SAN DIEGO - Heron Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: HRTX), a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on improving the lives of patients by developing best-in-class treatments to address some of the most important unmet patient needs, today announced that the results from Study 209, a Phase 2b study of the investigational agent HTX-011 in primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA), have been published online by The Journal of Arthroplasty in an article entitled 'HTX-011 Reduced Pain and Opioid Use After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: Results of a Randomized Phase 2b Trial.' All primary and key secondary endpoints in Study 209 were achieved, with HTX-011 demonstrating statistically significant reductions in pain intensity following surgery.

HTX-011 is a dual-acting, fixed-dose combination of the local anesthetic bupivacaine with a low dose of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam. It is the first and only extended-release local anesthetic to demonstrate in Phase 3 studies significantly reduced pain and opioid use through 72 hours compared to bupivacaine solution, the current standard-of-care local anesthetic for postoperative pain control.

In Study 209, patients undergoing primary unilateral TKA who received a single, needle-free application of HTX-011 demonstrated superior pain reduction when compared to patients receiving placebo or bupivacaine solution through 48 and 72 hours. In addition, patients receiving HTX-011 consumed fewer opioids when compared to patients receiving placebo or bupivacaine solution. Fewer patients receiving HTX-011 had severe pain through 72 hours, and more patients receiving HTX-011 were deemed ready for discharge at 8, 12 and 24 hours, both as compared to patients receiving placebo or bupivacaine solution. HTX-011 was well tolerated in Study 209, with a safety profile comparable to placebo and bupivacaine solution.

'Effective pain management is crucial after TKA to permit earlier mobilization, maximize patient satisfaction and facilitate outpatient surgery,' said Alan J. Rechter, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Orthopaedic Associates, LLP. 'Based on my experience in Study 209, the fast and easy needle-free administration of HTX-011 provided patients with effective and improved pain control despite taking fewer opioids.'

The Journal of Arthroplasty article can be found here.

About Study 209

Study 209 was a randomized, placebo- and active-controlled, double-blind, Phase 2b clinical study in patients undergoing primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty to evaluate the analgesic efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics of HTX-011 locally administered into the surgical site. Following a dose-escalation phase, 232 patients were randomized, and 222 patients received treatment with: (1) HTX-011 400 mg bupivacaine/12 mg meloxicam administered via instillation into the surgical site; (2) HTX-011 400 mg bupivacaine/12 mg meloxicam administered via instillation into the surgical site plus a low dose of ropivacaine solution injected into the posterior capsule; (3) bupivacaine solution 125 mg administered via multiple injections into the surgical site; or (4) placebo. Ropivacaine solution and bupivacaine solution are generically available standard-of-care local anesthetics used in the management of postoperative pain. This study included a pre-specified hierarchical testing strategy for the primary and key secondary endpoints for the HTX-011 400 mg bupivacaine/12 mg meloxicam treatment groups. The primary endpoint was pain intensity as measured by the Area Under the Curve (AUC) from 0 to 48 hours post-surgery (AUC 0-48) for HTX-011 compared to placebo. The primary and key secondary endpoints were achieved:

HTX-011 alone and in combination with ropivacaine solution resulted in reductions of 19% and 22%, respectively, in pain intensity through 48 hours when compared to placebo (p=0.0002 and p

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