Pacira BioSciences Announces Settlement of U.S. Patent Litigation for EXPAREL

Core Viewpoint - Pacira BioSciences has settled litigation with Fresenius Kabi and others regarding patents for EXPAREL, allowing Fresenius to sell a volume-limited amount of generic bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension starting in early 2030, with unlimited sales permitted from 2039 [1][3][4]. Group 1: Settlement Details - The settlement includes Consent Judgments that prevent Fresenius from marketing the generic product before the expiration of the relevant patents, except as specified in the settlement [2]. - Fresenius will receive a license to manufacture and sell a limited volume of the generic product starting in early 2030, with the last of Pacira's patents expiring on July 2, 2044 [3]. - The volume-limited sales will start at a high-single-digit percentage of total U.S. market volumes, increasing to the low thirties by 2033, and reaching a maximum in the high thirties for the final three years of the agreement [4]. Group 2: Company Strategy and Products - Pacira emphasizes confidence in its intellectual property portfolio and aims to focus on advancing its 5x30 strategy to enhance its leadership in musculoskeletal pain management [5]. - The company offers three commercial-stage non-opioid treatments: EXPAREL, ZILRETTA, and iovera, and is developing PCRX-201, a gene therapy for osteoarthritis [6].