Pacira Pharmaceuticals Stock Rises 2% On Positive Late-stage Trial For Opioid-reducing Pain Medication

Pacira Pharmaceuticals Inc. shares rose 2% in premarket trade Tuesday after the company said its medication intended for postsurgical pain and opioid reduction met primary endpoints in a phase 4 clinical trial. A pain regimen with the drug, Exparel, was tested against a bupivacaine-based pain regimen involving other drugs in 139 patients undergoing knee replacement surgery. Pacira said the drug met two key secondary endpoints and that further analysis was being done of other secondary endpoints. Pacira shares have surged 50.7% over the last three months, compared with a 5.3% rise in the S&P 500 .