after receiving EXPAREL following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) as compared to patients who received conventional bupivacaine and ropivacaine. The second study demonstrated that cryoneurolysis treatment with ioveraº was associated with longer-term improvement in pain and function for up to 12 months, relative to a typical improvement of outcomes for 4-6 months following alternative intra-articular agents. The data were presented at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) 2026 Annual Meeting taking place March 2-6 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
“OA is a unique condition that patients live with for decades and receive a myriad of pain treatments as their disease progresses. The IGOR is providing much-needed real-world evidence and in-depth insights into the patient journey, including the relationship between pain, opioid use, and recovery outcomes,” said Jonathan Slonin, Chief Medical Officer at Pacira. “The data being generated from this first-of-its-kind registry have the potential to meaningfully inform evidence-based preoperative pain management strategies and optimize postoperative recovery outcomes for patients with OA knee pain.”
Pacira Presentations at AAOS 2026:
- “Intraoperative Liposomal Bupivacaine Is Associated With Improved Pain, Opioid Use, Functional, and Length of Stay Outcomes After Total Knee Arthroplasty: Real-world Evidence” (Poster #e0234): Evaluates the real-world effectiveness of liposomal bupivacaine (LB) versus conventional local anesthetics (LAs) in patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Data was collected from IGOR for opioid-naive patients who underwent unilateral primary TKA with up to 3 months of follow-up after surgery (LB, n=42; conventional LAs, n=183). The numerical rating scale (NRS) was used to assess acute pain during the first postsurgical week, and the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF) was used to assess chronic pain for subsequent time points. The data showed that patients receiving LB demonstrated lower average and worst pain scores (as measured by NRS) than those receiving conventional LAs in the first 5 days (average pain, 3.9 vs 4.9 [P<0.001]; worst pain, 5.9 vs 7.1 [P<0.001]) as well as lower average pain scores measured by BPI-SF scores in the subsequent 3 months (2.6 vs 2.9; P=0.03) after TKA. Worst pain scores within the first 5 days were also lower among patients receiving LB compared with those receiving conventional LAs (P<0.001). Additionally, patients who received LB were also discharged earlier than those receiving conventional LAs (15.0 vs 20.6 h; P=0.007).
Presenter: Mary DiGiorgi, Senior Vice President, Clinical Development & Clinical Affairs, Pacira BioSciences
Poster Number: e0234
Date & Time: March 2nd, 2026, 7:00 AM CST - “Cryoneurolysis for Knee Osteoarthritis in a Real-World Registry: Pain and Functional Outcomes over 12 Months” (Poster #e0233): Evaluates real-world pain and functional outcomes from the Innovations in Genicular Outcomes Registry (IGOR) following cryoneurolysis therapy for knee osteoarthritis (OA). In this prospective, observational, registry-based real-world study, two cryoneurolysis approaches were evaluated in adult patients with primary knee OA. Data on pain and functional outcomes were collected from IGOR for up to 12 months of follow-up after cryoneurolysis treatment (of 129 patients who received cryoneurolysis, 75 received Cryo-Deep/Both and 54 received Cryo-Superficial). The data presented signifies that treatment with cryoneurolysis in patients with knee OA was associated with long-term reductions in pain and improved function in a real-world setting over 12 months (P<0.01). Cryoneurolysis was relatively more effective compared with conventional intra-articular (IA) agents, most of which typically provide pain relief and functional improvement for 4-6 months. This data supports the use of cryoneurolysis for long-term pain management in patients with knee OA.
Presenter:Mitchell K. Ng, MD
Poster Number: e0233
Date & Time: March 2nd, 2026, 7:00 AM CST
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 ioveraº, 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 OA of the knee. To learn more about Pacira, visit www.pacira.com.
About EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension)
EXPAREL is indicated to produce postsurgical local analgesia via infiltration in patients aged 6 years and older, and postsurgical regional analgesia via an interscalene brachial plexus block in adults, a sciatic nerve block in the popliteal fossa in adults, and an adductor canal block in adults. The safety and effectiveness of EXPAREL have not been established to produce postsurgical regional analgesia via other nerve blocks besides an interscalene brachial plexus nerve block, a sciatic nerve block in the popliteal fossa, or an adductor canal block. The product combines bupivacaine with multivesicular liposomes, a proven product delivery technology that delivers medication over a desired time period. EXPAREL represents the first and only multivesicular liposome local anesthetic that can be utilized in the peri- or postsurgical setting. By utilizing the multivesicular liposome platform, a single dose of EXPAREL delivers bupivacaine over time, providing significant reductions in cumulative pain scores with up to a 78 percent decrease in opioid consumption; the clinical benefit of the opioid reduction was not demonstrated. Additional information is available at www.EXPAREL.com.
