FDA extends Pacira's EXPAREL PDUFA goal date by three months

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (Nasdaq: PCRX), an emerging specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date for its review of the New Drug Application (NDA) for EXPAREL™ (Bupivacaine Extended-Release Liposome Injection) by three months. The new PDUFA goal date is October 28, 2011.

The FDA requested additional information from Pacira, which the company has submitted. The FDA determined that this information constituted a major amendment. The agency has the option to extend the PDUFA goal date when a sponsor submits a major amendment to an NDA within three months of the PDUFA goal date to provide the FDA time to complete the review.