The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Pacira Pharmaceuticals’ Exparel (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) 1.3% for post-surgical pain management.

Exparel is a multivesicular liposomal combined therapy product including bupivacaine, delivered using DepoFoam technology.

Exparel with DepoFoam delivers bupivacaine for an extended period of time, providing analgesia for up to 72 hours with reduced opioid consumption.

University of California surgery associate professor Sonia Ramamoorthy said that Exparel “has the potential to reduce or delay the use of opioids following inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures”.