Important Safety Information about EXPAREL for Patients
EXPAREL should not be used in obstetrical paracervical block anesthesia. In studies in adults where EXPAREL was injected into a wound, the most common side effects were nausea, constipation, and vomiting. In studies in adults where EXPAREL was injected near a nerve, the most common side effects were nausea, fever, and constipation. In the study where EXPAREL was given to children, the most common side effects were nausea, vomiting, constipation, low blood pressure, low number of red blood cells, muscle twitching, blurred vision, itching, and rapid heartbeat. EXPAREL can cause a temporary loss of feeling and/or loss of muscle movement. How much and how long the loss of feeling and/or muscle movement depends on where and how much of EXPAREL was injected and may last for up to 5 days. EXPAREL is not recommended to be used in patients younger than 6 years old for injection into the wound, for patients younger than 18 years old, for injection near a nerve, and/or in pregnant women. Tell your health care provider if you or your child has liver disease, since this may affect how the active ingredient (bupivacaine) in EXPAREL is eliminated from the body. EXPAREL should not be injected into the spine, joints, or veins. The active ingredient in EXPAREL can affect the nervous system and the cardiovascular system; may cause an allergic reaction; may cause damage if injected into the joints; and can cause a rare blood disorder.
About iovera®°
The iovera° system uses the body’s natural response to cold to treat peripheral nerves and immediately reduce pain without the use of drugs. Treated nerves are temporarily stopped from sending pain signals for a period of time, followed by a restoration of function. Treatment with iovera° works by applying targeted cold to a peripheral nerve. A precise cold zone is formed under the skin that is cold enough to immediately prevent the nerve from sending pain signals without causing damage to surrounding structures. The effect on the nerve is temporary, providing pain relief until the nerve regenerates and function is restored. Treatment with iovera° does not include injection of any substance, opioid, or any other drug. The effect is immediate and can last up to 90 days. The iovera° system is not indicated for treatment of central nervous system tissue. Additional information is available at www.iovera.com.
Indication and Select Important Safety Information for iovera°
Indication: iovera° applies freezing cold to peripheral nerve tissue to block and/or relieve pain for up to 90 days. It should not be used to treat central nervous system tissue.
Important Safety Information
- Do not receive treatment with iovera° if you experience hypersensitivity to cold or have open and/or infected wounds near the treatment site.
- You may experience bruising, swelling, inflammation and/or redness, local pain and/or tenderness, and altered feeling at the site of application.
- In treatment area(s), you may experience damage to the skin, skin darkening or lightening, and dimples in the skin.
- You may experience a temporary loss of your ability to use your muscles normally outside of the treatment area.
- Talk to your doctor before receiving treatment with iovera°.
About IGOR
IGOR is a multi-center, multi-treatment, multi-outcome long-term registry that has the potential to provide valuable insights into safety, clinical effectiveness, patient response and economic outcomes of various treatment methods over time in real world practice. These insights can provide valuable information to help guide best practices for current surgical and non-surgical treatments of knee osteoarthritis, as well as inform the development of future therapies by providing a better understanding of patient characteristics and treatment response. Recognizing that osteoarthritis management spans multiple treatment paradigms, the IGOR registry was designed and is being conducted in collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team of specialists in orthopedic surgery, sports medicine, physiatry, rheumatology and family medicine. The robust design of IGOR is intended to capture real-world data across a broad range of osteoarthritis treatments, reflecting each patient’s dynamic care journey over an extended period. The study collects robust patient characteristics, as well as clinical, economic and patient-reported outcomes, with most patients contributing data over several years across multiple interventions. Much of this outcomes data is gathered directly from representative patients and clinical settings, with long-term engagement contributing to high quality, meaningful insights.
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: risks associated with acquisitions, such as the risk that the acquired businesses and/or assets 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 but not limited to 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 or our proprietary high-capacity adenovirus (“HCAd”) vector platform; the approval of the commercialization of our products in other jurisdictions (by either us or our partners); clinical trials in support of an existing or potential pMVL- or HCAd-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; 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 (the “SEC”). 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.
CONTACT: Investor Contact: Susan Mesco, (973) 451-4030 susan.mesco@pacira.com Media Contact: Sara Marino, (973) 248-7005 sara.marino@pacira.com
© 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
