Methylprednisolone

-- Poster to be presented at ACR Convergence annual meeting --PARSIPPANY, N.J., Nov. 14, 2024 (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 new data demonstrating its gene therapy for osteoarthritis candidate, PCRX-201 (enekinragene inzadenovec), provided sustained improvements in knee pain, stiffness, and function to 104 weeks following local administration, with a well-tolerated safety profile. The data, which indicate a potential for sustained clinical efficacy in patients with moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the knee (OAK), will be presented during a poster session at the American College of Rheumatology’s annual ACR Convergence meeting on Sunday, November 17 from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm EST. “The results of this large phase 1 study demonstrate durable pain relief across all levels of disease severity for at least 2 years following a single injection. This is promising, considering traditional pain management interventions provide an average of three to six months of effect,” said Stanley Cohen, MD, a board-certified rheumatologist and Co-Medical Director of the Metroplex Clinical Research Center in Dallas, TX, who was lead investigator in this trial and primary author on the poster presentation. “Unlike other treatments that temporarily alleviate symptoms, PCRX-201 addresses a root cause of osteoarthritis knee pain—inflammation—to help control patients’ pain for years rather than months.” The new data is derived from an open-label, phase 1 trial investigating the safety and efficacy of PCRX-201 administered via ultrasound-guided intraarticular injection in 72 patients with OAK graded at 2, 3, or 4 on the Kellgren-Lawrence scale, a semiquantitative method for evaluating the severity of osteoarthritis on a scale of 0-4. Participants were broken into two cohorts. The first cohort received one of three doses of PCRX-201. The second cohort received concurrent pretreatment with an intraarticular corticosteroid (methylprednisolone 40 mg), a technique common in gene therapy dosing to improve tolerability and gene transfer. Pain and function benefits were observed at all doses and across both cohorts over the full 104 weeks studied, with patients in the second cohort achieving greater pain reduction and fewer adverse events (AEs). Additional results in the pretreated cohort, across all doses, include: 48%-65% improvement in pain from baseline, as measured by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index-A (WOMAC-A)53%-72% improvement in stiffness from baseline, as measured by WOMAC-B Improvements in function from baseline, as measured by the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale, that were similar to improvements in WOMAC-A and WOMAC-B By 16 weeks more than 70% of participants achieved greater than 50% reductions from baseline pain. No serious treatment-emergent AEs related to the treatment or procedure were reported regardless of steroid pretreatment or dose level administered. Treatment-related joint effusions (swelling) were the most common AE, occurring in 36% of patients who received steroid pretreatment vs 61% of patients who were not pretreated. The majority of effusions were mild to moderate in severity and resolved in a median of 33 days among patients in the pretreated group. “We look forward to continuing to advance the clinical investigation of PCRX-201 following these promising results, with a Phase 2, double-blind, active-controlled study planned for 2025,” said Frank D. Lee, chief executive officer of Pacira BioSciences. “Unlike traditional gene therapies, which are administered systemically and have primarily been limited to the treatment of rare diseases, we believe PCRX-201 holds the broad potential to provide a long-term pain management solution for the 14 million U.S. patients suffering from the negative impacts of osteoarthritis of the knee. With a local administration that delivers relief directly to the source—the knee joint capsule—PCRX-201 is on the leading edge of what could be possible for gene therapies and offers patients the hope for a long-lasting pain management solution that improves their ability to comfortably engage in activities of daily living, like climbing stairs and exercising.” PCRX-201 is a locally administered gene therapy, designed to produce interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), a naturally occurring, anti-inflammatory protein with a proven mechanism of action that reduces interleukin-1 (IL-1) signaling, a known factor in the development and progression of osteoarthritis of the knee. Unlike systemically administered gene therapies, PCRX-201 delivers the medicine where it matters to reduce pain and disability and potentially slow structural progression at the site of the disease. PCRX-201 uses 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 IL-1Ra expression once inflammation is quelled. In March 2024, PCRX-201 became the first-ever gene therapy product candidate in osteoarthritis to receive Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). RMAT designation provides the benefits of intensive FDA guidance on efficient drug development, including the ability for early interactions with the FDA to discuss surrogate or intermediate endpoints, potential ways to support accelerated approval and satisfy post-approval requirements, potential priority review of the Biologics License Application (BLA), and other opportunities to expedite development and review. PCRX-201 was also granted Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP) designation by the European Medicines Agency in May 2023. About Pacira BioSciencesPacira BioSciences 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, interscalene brachial plexus nerve block in adults, sciatic nerve block in the popliteal fossa in adults, and adductor canal block in adults 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 ioveraº®, 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 www.pacira.com. Forward-Looking StatementsAny statements in this press release about Pacira’s future expectations, plans, trends, outlook, projections and prospects, and other statements containing the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would,” 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 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, plans with respect to the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (“NOPAIN”) Act 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 integration of our new chief executive officer; 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 ability to successfully integrate any future acquisitions into our existing business; 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.

