On April 28, 2025, Pacira BioSciences announced promising long-term results from its gene therapy candidate, PCRX-201, for knee osteoarthritis.

The Phase I trial demonstrated sustained improvements in knee osteoarthritis symptoms over a two-year period.

In the trial, 72 participants aged 30 to 80 were divided into two groups: one received a single dose of PCRX-201, while the other was pre-treated with an intraarticular corticosteroid to enhance treatment effects.

Participants who were pre-treated with corticosteroids experienced greater reductions in pain and stiffness compared to the control group.

Both groups showed significant improvements in knee pain, function, and stiffness, evaluated using the WOMAC scores over the 104-week study period.

Notably, the most significant improvements were observed in subjects classified with K/L grade 2 knee osteoarthritis, with no serious adverse events reported.

PCRX-201 employs an inducible promoter that activates IL-1Ra expression in response to inflammation, ceasing once inflammation is controlled.

This therapy utilizes a high-capacity adenovirus gene therapy vector platform, administered directly into the knee joint to enhance IL-1Ra production and reduce chronic inflammation.

Following these positive Phase I results, Pacira is currently conducting dosing in the Phase II ASCEND study.

These findings strengthen Pacira's position in the competitive landscape of osteoarthritis treatments, which includes existing products like EXPAREL and ZILRETTA.

With a workforce of 789 employees, Pacira BioSciences focuses on non-opioid treatments for pain management and other debilitating conditions.

Pacira's stock price closed at $25.72, with analysts projecting an average target price of $36.00, indicating a potential upside of nearly 40%.