PARSIPPANY, N.J., Oct. 20, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(NASDAQ:PCRX) today announced the appointment of two key individuals who will assume leadership roles within the company’s commercial organization. Thomas Sluby has been named Vice President, Sales and Matthew Lehmann has been appointed Vice President, Marketing – Emerging Therapies; both individuals will report to Robert Weiland, Chief Commercial Officer.

Mr. Sluby is responsible for the coordination, management, and leadership of the Pacira sales organization, overseeing all aspects of sales execution and customer relations. Mr. Sluby will work closely with the commercial team on the development and implementation of sales and product strategies for EXPAREL^® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension).

Mr. Lehmann will be responsible for the development, implementation, and execution of market strategies and tactics, initially focusing on the EXPAREL nerve block launch subsequent to approval. Pacira is currently enrolling two Phase 3 studies in lower and upper extremity nerve blocks. Mr. Lehmann will also oversee development of the marketing and sales approaches for future EXPAREL indications and the launch of additional products in the Pacira pipeline.

“We are excited to add Tom and Matt, two seasoned pharmaceutical executives with long track records of success building and executing on comprehensive commercialization strategies, to the Pacira leadership team,” said James Scibetta, President of Pacira. “We expect these key additions to the commercial side of our business to significantly contribute to the success of EXPAREL infiltration in the acute care marketplace, while positioning the company for future success, beginning with the planned launch of EXPAREL for nerve block.”

Mr. Sluby joins Pacira from inVentiv Health, where he served as National Business Director, responsible for overseeing the sales and performance management of three national sales forces. Prior to this position, Mr. Sluby served as Senior Vice President of Global Client Relations for Taconic BioSciences, where he led a global sales and marketing team. Mr. Sluby also held several management roles during a 15-year period at Eisai, Inc., including National Sales Director of Neurology, Gastroenterology and LTC/Hospital, where he drove revenue in therapeutic areas ranging from Alzheimer’s and acid reflux to epilepsy and low-molecular-weight heparin.

Prior to Pacira, Mr. Lehmann held various executive positions during a 21-year career at AstraZeneca, most recently as Head of the Neuroscience Franchise where he was responsible for the successful market build-out and launch of Movantik^®. Mr. Lehmann also served as Executive Director, Commercial Leader for Seroquel XR^® and Movantik, overseeing all commercial decisions covering healthcare professional, consumer, and managed markets marketing, as well as government affairs and pricing work.

About Pacira

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCRX) is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the clinical and commercial development of new products that meet the needs of acute care practitioners and their patients. The company’s flagship product, EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension), indicated for single-dose infiltration into the surgical site to produce postsurgical analgesia, was commercially launched in the United States in April 2012. EXPAREL and two other products have successfully utilized DepoFoam®, a unique and proprietary product delivery technology that encapsulates drugs without altering their molecular structure, and releases them over a desired period of time. Additional information about Pacira is available at www.pacira.com.

About EXPAREL®

EXPAREL (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) is currently indicated for single-dose infiltration into the surgical site to produce postsurgical analgesia. The product combines bupivacaine with DepoFoam®, a proven product delivery technology that delivers medication over a desired time period. EXPAREL represents the first and only multivesicular liposome local anesthetic that can be utilized in the peri- or postsurgical setting. By utilizing the DepoFoam platform, a single dose of EXPAREL delivers bupivacaine over time, providing significant reductions in cumulative pain score with up to a 45 percent decrease in opioid consumption; the clinical benefit of the opioid reduction was not demonstrated. Additional information is available at www.EXPAREL.com.