Pacira BioSciences Announces First Patient Dosed in Phase 2 Study Evaluating Safety and Efficacy of PCRX-201 for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the Knee

-- Novel, locally administered gene therapy designed to boost cellular production of

anti-inflammatory protein IL-1Ra in the knee --

-- Initial topline results from two-part, randomized, double-blind, active-controlled study

expected late 2026 --

BRISBANE, Calif., April 03, 2025 (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 the first patient has been dosed in the Phase 2 ASCEND study of PCRX-201 (enekinragene inzadenovec) for the treatment of osteoarthritis, or OA, of the knee. PCRX-201 features an innovative design based on the company’s proprietary high-capacity adenovirus, or HCAd, gene therapy vector platform. It is injected locally into the knee joint to boost cellular production of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), and block interleukin-1 pathway activation to improve chronic inflammation, pain, and function. PCRX-201’s unique design also features an inducible promoter to mimic the body’s natural response to inflammation by “turning on” the expression of IL-1Ra when inflammation is present in the joint and turning off expression once inflammation is quelled.

“We are excited to advance PCRX-201 into Phase 2 clinical development as it marks an important milestone on our 5x30 path to growth and value creation, as well as our transition into an innovative biopharmaceutical organization,” said Frank D. Lee, chief executive officer of Pacira. “There is a significant need for innovation in the treatment of OA of the knee, as current therapies are based on decades-old mechanisms and only provide up to three to six months of relief. In our large Phase 1 study, a single intra-articular injection of PCRX-201 was well tolerated and demonstrated unprecedented pain relief and durability across all levels of OA severity for at least two years. PCRX-201 has the potential to address the underlying chronic inflammatory processes that contribute to OA joint degeneration over time, with local administration that is contained in the joint – delivering medicine where it matters.”

Study Design

The two-part, multicenter ASCEND study will involve approximately 135 patients, 45 to 80 years old with painful OA of the knee at a Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) Grade of 2, 3 or 4. Subjects will be randomly assigned to a treatment dose group and stratified by K-L Grade, a semiquantitative method for evaluating the severity of OA on a scale of 0-4.

ASCEND will evaluate two doses of PCRX-201, Dose A is 1.4 x 10¹⁰ genome copies (GC) and Dose B is 1.4 x 10¹¹ GC. Patients will be randomized 1:1:1 to Dose A, Dose B or saline. All cohorts will receive concurrent pretreatment with an intraarticular corticosteroid (methylprednisolone 40 mg), a technique common in gene therapy dosing to improve tolerability and gene transfer.

Part A of the study will randomize approximately 45 patients and Part B will randomize approximately 90 patients. The drug product used in Part B of the study will be manufactured using the company’s newly developed, suspension-based batch manufacturing process intended for commercial scale-up. Pacira expects to report topline results from Part A of the study before the end of 2026.

For both Parts A and B of the study, the primary endpoint is the number and percent of treatment-emergent adverse events, adverse events of special interest, and serious adverse events for PCRX-201 plus steroid pretreatment versus saline plus steroid pretreatment from Week 1 through Week 52. The study’s secondary and exploratory endpoints include efficacy assessments such as changes in pain and physical function from baseline at Weeks 38 and 52. Efficacy will be measured using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS); the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Index (WOMAC), and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). Biomarkers, including structural endpoints, as well as immunogenicity and biodistribution will also be evaluated and all subjects will be followed for 5 years.

About PCRX-201

Pacira’s novel product candidate PCRX-201 (enekinragene inzadenovec), features an innovative design based on the company’s proprietary high-capacity adenovirus vector platform. It is currently being studied in the fundamental, underlying chronic inflammatory processes that contribute to “wear and tear” over time in osteoarthritis of the knee, a condition that affects more than 14 million individuals in the U.S. today.

In November 2024, Pacira reported promising data from a large Phase 1 study in which PCRX-201 provided sustained improvements in knee pain, stiffness, and function through two years following local administration, with a well-tolerated safety profile. These data were presented at the American College of Rheumatology’s annual ACR Convergence meeting at the American College of Rheumatology meeting. PCRX-201 has received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP) designation from the European Medicines Agency. RMAT and ATMP are regulatory programs designed to expedite the development and review processes for promising therapies targeting a significant unmet need with preliminary clinical evidence indicating that the therapy has the potential to offer a major advantage over existing treatments. PCRX-201 is the first gene therapy to achieve these clinical results and earn these regulatory designations in osteoarthritis of the knee – a testament to its promise and potential.

About the High-capacity Adenovirus Vector Platform

In February 2025, in support of the company’s ‘5x30’ growth strategy, Pacira acquired GQ Bio Therapeutics and its novel high-capacity adenovirus (HCAd) vector gene therapy vector platform. This platform solves many of the challenges in the field of gene therapy that have prevented its utilization in treating common diseases, such as osteoarthritis.

Key features include:

• The HCAd vector is much more efficient at delivering genes into cells compared to many other gene therapies that rely on adenovirus associated virus, or AAV, vectors. As a result, the desired effect can be achieved with much smaller doses.
• The vector used in the HCAd platform can carry up to 30,000 base pairs of DNA, which enables gene therapy with multiple or larger genes compared to AAV vectors.
• Genetic medicines based on the HCAd platform can be administered locally and have the potential for redosing at therapeutically appropriate intervals.
• Lower dose levels and efficient delivery of genes into cells means that thousands of doses can be produced in a single batch. As a result, therapies built on the HCAd platform are expected to have a commercially attractive and viable cost of goods profile.

Beyond PCRX-201 and other product candidates in preclinical development, the company has identified numerous well-validated cytokines that could also be the basis for locally administered genetic therapies using the HCAd platform.

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, a novel, locally administered gene therapy with the potential to treat large prevalent diseases like osteoarthritis. To learn more about Pacira, visit

Forward-Looking Statements

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