- Seeking to initiate Phase 3 registrational trial for larsucosterol with topline results expected within two years of initiation - Webcast of Earnings Call Today, November 13 at 4:30 p.m. ET CUPERTINO, Calif., Nov. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- DURECT Corporation (Nasdaq: DRRX) today announced financial results for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and provided a business update. "We remain focused on preparations for the Phase 3 trial for larsucosterol in severe alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH), including discussions with U.S. clinical sites and hepatologists, to streamline the initiation process," stated James E. Brown, D.V.M., President and CEO of DURECT. "Our goal is to begin the trial as soon as possible, subject to obtaining sufficient funding, which should enable us to report topline data within two years of trial initiation. If successful, the FDA has agreed that a single Phase 3 trial may be sufficient to support a New Drug Application (NDA). We believe the selected primary endpoint of 90-day survival is clinically meaningful and provides the greatest probability of success based on the Phase 2b AHFIRM data. We look forward to initiating the trial as soon as possible. We believe that larsucosterol, if approved, could provide physicians with a much-needed treatment that could significantly improve the current 90-day mortality rates of approximately 30%." Recent business highlights and updates: DURECT announced details on the design of its planned registrational Phase 3 trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of larsucosterol for the treatment of patients with severe alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH). The trial will be a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center study conducted in the U.S. The primary endpoint will be 90-day survival. The trial design incorporates feedback we received from the U.S. FDA during a Type B meeting held under Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) as well as learnings from our prior Phase 2b AHFIRM trial in AH. DURECT's goal is to begin the trial as soon as possible, subject to obtaining sufficient funding, with topline results expected within two years of trial initiation. DURECT plans to deliver an oral and two poster presentations at The Liver Meeting 2024, organized by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), to be held November 15-19, 2024 in San Diego, California. These presentations will showcase additional data from the completed Phase 2b AHFIRM trial which evaluated larsucosterol for the treatment of alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH). The data further support the design of the Company's planned Phase 3 trial of larsucosterol, including the importance of timely treatment in clinical outcomes. Top line data from AHFIRM were previously announced in November 2023. On November 8, 2024, DURECT received notice that Innocoll Pharmaceuticals is terminating its license agreement for POSIMIR® (bupivacaine solution), effective in May 2025. Innocoll has committed to transfer all data and know-how related to POSIMIR to DURECT, and the company is evaluating next steps with respect to the commercialization of POSIMIR. Financial Highlights for Q3 2024: Total revenues were $1.9 million and net loss was $4.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 compared to total revenues of $1.7 million and net loss of $3.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. Cash, cash equivalents and investments were $10.5 million at September 30, 2024, compared to $29.8 million at December 31, 2023. Debt at September 30, 2024 was $10.5 million, compared to $16.7 million at December 31, 2023. Earnings Conference Call We will host a conference call and webcast today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time/1:30 p.m. Pacific Time to discuss the Third Quarter 2024 results and provide a corporate update: Participants can use guest dial-in numbers above to reach an operator or they can click the Call me™ link for instant telephone access to the event (dial-out). The Call me™ link will be made active 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time. The live audio webcast of the presentation will be also available on DURECT's homepage at on the "Events" page, under the "Investors" section. If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the call will be archived on DURECT's website under the same section, following the completion of the call. About the AHFIRM Trial AHFIRM was a Phase 2b randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, international, multi-center study conducted in subjects with severe alcohol-associated hepatitis ( AH) to evaluate the sa Fety and eff Icacy of la Rsucosterol treat Ment (AHFIRM). The study was comprised of three arms and enrolled 307 patients, with approximately 100 patients in each arm: (1) Placebo, which consists of standard of care, with or without methylprednisolone capsules at the investigators' discretion; (2) larsucosterol (30 mg); and (3) larsucosterol (90 mg). Patients in the larsucosterol arms received the same supportive care without steroids. The primary outcome measure was the 90-day incidence of mortality or liver transplantation for patients treated with larsucosterol compared to those treated with placebo, and the key secondary endpoint was 90-day survival. The Company enrolled patients at clinical trial sites across the U.S., EU, U.K., and Australia. In November 2023, the Company announced topline data for the AHFIRM Trial. Reflecting the life-threatening nature of AH and the lack of therapeutic options, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted larsucosterol Fast Track Designation and Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the treatment of AH. For more information, refer to ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04563026. About Alcohol-associated Hepatitis (AH) AH is an acute form of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) associated with long-term heavy alcohol intake, often following a recent period of increased consumption (i.e., a binge). AH