Viatris to buy Pacira for about $1.65B to add non-opioid pain franchise
- Viatris agreed to acquire Pacira BioSciences in an all-cash deal at $36.50 per share, a premium of roughly 45% to the last close.
- The prize is Pacira's non-opioid products EXPAREL for post-surgical pain and ZILRETTA for knee osteoarthritis pain, plus a knee OA gene therapy candidate.
- Closing is expected by the end of 2026, funded mainly from cash on hand.
💡 Points
This is Viatris buying a commercial pain franchise rather than science, which fits its pivot from generics toward branded cash flow. The pairing with its pending fast-acting meloxicam decision hints at a non-opioid pain sales force, though EXPAREL's generic-style competition is the long-term risk to watch.
Viatris to snap up Pacira's non-opioid pain pipeline for $1.65B ↗