Pacira strikes EU deal with Molteni to sell EXPAREL painkiller

Pacira BioSciences (NASDAQ: PCRX) announced an exclusive agreement with Italian pharmaceutical company Molteni Farmaceutici to distribute and commercialize EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) across the European Union and United Kingdom, according to a press release issued Oct. 5, 2026.

Under the terms of the deal, Molteni Farmaceutici will lead regulatory, market access, and commercialization activities in licensed territories, while Pacira will continue to manufacture EXPAREL. Pacira will receive an undisclosed upfront payment, a supply price, and royalties on future commercial sales. Locust Walk acted as financial advisor to Pacira in the transaction.

Molteni Farmaceutici plans to launch EXPAREL sequentially, beginning in Italy, Germany, Austria, and Poland, and will also pursue approval in Switzerland. The first commercial sale is expected in 2027.

EXPAREL is a long-acting local analgesic indicated for postsurgical pain management. The product uses a multivesicular liposome delivery platform to release bupivacaine over time.

Frank D. Lee, chief executive officer of Pacira BioSciences, said the partnership "advances our 5x30 growth strategy and reinforces our commitment to expanding patient access to best-practice opioid-sparing postsurgical pain management."

Separately, Pacira disclosed the granting of inducement equity awards on Oct. 2, 2026 to two new employees under its Amended and Restated 2014 Inducement Plan. The awards, approved by the People & Compensation Committee without stockholder approval under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4), consist of stock options to purchase an aggregate of 3,600 shares and restricted stock units for an aggregate of 4,200 shares of Pacira common stock. The stock options carry an exercise price of $25.21 per share and a four-year vesting schedule. Restricted stock units vest annually in four equal installments beginning Oct. 1, 2027.

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