Pacira BioSciences to Present Real-World Data on EXPAREL® Showing Reduced Cost of Care at Orthopaedic Research Society 2026 Annual Meeting

-- Studies highlight reduced total cost of care and select healthcare resource utilization outcomes in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and spinal fusion --

BRISBANE, Calif., March 30, 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 announced findings from two real-world studies evaluating the economic benefits of EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) in orthopaedic procedures, including total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and spinal fusion. In both studies, EXPAREL was associated with lower total cost of care compared with ropivacaine in one study and standard of care options (non-LB) in the other, with reductions observed in both outpatient and inpatient surgical settings. The data will be presented at the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) 2026 Annual Meeting taking place March 27–31 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Briefly, the analyses include two propensity score-matched cohort studies evaluating outcomes on surgery day and throughout 30 days of follow-up in commercial and Medicare Advantage populations. Across both studies, EXPAREL was associated with lower total costs and reductions in select healthcare resource utilization measures. In the spinal fusion study, these reductions were driven primarily by a shorter length of hospital stay.

“Pacira is committed to advancing the economic understanding of postsurgical pain management through real-world evidence that demonstrates the value of non-opioid approaches,” said Jonathan Slonin, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer at Pacira BioSciences. “These findings reinforce the role of EXPAREL within multimodal pain management strategies and underscore its potential to improve patient outcomes while removing economic barriers to access.”

Pacira Presentations at ORS 2026:

1. “Costs and Health Care Resource Utilization of Liposomal Bupivacaine and Ropivacaine in the Total Knee Arthroplasty in the Hospital Outpatient Department: a Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study”Presenter: Jennifer Lin, Senior Director, Epidemiology in Health Outcomes Economics Research & RWE Department, Pacira BioSciencesPoster Number: 1224Date & Time: Monday, March 30, 4:45–5:30 p.m. ETThis study evaluated real-world outcomes of liposomal bupivacaine (LB) compared with ropivacaine in patients undergoing TKA in the HOPD setting, with a focus on healthcare resource utilization and total cost of care on surgery day and during the subsequent 30 days of follow-up. In a propensity score-matched analysis of commercial and Medicare Advantage populations (in the commercial cohort, there were 9463 patients each in the LB and ropivacaine group; for the MA cohort, there were 2924 patients in each group), LB was associated with significantly lower total costs versus ropivacaine (commercial: −$409 [$37,466 vs $37,875]; Medicare Advantage: −$1,359 [$19,814 vs $21,173]; P