PARSIPPANY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCRX) announced today that Aratana Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: PETX) shared positive results from its pivotal field effectiveness study of AT-003, the company’s bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension licensed from Pacira, for managing postsurgical pain in dogs.
The randomized, blinded, multicenter pivotal study in dogs undergoing knee surgery demonstrated statistically significant improvements in pain evaluation compared to placebo at each of the 24-hour intervals up to 72 hours following surgery (P<0.05). Based on current timelines for the FDA approval process, Aratana anticipates beginning commercialization of AT-003 in dogs in 2016.
In December 2012, Pacira and Aratana entered into a global licensing agreement for the development and commercialization of bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension for animal health indications.
About Pacira
Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCRX) is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the clinical and commercial development of new products that meet the needs of acute care practitioners and their patients. The company’s flagship product, EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension), indicated for single-dose infiltration into the surgical site to produce postsurgical analgesia, was commercially launched in the United States in April 2012. EXPAREL and two other products have successfully utilized DepoFoam®, a unique and proprietary product delivery technology that encapsulates drugs without altering their molecular structure, and releases them over a desired period of time. Additional information about Pacira is available at www.pacira.com.
