- Produced for Pacira by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions, The Next Frontier: Mark & Leah’s Story Highlights the Impact of Non-Opioid Solutions -
BRISBANE, Calif., June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pacira BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCRX), the industry leader in the delivery of innovative, non-opioid pain therapies to transform the lives of patients, today announced the debut of a powerful new film spotlighting the journey of a couple who, after navigating the complexities of acute and chronic pain—and the opioid reliance that often accompanies them—discovered the value of non-opioid treatment options. The film premiered today at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) International Convention 2025 in Boston as part of The Next Frontier digital series produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions.
Titled The Next Frontier: Mark & Leah’s Story, the film tells the deeply personal and inspiring path of former competitive tennis player Mark Allen. After struggling with knee injuries and developing an opioid dependency as a result of his pain management treatment, Mark and his wife Leah came to understand the importance of exploring alternative approaches. Drawing on her background as a nurse, Leah helped guide their journey toward non-opioid therapies that ultimately transformed Mark’s recovery, enabling him to return to the court, open a tennis academy, and reclaim his life.
Now grandparents, they say their greatest reward is being able to enjoy time with their grandchildren, free from pain and dependency. Their story highlights the critical importance of patients knowing they have pain management options beyond opioids, and how a well-thought-out recovery plan can restore not only physical function but the moments that matter most.
“We were honored when BBC StoryWorks approached us to be part of this film,” said Frank D. Lee, chief executive officer of Pacira BioSciences. “Given our unwavering commitment to putting patients at the center of everything we do, sharing the Allens’ story was especially meaningful. We are incredibly grateful to Mark and Leah for allowing us to highlight the real-world impact of non-opioid pain management.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. witnessed approximately 80,391 drug overdose deaths in 2024, with opioid-related deaths decreasing to 54,743. Despite this progress, the opioid crisis continues to exact a steep toll. Chronic pain, a key driver of opioid reliance, affects an estimated 82 million Americans and costs the U.S. up to $635 billion each year—more than the combined costs of cancer and heart disease. Yet, investment in novel pain treatments has declined sharply in recent years, underscoring the critical need for innovative, non-opioid therapies like those featured in Mark and Leah’s story
The Next Frontier series explores the role of biotechnology in addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges, from public health to environmental sustainability, and is available globally on BBC.com.
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 iovera®º, 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 the development of PCRX-201 (enekinragene inzadenovec), a novel, locally administered gene therapy with the potential to treat large prevalent diseases like osteoarthritis. To learn more about Pacira, visit www.pacira.com.
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 settlement described herein, ‘5x30’, our growth and business strategy; our future outlook, our intellectual property and patent terms, our growth and future operating results and trends, our strategy, plans, objectives, expectations (financial or otherwise) and intentions, future financial results and growth potential, including our plans with respect to the repayment of our indebtedness, anticipated product portfolio, development programs, development of products, strategic alliances and 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 those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including risks relating to, among others: the failure to realize the anticipated benefits and synergies from the acquisition of GQ Bio Therapeutics GmbH; risks associated with acquisitions, such as the risk that the acquired businesses 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 U.S. economic conditions (including inflation and rising interest rates), and our business, including our revenues, financial condition, cash flow 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 and iovera°; the commercial success of EXPAREL, ZILRETTA and iovera°; the related timing and success of U.S. 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; the approval of the commercialization of our products in other jurisdictions; clinical trials in support of an existing or potential pMVL-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.
Investor Contact: Susan Mesco, (973) 451-4030 susan.mesco@pacira.com Media Contact: Sara Marino, (973) 370-5430 sara.marino@pacira.com
