This agreement will involve the development and commercialisation of the anaesthetic intended for managing postoperative pain.
The deal includes $5m upfront to AmacaThera and up to $225m in future milestone payments, alongside a tiered royalty system on net sales.
The collaboration will focus on clinical development. AmacaThera will lead select trials and Pacira will be responsible for funding activities up to commercial launch.
A Phase II trial is planned for 2026, following which Pacira will spearhead AMT-143’s development, manufacturing, and commercialisation.
The hydrogel-based drug delivery platform of AmacaThera, AMT-143, facilitates sustained, precise, and adjustable release of active therapeutics.
The solution provides localised capabilities in an easy-to-administer format.
AmacaThera’s Phase I trial demonstrated that AMT-143 provided sustained release of ropivacaine for up to 14 days. This platform facilitates the delivery of both biologics and small molecules.
AmacaThera CEO Mike Cooke said: “This partnership with Pacira is a major validation of our tunable hydrogel platform and our approach to developing long-acting therapies.
“This partnership allows us to accelerate AMT-143’s development whilst demonstrating the strength, versatility, and commercial appeal of our technology to future partners.”
Pacira BioSciences managing director and CMO Jonathan Slonin said: “We are excited to expand our leadership in innovative, opioid-sparing pain management with the addition of this highly complementary asset to our pipeline.
“We look forward to advancing this exciting asset into Phase II clinical development in partnership with AmacaThera.”