Local Anesthetic Zynrelef is Now Available

Heron Therapeutics has launched Zynrelef (bupivacaine and meloxicam) extended-release solution, and the therapy is now commercially available at all national wholesalers and the largest specialty distributors in the United States.

Zynrelef was approved by the FDA on May 12, 2021, for use in adults for soft tissue or periarticular instillation to produce postsurgical analgesia for up to 72 hours after bunionectomy, open inguinal herniorrhaphy, and total knee arthroplasty. It offers a fixed-dose combination of the local anesthetic bupivacaine and a low dose of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam.

Heron has also signed a contract with Apexus, a Prime Vendor for the 340B Drug Pricing Program, which provides discounts to hospitals and clinics serving vulnerable communities.

“The first three days after surgery are when patients experience the most severe postsurgical pain and are most likely to receive opioids to manage that pain. With the impressive reduction in pain and opioid use demonstrated by Zynrelef, we now have an important new option to help many patients achieve an opioid-free recovery,” Roy G. Soto, M.D., anesthesiologist at Beaumont Health System, said in a statement. "The dramatic increase in opioid-related deaths last year highlights the significant need for safe, effective and non-addictive options to manage pain that decrease opioid exposure and reduce the need for opioid prescriptions after surgery."