is typically characterized by severe inflammation and liver cell damage, potentially leading to life-threatening complications including liver failure, acute kidney injury and multi-organ failure. There are no FDA approved therapies for AH, and a retrospective analysis of 77 studies published between 1971 and 2016, which included data from 8,184 patients, showed the overall mortality from AH was 26% at 28 days, 29% at 90 days and 44% at 180 days. A subsequent global study published in December 2021, which included 85 tertiary centers in 11 countries across 3 continents, prospectively enrolled 2,581 AH patients with a median Model of End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score of 23.5, reported mortality at 28 and 90 days of approximately 20% and 31%, respectively. Stopping alcohol consumption is necessary, but frequently not sufficient for recovery in many moderate (defined as MELD scores of 11-20) and severe (defined as MELD scores >20) patients, and therapies that reduce liver inflammation, such as corticosteroids, are limited by contraindications, have not been shown to improve survival at 90 days or one year, and have demonstrated an increased risk of infection. While liver transplantation is becoming more common for ALD patients, including AH patients, the total number of such transplants is still relatively small, and limited by organ availability. Average charges for a liver transplant exceed $875,000, and patients require lifelong immunosuppressive therapy to prevent organ rejection. About Larsucosterol Larsucosterol is an endogenous sulfated oxysterol and an epigenetic modulator. Epigenetic regulators are compounds that regulate patterns of gene expression without modifying the DNA sequence. DNA hypermethylation, an example of epigenetic dysregulation, results in transcriptomic reprogramming and cellular dysfunction, and has been reported in many acute (e.g., AH) and chronic diseases (e.g., MASH). As an inhibitor of DNA methyltransferases (DNMT1, DNMT3a and 3b), larsucosterol inhibits DNA methylation, which subsequently modulates expression of genes that are involved in cell signaling pathways associated with stress responses, cell death and survival, and lipid biosynthesis. This may ultimately lead to improved cell survival, reduced inflammation, and decreased lipotoxicity. As an epigenetic modulator, the proposed mechanism of action provides further scientific rationale for developing larsucosterol for the treatment of acute organ injury and certain chronic diseases. About DURECT Corporation DURECT is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of epigenetic therapies that target dysregulated DNA methylation to transform the treatment of serious and life-threatening conditions, including acute organ injury. Larsucosterol, DURECT's lead drug candidate, binds to and inhibits the activity of DNA methyltransferases, epigenetic enzymes that are elevated and associated with hypermethylation found in AH patients. Larsucosterol is in clinical development for the potential treatment of AH, for which the FDA has granted a Fast Track and a Breakthrough Therapy designation; MASH is also being explored. In addition, POSIMIR®(bupivacaine solution) for infiltration use, a non-opioid analgesic utilizing the innovative SABER®platform technology, is FDA-approved. For more information about DURECT, please visit and follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at . DURECT Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, relating to: the Company's ability to commence a Phase 3 trial of larsucosterol and report top-line data within two years of initiation, the potential for a single Phase 3 trial of larsucosterol, if successful, to support an NDA filing, and the potential uses and benefits of larsucosterol in patients with AH and potentially other indications. Actual results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. The potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those projected include, among other things, the risks that the Company is unable to raise sufficient capital to commence the Phase 3 trial of larsucosterol in AH, trial enrollment or completion takes longer than anticipated, future clinical trials of larsucosterol are delayed or do not confirm the results from subset analyses of the AHFIRM trial, including geographic or other segmentation, or of earlier clinical or pre-clinical trials, or do not demonstrate the safety or efficacy of larsucosterol in a statistically significant manner; the risk that the FDA or other government agencies may require additional clinical trials for larsucosterol before approving larsucosterol for the treatment of AH, and that larsucosterol may never be approved; and risks related to the sufficiency of our cash resources, our anticipated capital requirements, our need or desire for additional financing, our ability to continue to meet the minimum bid price for continued listing on Nasdaq, our ability to obtain capital to fund our operations and expenses, and our ability to continue to operate as a going concern. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in DURECT's most recent Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, when filed, under the heading "Risk Factors." These reports are available on our website under the "Investors" tab and on the SEC's website at . All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is based on information available to DURECT as of the date hereof, and DURECT assumes no obligation to update this information as a result of future events or developments, except as required by law. NOTE: POSIMIR® is a trademark of Innocoll Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. in the U.S. and a trademark of DURECT Corporation outside of the U.S. SABER® is a trademark of DURECT Corporation. Other referenced trademarks belong to their respective owners. Larsucosterol is an investigational drug candidate under development and has not been approved for commercialization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other health authorities for any indication. SOURCE DURECT Corporation WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED