PARSIPPANY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 19, 2015--
Pacira
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCRX) today announced the appointment
of James B. Jones, MD, PharmD, to the position of senior vice president
and chief medical officer. Dr. Jones brings more than 25 years of
experience as both a practicing and teaching physician and as a senior
executive at biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, where he led
the clinical development of multiple novel pain therapeutics. At Pacira,
he will be primarily responsible for overseeing and guiding the
company’s clinical research and development efforts for the expanded
uses of EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) and the
company’s DepoFoam® pipeline of products. Dr. Jones replaces former
chief medical officer Gary Patou, MD, who will remain with the company
as a clinical consultant.
"Jim’s proven vision, expertise and strong background in the clinical
development of pain products will play an important role in our overall
strategy to augment our leadership and support the company’s growth,"
said Dave Stack, president, chief executive officer and chairman of
Pacira. "We believe he is well positioned to provide the passion and
systematic approach for the continued clinical development of EXPAREL
and our internal opportunities and to properly assess external
initiatives.” Mr. Stack added, "We thank Gary for his six years of
service ensuring the development and approval of EXPAREL and look
forward to his continued contribution to Pacira.”
Dr. Jones has worked on various analgesics, such as nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and CNS compounds throughout his
career. He was most recently vice president at The Medicines Company,
where he was responsible for the submission and approval of IONSYS®
(fentanyl iontophoretic transdermal system) in the United States and for
directing the delivery system’s application and submission process in
the European Union. Previously, he was chief medical officer at Cara
Therapeutics, where he oversaw the Phase 2 clinical development of the
lead product candidate CR845, a peripherally-restricted kappa opioid
agonist. Dr. Jones is a practicing Board Certified Emergency Medicine
physician, having received his Doctorate of Medicine degree from the
University of Pennsylvania and his Bachelor of Science and Doctorate of
Pharmacy degrees from Purdue University.
“I’m pleased to join the Pacira management team at this opportune time,”
said Dr. Jones. “I believe this organization and its pipeline of
products will change the way medicine and patient care is practiced,
starting with the acute care postsurgical setting within the hospital.
EXPAREL is not only a highly differentiated, long-acting local
analgesic, but is also unparalleled today in terms of its clinical
utility and market opportunity as a non-opioid option. As EXPAREL use
broadens and we commence with the preparatory clinical work for our
DepoFoam-based products, generating the appropriate clinical data to
support FDA approval and bolster physician use will be crucial to the
company’s long-term success. I look forward to assisting the executive
team in making the proper resource decisions, executing the right
studies and charting our clinical path forward.”
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.
About EXPAREL®
EXPAREL (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) is currently
indicated for single-dose infiltration into the surgical site to produce
postsurgical analgesia. The product combines bupivacaine with DepoFoam®,
a proven product delivery technology that delivers medication over a
desired time period. EXPAREL represents the first and only
multivesicular liposome local anesthetic that can be utilized in the
peri- or postsurgical setting. By utilizing the DepoFoam platform, a
single dose of EXPAREL delivers bupivacaine over time, providing
significant reductions in cumulative pain score with up to a 45 percent
decrease in opioid consumption; the clinical benefit of the opioid
reduction was not demonstrated. Additional information is available at www.EXPAREL.com.
Forward Looking Statements
Any statements in this press release about our future expectations,
plans, outlook and prospects, and other statements containing the words
“believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “estimates,” “expects,” and similar
expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may
differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking
statements as a result of various important factors, including risks
relating to: the success of our sales and manufacturing efforts in
support of the commercialization of EXPAREL; the rate and degree of
market acceptance of EXPAREL; the size and growth of the potential
markets for EXPAREL and our ability to serve those markets; our plans to
expand the use of EXPAREL to additional indications and opportunities,
including nerve block, oral surgery and chronic pain, as well as
pediatrics, and the timing and success of any related clinical trials;
the related timing and success of a United States Food and Drug
Administration supplemental New Drug Application; the adverse effects
and impacts of FDA warning letters; the outcome of the U.S. Department
of Justice inquiry; our plans to evaluate, develop and pursue additional
DepoFoam-based product candidates; clinical studies in support of an
existing or potential DepoFoam-based product; our plans to continue to
manufacture and provide support services for our commercial partners who
have licensed DepoCyt(e); our commercialization and marketing
capabilities; our and Patheon UK Limited’s ability to successfully and
timely construct dedicated EXPAREL manufacturing suites; and other
factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” of our most recent Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, our Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2015 and in other
filings that we periodically make with 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 our 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.
However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements
at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to
do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as
representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this
press release.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150819005300/en/
Source: Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Company Contact:
Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Jessica
Cho, 973-254-3574
or
Media Contact:
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Communications, Inc.
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